Matt can't believe I'm actually posting this, but today I hit a milestone I had given up on long ago. And that is baking bread. I've made several attempts over the years and let me just say, yeast is not my friend. Until now that is. I went to a breadmaking class last night and check out what I made today!! A perfectly golden loaf and cinnamon twists. And they are as yummy as they look.
My kids will think my friend Jan's been over when they come home today. No more self-deprecating humor about what a bad baker I am. This girl can bake!! The trick is in the yeast. Use SAF-instant yeast, and you mix it right into the dry ingredients. You can make your loaves of bread, start to finish, in one hour. Amazing.Here's the recipe:
10 1/2 C white unbleached bread flour (not cake flour)
1/2 C sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
3 rounded Tablespoons SAF-instant Yeast
3 Tablespoons liquid lecithin (buy this at any health food store--they say don't measure, just squirt in 3 quarter size dollops into the flour mixture)
4 C hot tap water
Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin and water. Mix for 1 minute and check consistency. (The consistency should be like cookie dough, quite "wet". Not the typical bread dough that pulls away from the sides and forms a lump. That is way too dry. Keep adding hot water until it is the consistency of cookie dough.)Mix for 5 minutes. (Do not add water or flour to the dough after it has finished mixing.) Spray counter and pans with cooking spray (do not roll out on flour, this will make your bread crumbly). Shape loaves, spray the tops with a little more cooking spray,and cover with a towel. Let raise 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. This recipe makes 4 loaves of bread.
This was demonstrated with a Bosch bread machine, which will yield 4 loaves. If you are using a regular Kitchen Aid, cut the recipe in half, and it will yield 2 loaves.
This can also be done by hand, and turns out just fine. This dough can be used for over 50 recipes, from pizza dough, to cinnamon sticks, rolls, any kind of bread, a braided loaf with filling, etc. Good stuff!!
Go to www.pantrysecrets.net for more info.
4 comments:
I am SO glad you posted this. For all my love of cooking, I could never do bread either. I am so excited to try this and it looks so stinkin good!
Yummm! Looks like you learned how to make your perfect homemade chicken noodle soup even better - homemade bread!
You go girl!
SWEET! I'm totally going to try it!!!
This reminds me of a picture taken the day before I went to the hospital to have Kathleen. I had just canned my first fruit, and the picture is of me with my belly hugher than huge, pointing at all the beautiful bottles lined up on the kitchen table in our dungeon of a basement apartment! Hmmm, wonder if that picture is still around. Big moments! The bread looks fabulous and makes me hungry!
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