Siegel Helene - The totally bread cookbook

Copyright 1999 by Helene Siegel and Karen Gillingham.
Illustrations copyright by Carolyn Vibbert.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing.

The Totally Bread Cookbook is produced by
becker&mayer!, Kirkland, Washington.
www.beckermayer.com

Illustration: Bob Greisen
Interior design: Susan Hernday
Interior illustrations: Carolyn Vibbert

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:
99-74550

ISBN 0-89087-897-8
eBook ISBN: 978-0-8041-5332-4

Celestial Arts Publishing
P.O. Box 7123
Berkeley, CA 94707
Look for all 30 Totally books at your local store!

v3.1

F OR G RANDPA P HILLIP

B aking bread at home is more about the voyage than the destination. Its about wearing comfortable clothes, letting a fine dusting of flour settle over your kitchen, and watching the eternal mystery of flour, yeast, and water move to its own rhythm.

The end result is always a gift. The crust may not be quite as crunchy as your favorite store-bought sourdough and the flavorings not as exotic as that artisanal baker down the road. Your homely loaf may be lop-sided and the crumb may be slightly uneven, but if its homemade, the bread is bound to be loved. And so is the baker.

I know this because I fell in love with my husband when he presented me with a loaf of homemade white bread during our courtship. I figured any man who stayed at home on a weekend baking bread for me had to be as solid and wholesome as the loaf he presented. Life, of course, turned out to be more complicated than that. But good bread remains a simple and constant pleasure.

In this little volume, most of the breads can be made by hand using mixing bowls and spoons. A few richer doughs call for a heavy-duty mixer, and special equipment may be needed to make such treats as doughnuts and holiday breads. But the focus is on tried-and-true, low-tech yeast breads for the home baker. No bread machines or time-intensive homemade starters are necessary to make tender, golden brioche, a rugged round country loaf, or a fine old-fashioned potato bread. All it takes is flour, water, yeast, and a pinch of this or that for flavor. The rest is magicand some time in the kitchen.

How to Knead

Kneading by hand is an age-old tension releaser, second only to punching down the dough. To enjoy it fully, you need to work on a surface that is low enough to lean into without standing on your toes. A wooden board on top of a kitchen table is ideal. If you place a damp kitchen towel beneath it, the board will stay still.

The basic kneading method is to fold an outside edge toward you, push away with the heels of your hands, and make a quarter turn in a continuous motion. Its best to start with a lightly floured board (and hands, if necessary) and then add flour, a pinch at a time, as needed. Be patient: the dough will keep changing, and become more pliable, as you work it. A good way to learn is to observe an experienced baker and copy the movements until they come naturally. The typical dough needs about 8 minutes of kneading.

CLASSIC
YEAST
LOAVES

Once youve tasted homemade white bread, youll have a better understanding of why it became the symbol of all that is wholesome and good in American food. Nothing beats it for morning toast.

1 package dry yeast

cup warm water

2 cups nonfat milk, warmed

3 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

4 to 5 cups unbleached flour, or more

In a large bowl, stir yeast into water until dissolved. Stir in milk, butter, salt, and sugar.

Sprinkle 1 cup flour over mixture, and stir until evenly moistened. Add 3 more cups flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

Turn out onto a board sprinkled with half of remaining flour. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Punch down dough. Transfer to lightly floured surface, and knead several times. Divide in half and form each into a loaf. Place in two buttered loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake until tops are golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped, about 45 minutes. Turn out and cool on rack.

M AKES 2 LOAVES

This crusty yellow loaf gets its extra moistness from a mashed potato in the dough. One cup of leftover mashed potatoes can be substituted.

1 baking potato, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup 2% milk

3 tablespoons softened butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 package dry yeast

cup warm water

5 cups bread flour

1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Place the potato in a pot with enough water to cover. Boil until soft, 20 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking water, and mash the potato.

Scald milk and combine with cup reserved cooking liquid. Place in bowl of electric mixer. Add potato, butter, salt, and sugar. Cool to room temperature.

Combine yeast and warm water, and set aside 10 minutes. When milk mixture has cooled, pour in yeast. Add flour, and knead with dough hook on low speed until smooth, about 8 minutes. Or knead by hand until smooth.

Transfer to a buttered bowl, cover with a towel, and set aside to rise about hour. On a counter, punch down and briefly knead. Divide in half, shape into loaves, and transfer to two buttered loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the tops of the loaves with egg wash. Bake about 1 hour, until tops are golden and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Turn out and cool on rack.

M AKES 2 LOAVES

For virtuous bakersa whole grain loaf with sunflower seeds for added crunch and fiber.

1 package dry yeast

cup warm water

1 cups warm milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 cups unbleached flour

1 cups stone-ground whole wheat flour, or more

cup plain sunflower seeds, shelled

In a large bowl, stir yeast into water until dissolved. Stir in milk, 2 tablespoons butter, honey, and salt. Mix in unbleached flour, 1 cup at a time. Cover with a towel, and let stand until smooth, about 30 minutes.