How to make some serious bread!

Home made bread is the best! I make all my bread --- even hamburger and hotdog buns. Why pay the price for bread at the store for substandard fare? I think it only costs me about $0.75 to make 2 loaves of the best stuff on earth.

I also use the same basic recipe to make cinnamon rolls that would put Cinnabon outa business. Most folks just don't realize how easy it really is. They say that they don't have enough time......poppycock. They've got the same amount of time that I do. I guess that I just do a better job of utilizing it.....

If you want something that'll knock off your socks, fashion your bread dough into hoagie type rolls and wrap them with some thick sliced bacon and let 'em rise a little longer than normal.

Shoot. I know what I'm doing in the morning!

Toadmund said:

Cinnamon bread, that will be my next project, then brown raisen bread after that, heck, cinnamon raisen brown bread, probably interupted by making regular bread.

Is it molasses that makes brown bread?

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Be careful if adding cinnamon into the dough --- it retards the action of the yeast. I always add more yeast when using cinnamon.

Also, yeast loves acid. I always add a touch of balsamic vinegar to my dough. Makes the bread really fluffy and you don't notice the the additional 'flavor'.

Good luck!

OK, some purists would scoff at this but I am going to extol the virtues of my bread maker. It is not a big brand machine. I got it new in the box at the thrift shop. It is easy to use. The machine came with a recipe book and the internet is flooded with recipes.

First things first. You need good ingredients. I use bread flour and bread machine yeast. I also use real buttermilk.

Even if you want to bake your bread in a conventional oven you can use the bread machine to mix the dough and then transfer it in to a regular loaf pan for it's final rising and baking. The machine is also great for mixing pizza dough. You have to mix enough for 2 pizzas at a time but the dough can be stored in the fridge for several days.

I really like the whole grain breads that you can make in the machine but the whole wheat flour is hard on the non-stick coating of the loaf pans. I usually make 33% whole-wheat bread.

The timer went off as I was typing.


And now for something completely different. I have a great recipe for Irish Soda Bread that is cooked in the MICROWAVE. I use a microwave safe bunt pan for mine. This is a great bread. You just have to get over the fact that it is cooked in the microwave. The only changes that I made were to add about 1/4 cup of flour (the dough was wet) and I only use 1/2 of the caraway seeds.

IRISH SODA BREAD

2 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 tbsp. caraway seeds
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
3/4 tsp. baking soda

Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder; cut in softened butter. Stir in raisins and caraway. Combine buttermilk egg and baking soda; add to dry ingredients. stir only until flour is moistened. on a floured board, lightly knead dough until smooth, about 3 minutes. Shape in a ball and place in a 1 1/2 quart glass bowl with the bottom lined with waxed paper. Cut an "X" across the top of the dough. Cover with waxed paper. Cook at MEDIUM for 7 to 9 minutes. Let stand uncovered, 10 minutes; turn out of bowl. Let stand upside-down for an additional 10 minutes; store covered, until ready to serve.

I use the 'dough' setting on my two paddle bread machine to mix my dough. Then I use the 'fold and squash' method to get better air pockets.

I guess that my bread is a 'hybrid'.....

Making some simple rosemary/dill/cheese bread this evening. I foresee a few grilled cheeses in my immediate future!

Chopped green olives or jalapenos are a taste treat, also! Just remember to add them to your water when you measure.

A little pan with a little bit of water in the oven as it's preheating will give you a crustier crust.

xseler said:

Be careful if adding cinnamon into the dough --- it retards the action of the yeast. I always add more yeast when using cinnamon.


Good luck!

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OMG! That explains it! When I'm baking banana bread for the kids, I was having trouble getting it to rise as much as my other breads did. I've been adding cinnamon to it, then adding only the usual amount of yeast I always do. I'm going to try adding a tiny bit more and see what I get.

I'm making a batch of plain old butter white bread this morning.......sometimes simple is great!!

Also making a batch of home made pasta sauce. Got the recipe from my ex-wife's granny......she was Italian and she always called it 'gravy'. Gonna have some good eats this evening!!

Don't forget ZA!

MT

Yep.......homemade pizza is almost as good as the square school pizza we would get on Fridays at school in the 60's!!