I think I'll bake bread tomorrow.

[conuly]

I have yeast, I have bread flour, and I have burning desire to intone "RISE, MY GLORIOUS CREATION!" so really, what more do I need now besides a recipe?

(Anybody got a recipe?)

*********

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Comments

Easiest, most flexible bread recipe

[dialecticdreamer]

https://jae.tumblr.com/post/223398089/reading-rainbow-pizza-dough

Yes, pizza dough. Or breadsticks. Or dinner rolls, or one good-sized loaf of bread. Or a baguette. All from the same dough.

My only addition is to pour a capful or two of oil on the dough right before leaving it to rise, then rubbing some of that oil on my hands before shaping the risen dough. It's absolutely the single MOST forgiving bread recipe I've used, and it's still a favorite a quarter century later.

[ioplokon]

It's not seasonal anymore but: http://www.czechcookbook.com/christmas-bread-vanocka/

[affreca]

I've made this onion focaccia twice this weekend, so it's a new favorite.

[lilysea]

In just one week, three states around the nation introduced or advanced bills that would ban hair discrimination.

Oh, it's about damned time!

The only things an employer should be able to dictate about hair is:

a) if working with food/with dangerous machinery/doing surgery, that the hair be
tied up,
covered,
or secured.

b) that hair be clean

c) that there are no eg swastikas shaved into it.

Everything else is none of the employers business.

[gingicat]

On (b) people have been trying to define pomaded dreads as not clean.

[conuly]

Well, if you're not working with food it's not a problem anyway, and if you are you should just cover your hair no matter what.

[offcntr]

RISE, MY GLORIOUS CREATION!

It's alive! IT'S ALIVE! BWAAHAHAHA!

Wishing you better luck than my last attempt. Had everything measured out when I discovered my yeast jar had only half as much as I needed. Them loaves were dense.

[hudebnik]

A shortage of yeast should be recoverable with just a longer rise time. As a fringe benefit, the longer rise time will give the bread more flavor (as acelightning says).

Here's my bread schedule for this weekend:
Friday evening I fed the sourdough starter.
Saturday early-evening I mixed 2 cups of water with 2 cups of flour and left it to sit covered for two hours (this is called an "autolyze", and apparently it's A Thing in commercial bread-baking) before adding starter, then left it covered overnight. Also fed the sourdough starter again.
Sunday morning I added a tablespoon of salt, two eggs (optional), and enough flour to make it bread-dough-texture (another cup or two). Kneaded for about 100 strokes. Left it covered all day. Used some sourdough starter in pancakes, fed the sourdough starter again, and put it in the fridge until next week.
Sunday evening I formed a loaf and left it covered overnight.
Monday morning (now!) I'm going to soak the bottom and top of the Romertopf (lidded earthenware baking dish) for an hour, then put the loaf inside, cover, put into a cold oven (you don't put a wet Romertopf into a hot oven), turn up to 475F and wait 45 minutes.

[conuly]

Doesn't yeast multiply if you just wait?

[offcntr]

That's what I thought! Didn't happen. Of course, my kitchen is always cold, but I tried proofing in the oven with a pan of warm water, got a little rise, then it all fell again when I took off the covering.

*sigh* Bread hates me. Next time, I'll make a pie.

[acelightning]

Here's a trick that makes it easier to plan a schedule around a batch of bread, and it's less work and it makes the bread taste better.

Mix all your ingredients - flour, water, yeast, and salt - until it says to "shape it into a ball and set it aside until it doubles in size". Instead, place it back in the mixing bowl, spray or brush the top of the dough ball with oil, cover with Saran wrap (touching the dough) and then cover the top of the dough with more Saran wrap. Put the bowl of dough in the refrigerator. Leave it at least overnight. The long slow rising period will allow to develop more flavor, and it also improves the texture.
When you're ready, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pummel it a bit with your hands. Roll it into a cylinder the length of the pan. Pat and squeeze it until it's a roughly even shape. Place it into the prepared pan. Brush the top of the loaf with beaten egg or a bit of milk (to make it shiny) or oil or melted butter (to make the crust softer). Let it rise until doubled - until the top of the loaf bulges up past the top of the pan by 3/4 of an inch or so, and the pan feels lighter, and it looks risen. Place pan in oven and bake approximately 1 hour - it might take an extra five minutes. If it's nicely browned, stick a thermometer into the middle of the loaf; the temperature should be above 200°F. Or temporarily remove the loaf from the pan. Thump the bottom of the loaf with your finger; if it's done, it'll sound hollow. If it's not done, put it back in the pan and bake it some more. When it's done, turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely to room temperature before you attempt to slice it.

(As a child, I learned how to do this with a woodburning stove. Long story, and it happened in New Hampshire.)

Oh hey, I made a photoessay for this once.

[rebeccmeister]

https://flic.kr/p/r9RUb8

Here are the ingredients proportions I tend to go for, for a loaf that will fill one loaf pan:

1.75 C water
~2 Tbsp olive oil in dough
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (honey could be delicious, too)
(maybe 1 tsp yeast? I switched to sourdough several years ago)
-couple Tbsp fresh herbs or tsp dried herbs if you like

Add flour and mix in the bowl until the dough starts to come together (usually between 2 and 3 cups depending on flour hydration). Then generously flour your countertop and knead for a couple of minutes until the dough is fairly smooth and elastic, continuing to add in flour to keep your hands and the countertop from turning into a sticky mess. Err on the side of lower flour/higher hydration for a better loaf. Progress as described above. When you are ready to shape the loaf to put it in the pan, fold the dough in half, then turn 90 degrees and knead down, then fold the dough in half, turn 90 degrees and knead, and continue "winding the clock." Once the dough feels all wound up, switch to a more cylindrical shaping preparation. When you do this, it will cause your loaf to rise further when you bake. (trick from the Tassajara Bread Book).

I use whole wheat bread flour and tend to bake for 45 mins at 375 F in a ceramic pan. I eventually decided life was easier if I greased AND floured the pan.

For those who might prefer to use less Saran wrap, coat the bowl with oil and cover the bowl with a plate or somesuch (prevents too much water loss but still allows gases to escape).

Re: Oh hey, I made a photoessay for this once.

[acelightning]

Using honey, raw sugar, maple sugar (if you're in New England and can get maple products easily and cheaply), or anything like that will make the yeast happier than if you just use plain white sucrose, because of the micronutrients. You're also right about using as much water as you can get the flour to absorb - this is how you make "artisan" ciabatta and focaccia and stuff. But a wetter dough is easier for the CO2 to expand.

I also usually add some vital wheat gluten to my bread mixtures, which makes the dough rise better. (Gluten isn't really bad for you unless you have a specific sensitivity or allergy, or celiac disease.)

Now I really want to make some cinnamon-swirl bread, or maybe some brioche cinnamon buns...

Re: Oh hey, I made a photoessay for this once.

[rebeccmeister]

YUM, cinnamon breads!

And yes - micronutrients FTW! Molasses, too. :^)

[hudebnik]

BTW, you posted this on the evening of Feb. 20, 2020. I'm reading it on the morning of Feb. 17, 2020. Something is wrong with the arrow of causality....

[conuly]

Nah, I just find it easier to post in advance than to go back and fix dates if I skip one.

[hannah]

This whole wheat sandwich loaf: https://hannah.dreamwidth.org/1127291.html

[rhoda_rants]

LOL--I helped Mom bake bread yesterday, and I definitely said "RISE!" as we were covering it. I have a habit of quoting cheesy villain one-liners when I'm baking/cooking anyway, but yeah, that one was too easy.

[conuly]

RISE!!!!!!

[dandelion.livejournal.com]

This is the best bread we've baked:
https://ladyandpups.com/2015/04/27/the-blushing-boule-purple-yam-country-bread/
I expect you could sub normal sweet potato, but then it wouldn't be purple, of course...

[conuly]

Dilemmas, dilemmas.