Mrs. Mik

Abbotsford, Wisconsin

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Joined: 04/01/2002

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Yesterday, we had homemade pizza for dinner, including homemade crust. I decided that since I had the yeast and flour out, I might as well make some bread, too! I don't remember ever making homemade bread before, and I'm just thrilled with how this turned out!
The recipe comes from one of our Menonite neighbors. Thanks, Clara!
Quote:
2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
2/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil or unsalted butter
6 cups flour (I used regular white bleached flour and it worked just fine.
In your bowl pour warm water and sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved. After sugar dissolves stir in yeast and allow the yeast to sit in a warm place until it gets to a creamy foamy state (about 5-10 minutes, depending on how warm the water is).
Add oil and salt to yeast mixture; stir. Add flour, one cup at a time. Note: it will be a little sticky, but DO NOT ADD more flour to the mixture. Turn bread out onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth.
Place dough in a well oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Cover bowl with a damp towel and allow to rise in a warm place until it's doubled in size (about 1 hour).
After dough has doubled punch center down and turn onto your floured surface again. Knead for two more minutes. Divide the dough in half and shape into loaves.
Place the 2 loaves in well-oiled bread pans (of course, I used my cast iron bread pans!) and let rise a second time about 30-45 minutes, until dough rises about 1-2 inches above the pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Enjoy!
Julie
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swtgran

Brimfield, Ohio

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Julie, that is very nice first time bread, indeed! Be careful, baking bread can become addicting. There is a very good web site for bread bakers, at thefreshloaf.com. Terry R
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Nascarcruzin

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How wonderful, you are a pro. My Mother used to make bread, baking the loaves in a large orange juice can. The round loaves were wonderful, I might try making some when I get to my dd's after Christmas.
Thanks for the recipe.
Rebecca
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Mrs. Mik

Abbotsford, Wisconsin

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Terry, thanks for that link! I'm going to head over there and check it out! As for being addicting, I think you're correct! I was thinking about some homemade garlic cheese bread to go with our spaghetti tonight, but I ran out of time.
I had some toast with butter and raspberry jam this morning and it was absolutely heavenly! I can't wait to have a meatball sandwich tomorrow (from tonight's spaghetti!) on that bread! Oh, goodness, it's going to be good!
Rebecca, never heard of the juice can thing . . . can you give us more details? I recently acquired the two cast iron bread pans, so naturally I used those. I want to make some bread in my Dutch ovens, but will have to wait to do that.
Julie
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chasfm11

Dallas/Ft Worth Areas

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Your pictures look great! I use a similar recipe and bake it in a 10" Dutch Oven, one loaf at a time. Making an egg wash and coating the 3 exposed sides of the loaf just before baking makes the crust nice and cruchy, just like I like it.
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Mrs. Mik

Abbotsford, Wisconsin

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chasfm11, can you tell me how you make it in the DO? Do you shape it into a loaf and it keeps its shape while it's cooking? For some reason, I always think that it's going to "flatten" out if I don't use a loaf pan.
Julie
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chasfm11

Dallas/Ft Worth Areas

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Yes, I shape it into a loaf and it doesn't change the shape while baking. I do make 3 knife cuts through the top, longways on the loaf.
After the dough is pounded down, split into two and the made into a loaf, it pretty much keeps its shape. Since I can do only one at a time in the 10"DO, I leave the 2nd loaf in the bowl and have not had any problems with it changing shape there either.
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tvme

Medina, Ohio

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Julie,
That looks great and for a first loaf its fantastic! I love fresh bread- bake a loaf of Italian every other day.
I've found the regular bleached all purpose flour is just fine as long as there is plenty of sugar and oil in the dough. Recipes without them can benefit from the unbleached bread flour.
chasfm11 mentioned brushing the outside with butter. That works fine. Some folks us a little oil instead. I spritz with water just before baking but after slashing the top. The three have slightly different effects.
Terry- Thanks for posting the web site. I'll check it out.
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swtgran

Brimfield, Ohio

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An easy one for the Dutch oven would be the No Knead NY Times recipe. It and several variations have been posted to this site. You can also do a search for it. It is very good artisan type bread. Terry R
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Bearnkat

Fort Worth, Texas

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Julie, great looking bread. Yum!
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