Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Mix-and-match bread ideas


People have asked for my bread recipes, and I don't exactly have any (except for my challah recipe here). When I bake loaf bread, I use Mark Bittman's bread recipe for inspiration. You can read my adaptation, with instructions, here. I do not use a bread machine, but I do allow my food processor to do the kneading.

Rather than making Bittman's bread as written, though, I like to try including different ingredients each time. So here's an ingredient idea chart (note that I have reduced the salt from 2 tsps in Bittman's recipe to just 1 tsp, which seems to be enough). Use anything you like from the first column; add anything you like from the second; choose what sounds good to you from the fourth, fifth, and sixth--or come up with your own ideas.

This "recipe" makes one 8.5" x 4.5" loaf that weighs 1.5 to 2 pounds. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. If that makes the crust too brown, turn the heat down to 325 for the last 20 minutes.

1 lb – 500 gm bread flour

1.5 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp salt

2–4 Tbl sugar

2 Tbl butter

1 ¼ C warm milk

or white whole wheat flour

or use 1 tsp and let rise overnight in refrigerator

or honey (decrease liquid)

or canola oil

or water

or stone ground whole wheat flour

or use 1 packet and watch very carefully—it will get bubbles

or brown sugar

or warmed applesauce

or a mixture of flours, possibly including 1 C rye or oat flour

or molasses (decrease liquid)

or bananas

or ½ C corn meal + flour to equal 1 lb or 500 gm

or no sugar at all, but use fruit for all or part of liquid

or plain yogurt

or ½ – 1 C oatmeal + flour to equal l lb or 500 gm

or buttermilk

or add nuts and/or raisins to flour before spinning in food processor

or one beaten egg + 1 C liquid

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