The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking - Donna Diegel [39]
4. Turn out dough onto well-floured surface using bread flour, knead it by hand a few more times, and form it into a ball. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rest on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, and roll each into a ball. Place seam side down on the prepared pan. Loosely cover dough with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours or until double in size. Do not disturb bread or expose it to any drafts.
6. Halfway through the rise time, preheat the oven to 400°F.
7. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped lightly. Cool on wire racks.
VEGAN VOCAB
Vital wheat gluten, also known as instant gluten flour, is a powdered form of dehydrated pure wheat gluten (protein) used in the production of homemade bread. Heavier whole-grain bread doughs benefit from vital wheat gluten, because it strengthens the structure of the dough and gives it a better rise. Find it at a health food store or from an online baking ingredients company.
Rye Bread
This hearty and fragrant bread is made with rye flour, molasses, and caraway seeds and has a dense texture, perfect for making sandwiches.
Yield:
2 large round loaves
Prep time:
30 to 60 minutes
Bake time:
25 to 35 minutes
Serving size:
1-inch slice
2 cups warm water
2 TB. canola or vegetable oil
2 TB. molasses
2 TB. liquid or granule soy lecithin
2 tsp. salt
4 TB. vital wheat gluten
2 TB. caraway seeds
3¼ cups bread flour
1¾ cups rye flour
2 TB. instant yeast
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with vegetable shortening spray.
2. In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment on low speed, combine warm water, canola oil, molasses, and soy lecithin, or blend with a whisk. Add salt, vital wheat gluten, caraway seeds, bread flour, rye flour, and instant yeast, and mix until dough forms a ball.
3. Knead by hand, or in mixer on low speed, for about 5 minutes, adding extra flour as needed if dough is too sticky. Stop the mixer, and push down dough if it starts to ride up the hook. Continue kneading 2 to 5 more minutes or until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and forms a membrane when stretched (like a balloon that doesn’t tear).
4. Turn out dough onto well-floured surface using bread flour, knead it by hand a few more times, and form it into a ball. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rest on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, and roll each into a ball. Place seam side down on the prepared pan. Loosely cover dough with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours or until double in size. Do not disturb bread or expose it to any drafts.
6. Halfway through the rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
7. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped lightly. Cool on wire racks.
Basic White Bread
This vegan sandwich bread is nice and soft inside, with a golden brown crust outside. It smells pleasantly yeasty and comforting and makes great dinner rolls.
Yield:
2 (9×5-inch) loaves
Prep time:
30 to 60 minutes
Bake time:
30 to 35 minutes
Serving size:
1-inch slice
¾ cup warm soy milk
¾ cup warm water
2 TB. canola or vegetable oil
2 TB. liquid or granule soy lecithin
4 TB. nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine, melted
3 TB. unbleached cane sugar
2 TB. vital wheat gluten
1½ tsp. salt
4 cups bread flour
2 TB. instant yeast
1. Lightly coat 2 (9×5-inch) loaf pans with cooking oil spray.
2. In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on low speed, combine soy milk, warm water, canola oil, soy lecithin, and vegan margarine, or blend with a whisk. Add unbleached cane sugar, vital wheat gluten, salt, bread flour, and instant yeast, and mix until dough forms a ball.
3. Knead by hand, or in mixer on low speed, for about 5 minutes, adding extra flour as needed if dough is too sticky. Stop the mixer, and push down dough if it starts