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Basic White Bread - Makes 1 Loaf
Ingredients:
| ½ | cup milk |
| 1½ | tablespoons sugar |
| 1¼ | teaspoon salt |
| 3 | tablespoons shortening |
| ½ | cup warm water |
| 1 | package active dry yeast |
| 3 | cups flour |
Directions:
- Warm milk; stir in sugar, salt and shortening until melted. Cool to lukewarm. Pour warm water into large bowl; add yeast and stir until dissolved. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture. Add 1½; cups flour and beat vigorously until smooth. Stir in most of remaining flour, then turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead until dough is non-sticky, smooth and elastic - about 8 to 10 minutes. Add more flour while kneading if necessary.
- Put dough in greased bowl and grease top lightly. Cover bowl and set in warm place to rise until almost doubled in bulk (about 30 minutes).
- Punch dough down and squeeze out air bubbles. Pat or roll into a rectangle about 6" by 10". Starting with narrow end, roll tightly, jelly-roll fashion; seal dough about every half turn. Seal the ends very well.
- Center dough in greased tube and butter ends of loaf. Cover ends of tube; place in rack. Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled (about 45 minutes).
- Bake at 375°F. for 50 minutes. Slide bread from tube onto rack to cool.
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French-Style Bread - Makes 1 Loaf
Ingredients:
| ¼ | cup warm water |
| 1 | package active dry yeast |
| 2 | teaspoons sugar |
| ¾ | cup warm water |
| 1½ | teaspoon salt |
| 1 | tablespoon shortening |
| 4 | cups sifted flour |
| 1 | egg white, unbeaten |
| 1 | tablespoon cornmeal |
Directions:
- Combine ½ cup warm water, yeast and sugar; set aside for 10 minutes. Pour ¾ cup warm water into a large bowl. Mix in salt, shortening and one cup flour; beat until smooth.
- Stir in yeast mixture, then egg white. Add remaining flour gradually; beat until dough is stif. Turn out on floured board and knead until dough is non-sticky, smooth and elastic - about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Place dough in greased bowl and grease top lightly. Cover bowl with a damp towel and set in warm place to rise until almost doubled in bulk (about 1½ to 2 hours).
- Punch dough down and squeeze out air bubbles. Roll and shape into a strip about 3" by 18". Lightly mark off in thirds. Fold one third over center third and pinch to seal. Fold remaining third over other two thirds and seal well.
- Center dough in greased tube dusted with cornmeal. Butter ends of loaf. Place tube in rack and drape damp cloths over ends. Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled (about 1½ to 2 hours).
- Bake at 425°F. for 10 minutes; lower to 350°F. for 35 minutes. Slide bread from tube onto rack to cool.
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