American Sandwich Bread

The last sandwich bread loaf I made was great, but it left me still searching for a recipe that results in a soft, tender bread that my kids would gladly eat for their pb&j.  It was much better for french toast.  I should have known my America's Test Kitchen wouldn't let me down.  This was spot on!  It had more flavor than store bought bread, but had the same soft texture as the whole wheat bread I usually buy.  This will definitely be a recipe I turn to week after week.

The America's Test Kitchen - Family Baking Book
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for brushing
3 tablespoons honey
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ toasted in a dry skillet about 5 minutes
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 teaspoons salt

Measure the milk and water into a large measuring cup.  Warm in microwave until 110 degrees.  Whisk in the butter and honey.  Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook.  With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, abut 2 minutes.

Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add 2 tablespoons bread flour at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball.  Spray mixer bowl lightly, put dough ball in, and cover with greased plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gently press into a 9-inch square.  Roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch the seam closed.  Place the loaf, seam side down, in the prepared pan.  Mist the loaf with vegetable oil spray, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size and the dough barely springs back when poked with a knuckle, 45 to 75 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Brush lightly with melted butter, then spray lightly with water.  Bake until golden and the center registers 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 40 to 50 minutes.  Rotate the loaf halfway through baking.  Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours before serving.

Fast and Flexible Whole-Grain Rolls

This is a really cool recipe.  The thing I love is that you can use leftover grain.  I used brown rice from our dinner the night before.  The rolls had great flavor, and were very tender considering they are all whole wheat flour.  I may make my dough balls a bit bigger next time, but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing!

The New Whole Grain Cookbook
2 cups water, divided, for bulgur OR 1 1/2 cups water for cooked grain
1/2 cup bulgur or 1 cup cooked grain
1/4 cup honey (not raw honey, it may kill the yeast)
1/2 cup olive oil or nut oil
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon quick-rise yeast
5 cups whole wheat flour, divided
2 teaspoons salt

If using bulgur: bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add the bulgur and return to a full, rolling boil.  Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, then let stand for 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup cool water to bring the temperature down.

If using cooked grain: bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, add the cooked grain, then remove from heat.

Stir the honey, oil, and vinegar into the hot grain mixture.  Take the temperature of the mixture, and follow the yeast package recommendations, letting it cool if necessary.  IN a stand mixer or large bowl, mix 5 cups of the flour with the yeast and salt.  Using the dough hook, stir in the grain mixture.  Knead to mix.  When the flour is mixed in, knead in the remaining cup, to make a soft dough.  The dough will seem sticky in the bowl, but you should be able to handle it without it sticking to your hands.  Oil a large mixing bowl and scrape the dough into the bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for at least 45 minutes, and up to 3 hours.

Oil a heavy sheet pan.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  The dough should be bigger than it was.  Tear off small handfuls of dough, about 3/4 the size you would like the rolls to be.  Roll each piece into a ball, and place on the oiled pan.  Lightly cover with a sheet of plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm spot for at least 30 minutes.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Slide the rolls off the pan onto a rack to cool.

Basic Sandwich Bread

If you read the recipe for this yummy bread, and you know me personally, then you will immediately know why it caught my eye.  The recipe actually says "1 egg, preferably from a pastured chicken for the rich color and nutrition the yolk provides, beaten".  Well folks, I have pastured chickens from whom I collect eggs daily.  This recipe was right down my ally!

I modified the recipe to include whole wheat, not just white flour.  It makes the bread at least sound healthy.  I also put it together in my stand mixer.  The original recipe called for mixing the dough by hand.  The result was a yummy bread that provided us toast and sandwiches for 3 days, tasting good to the last crumb.  I think I need to be more patient and let it rise in the pan a little longer next time, but otherwise I am counting this loaf as a big success.

Mother Earth News - December 2010/January 2011, modified slightly
3 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon softened butter
1 egg, preferably from a pastured chicken for the rich color and nutrition the yolk provides, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoon dried yeast
1 1/4 cups milk at room temperature
1 loaf pan, lightly sprayed
1 egg, beaten and thinned with water, for brushing

Put the flour in a stand mixer bowl along with the softened butter.  Turn mixer on low for a few minutes until no large piece remain.  Next, add the beaten egg, salt, and yeast.  With the mixer on low, stir in enough warm milk to form a dough.  At this point, the dough should be raggedy and rough.

Cover bowl with plastic and let rise in a warm place.  After it has doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours), turn onto a lightly floured board.  Gently press out the gas and form dough into a rectangle to fit into a sprayed loaf pan.  Cover, set in as warm place as you have, and let rise until nearly doubled.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  When the bread is ready, brush the top with a beaten egg thinned with a little water.  Bake until crust is golden, about an hour.  Remove from oven, turn out of pan, and let cool on its side for at least 3 hours before cutting.

Multigrain Rolls

I popped online to find something I could start in the afternoon and have done for Sunday dinner.  This recipe fit the bill.  We were all impressed.  Much lighter than most multigrain recipes because most of the dough is all-purpose flour.  I especially liked the addition of molasses - it added a lot to the flavor.  They turned out perfectly, and as any of my blog readers should know...that is rare for me on the first try!

From Cooking Light, modified slighty
1/4  cup  cornmeal

1/4  cup  wheat germ

3/4  cup  boiling water
1/4  cup  packed brown sugar, divided
1  tablespoon  molasses
1  package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4  cup  warm water (100° to 110°)
2  tablespoons  butter, melted
3/4  teaspoon  salt
2  cups  all-purpose flour, divided (about 9 ounces)
1/4  cup  whole wheat flour (about 1 ounce)
1/4  cup  rye flour (about 1 ounce)
Cooking spray

Combine first 2 ingredients in a bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Dissolve 1 tablespoon sugar, molasses, and yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cornmeal mixture, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, butter, and salt.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and rye flour to the yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of the remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough into 16 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), roll dough into a ball. Place rolls 1 inch apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Bake rolls at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cinnamon bread is one of my kid's favorites for breakfast.  Usually ours comes pre-sliced in a plastic bag.  I thought if I could get this right, I could make two loaves at a time, slice them, and then freeze them to have on hand for rushed breakfasts.  Well friends, I got it right!  We all agreed it was the best cinnamon bread we had ever tasted.  The dough was very easy to work with, I will be making this again soon!

Things I will do differently next time:
1. The topping got really messy and I think it would be even worse if I were freezing and toasting.  I will try going without the crunchy goodness.
2. I need to make sure I roll the loaf tighter.  I ended up with one huge hole which made buttering the slices a challenge.
3. The loaf could have risen a little less in the pan.  The slices were so big I had to turn them sideways to fit in the toaster!  More does not always equal better for rising.

The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups warm whole milk (110 degrees)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for brushing
2 large egg yolks
3 1/2-4 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Mix the sugars and cinnamon together in a small bowl.  Measure out 2 tablespoons and reserve for the topping.  Whisk the milk, melted butter, and yolks together in a large liquid measuring cup.

Combine 3 1/2 cups of the flour, yeast, salt, and 1/4 cup of the cinnamon sugar in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook.  With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.

Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball.  Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press into a 20 by 8-inch rectangle with the short side facing you.  Spray the dough lightly with water, then sprinkle evenly with the remaining cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1/2 inch border at the far edge.  Lightly spray the cinnamon sugar with water until it is damp but not wet.

Loosen the dough from the counter then roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch the seam closed.  Place the loaf seam side down int he prepared pan.  Mist the loaf with vegetable oil spray, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size and the dough barely springs back when poked with a knuckle, 45-75 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Brush the loaf lightly with melted butter, sprinkle with the reserved cinnamon sugar, then spray lightly with water.  Bake until golden, about 40-60 minutes, rotating the loaf halfway through baking.  Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, before serving.

Crusty White Bread

This recipe appealed to me because it is has so few ingredients, it would be a good one to have memorized and be able to just whip out when we are looking for some good bread for dinner.  I do try to mostly feed my family whole wheat and multigrain breads, but we enjoy our white bread too.

Unfortunately, like the English muffins, this recipe took me 3 times before I got it right!  The first time I used too much water.  The dough was so wet and sticky that even with wet hands most of it ended up on my hands each time I worked it.  I added flour at each step, and it ended up tough.  In addition, it was the weirdest looking loaf of bread I've ever seen.  More like an alien spaceship with no actual bottom.  The recipe called to use a bowl lined with a floured cotton or linen cloth in the last rising, and that just didn't work for me.  I decided next time I would try the parchment paper route.  The second time, it actually wasn't my fault!  The night before when I made the dough, I was very happy with how much better it felt.  That night our electricity went out, and after the bread had sat in its bowl rising for 2 nights I figured it was no good.  The third time was the winner, and after high praise from my family I knew I would be making this again soon.  One thing I will improve next time is to bake the loaf lower in the oven.  I had it in the middle and the top got so dark so fast that I baked it more like 25 minutes.  It was almost too done on top, and since it didn't bake as long as it could have the crust was almost too soft and difficult to slice.  However, the insides were divine!

Mother Earth News - December 2010/January 2011, modified slightly
1 pound unbleached white flour
1 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup water
Baking stone or cookie sheet
Pizza peel or heavy piece of cardboard

Note: If rehydrating yeast with water, subtract amount of water you add to the yeast from the 1 1/3 cups in the recipe.

Starting the night before, in a large bowl use your hands to mix the flour, yeast, salt, and enough water to form a soft and sticky dough, though the exact consistency may vary with the flour used.  Cover, and let the dough rise at room temperature.  When you get up in the morning, wet your hands, lift the dough onto a wet surface, and gently stretch and fold it in half 2 to 4 times.  Return dough to the same bowl, cover, and let it rise until it has doubled in size.  About 1-4 hours, depending on room temperature. 

When the dough has doubled, gently turn out onto a work surface, and with wet hands stretch and fold another 2 to 4 times until the dough begins to stiffen and assume the shape of a ball.  Place a piece of parchment paper in a large skillet, and gently place ball on paper.  Cover, and let rise until dough has doubled again, 1-4 hours, depending on room temperature.

Lower oven rack to right below the middle, and preheat oven to 500 degrees with baking stone or cookie sheet already in oven.  Put a pan of water in oven to add humidity and improve bread crust.  When dough is ready, gently dust top with flour, then lift out and place parchment with dough onto pizza peel.  Slide into oven (with the parchment) and bake until crust is golden brown on top and the bottom thumps like a drum (about 30-40 minutes).  Set to cool bottom-up for at least 2 hours before slicing.  You will hear the crust cracking as it cools.

Multigrain English Muffins - 3rd time's the charm!

I am always looking for recipes that involve more than just all-purpose flour.  When I came across this recipe, I thought I would give it a go.  The whole time I was making them I kept thinking the dough was awfully dry, and they didn't seem to rise much at all.  They turned out a bit flat and hard, but the kids still gobbled them up.  A few months later I made them again.  I kind of forgot the issues I had experienced with the first batch, so I repeated my mistakes.  This time I got smart and made them again almost immediately.  I used a tad more water, made sure it was actually up to temperature, and was more patient with the rising times.  The dough was much smoother and less crumbly.  They turned out fluffy, soft, and delicious!

Originally from Martha Stewart magazine, modified slightly
1/2 cup (generous) warm water (115 degrees)
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons whole flax seed
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk or whole milk
vegetable oil cooking spray
cornmeal

Combine warm water, honey, yeast, and butter in a bowl.  Let stand for 5 minutes, or until very foamy.

Combine flours, oats, wheat germ, salt, and flaxseed in a large bowl.  Add yeast mixture and milk, and mix with hands until flours are almost fully incorporated.  Turn out mixture onto a clean surface, and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Lightly coat a large mixing bowl with cooking spray, and place dough in bowl.  Cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead slightly, and roll to 1/4-1/2 inch thickness.  Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out rounds.  Roll and cut scraps once.  You should end up with 12-15.  Dust a rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal.  Place rounds on baking sheet, cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until puffy, about 20 minutes.

Heat a large griddle or skillet over low heat.  Working in batches, place rounds 1 1/2 inches apart.  Cook until golden brown and dry, about 5-7 minutes per side.  Let cool for 30 minutes; split with a fork.  Toast right before serving.