COME ON, BE BRAVE!!!
YOU CAN MAKE GREAT BREAD !!
I PROMISE !!!!!
I've been making this bread recipe (at least once a week) for over 40 years and it has never failed me.
It is a basic, no frills, white bread that goes together in minutes and is good for bread rolls, sandwich bread, pizza dough, bread sticks, etc.
HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO START WITH:
1. FLOUR: The most important tip is to use the RIGHT flour. Regular "All Purpose" flour can give you "iffy" results (when it comes to light and fluffy bread rolls). Make sure you use BREAD FLOUR (some brands label it "Better For Bread" flour). It is a MUST!! My all time favorite is Bobs Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour (it's the best I've EVER found. It is a little more expensive, but WELL WORTH it. If you can't find this flour, my 2nd choice is Gold Medal Better for Bread flour: Remember, if your flour is more than 6 months old, throw it away!!
2. YEAST: The KIND of yeast that you use is VERY important (not the brand of yeast).I highly recommend Quick Rise Yeast, also called instant yeast or bread machine yeast.
but it takes longer to work
No matter WHAT kind of yeast you use, make sure you
check it's expiration date before you use it.
3. WATER TEMPERATURE: the temperature of the water that you activate your yeast in isthe 2nd most important tip, but it is NOT rocket science. Just run your hand under the faucet and when it feels nice and warm (105 degrees) (I call it "baby bottle warm") your yeast will love it.
OK, now for the recipe........it really is easy.
INGREDIENTS
4 to 5 cupsBread Flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons of table salt
5 level teaspoons quick rise yeast
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups(baby bottle warm) water (about 105 degrees)
In the bowl of a stand mixer, place 1 cup of bread flour + 2 packets of quickrise yeast (or 2 level tablespoons) +4tablespoons of granulated sugar + 2 teaspsoons of table salt + 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Stir together, then add 2 1/2 cups warm water. Mix with spoon and let it all sit for at least 10 minutes (important).
After about 10 or so minutes, the mixture will "bloom", or look a little foamy. That means the yeast is very alive and active. If it doesn't foam......throw it away.
Give the foamy dough mixture a good stir and add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing with a sturdy spoon between each addition. When it gets too thick for your spoon, attach your mixer's dough hook and turn the mixer to low.
NOW HERE IS AN IMPORTANT TIP
When adding flour (at this stage) you might see something I call "dough shag". Dough shag is simply dry flour that hasn't been thoroughly mixed in yet.
Shag is not a bad thing (at this stage) it is simply a clue that it is NOT time to add more flour yet.
Check out this photo, see the shag?
I intentionally added the flour a little too quickly
so you could see what I mean by "shag".
Click on photo
Don't panic if you see shag, just keep "kneading" with your dough hook (or by hand) and the shag will eventually incorporate into the wet dough.
Your dough should look like this before you
add the next half cup of flour
CLICK ON THIS PHOTO
When you get all the flour worked into the dough, let your machine knead it (gently, on a low setting) for about 6-8 minutes (or by hand for 6-8 minutes).
Stop your mixer every once in a while and pull all the dough off of the dough hook, scrape down the inside walls of your bowl and turn the ball of dough over and start the mixer again. You will need to do this a few times until the shag totally disappears and the dough clings together in a nice semi-solid "glob".
At the end of6 to 8minutes of kneading, (exact time is not
critical), the dough should have worked itself into a smooth ball that stays on the dough hook when you raise the hook out of the bowl. The interior walls of the bowl should be fairly clean and should look like this:
See how the dough ball has "cleaned" all of the little bits off of the bottom and sides of the bowl? This is what you want to see. The dough will not be sticky and it will feel sort of like warm "Play Doh" when you pinch it.
After 6 to 8 minutes of kneading (and your dough is smooth) remove it from the dough hook, form it into a ball and place it in a greased bowl (I just use a little vegetable spray). Then spray the top of the dough with a little more, and cover it with plastic:
Place this covered bowl of dough in a nice warm place in your kitchen. Room temperature is OK, but if you have a warmer place (less than 100 degrees) place it there. After an hour, your dough will have doubled in size.
Your dough should look
like this after an hour
(doubled in size)
After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto your counter. Some people say flour the counter at this stage, but I NEVER do.
Push all of the air out of the dough and cover it with an inverted empty bowl (or plastic wrap) and let it sit for 15 minutes to relax, this will make your dough much easier to handle when you try to form it.
To form the bread rolls,just pinch off pieces about the size of a golf ball, roll them (with your hands) into a round shape and place them in a greased 9" baking pan (that has sides) about 1" apart. Spray a little vegetable spray on top but DO NOT cover the sprayed rolls with plastic or dish towel this time. Just let them raise for an hour or until doubled in size. Bake at 400° for 16-18 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan and brush tops with butter (optional) and let them cool on baking rack.
HINT ABOUT DOUGH RISE: Some people have granite counter tops which are usually cool to the touch. This will effect the length of time your bread needs to raise. I suggest that you place a nice thick towel on your granite counter top and let your bread pan sit on top of the towel. Also, make sure there is no draft in the area where you let your dough raise.
I hope you give this recipe a try, it really is fun
once youget over the "nervousness" of bread making.
You CAN make bread....
be brave and have fun!!
ENJOY !!!!!
