Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [140]
Lightly flour a clean, dry work surface. Punch the dough down by plunging your fist into it without completely flattening it. Turn the dough out onto the work surface, knead once or twice, then shape into a single loaf.
Lightly oil a 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan, place the loaf in it, cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and return it to the warm, dry, draft-free place until again doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake until lightly browned, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan and continue cooling on the wire rack to room temperature.
To store: Seal in a large plastic bag and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Honey Wheat Bread: Substitute 2 tablespoons honey for the molasses. (You may need to add up to ¼ cup more all-purpose flour.)
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The amount of flour used for a yeast bread depends on the amount of moisture in the flour and ambient factors in your kitchen (temperature, humidity, and even altitude). Add just enough flour to the batter to make a pliable dough. Start with the minimal amount; you can always add more.
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Yeast develops in a fairly strict temperature range. Thus, the water or milk must be heated between 105°F and 115°F. This range is slightly lower than the hot water out of many taps and certainly well below boiling or even simmering, but there’s no way to be sure of the exact temperature without a thermometer. Always err on the high side if you’re going to heat the liquid in one container, and then pour it into another (pouring cools a liquid considerably). Heating a liquid in a microwave on high for 10 to 20 seconds may do the trick, but again, you’ll need a thermometer to be sure.
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Rye Bread
A little sugar makes rye bread softer without your having to resort to esoteric flours. Makes 1 loaf
One ¼-ounce package active dry yeast plus 1 teaspoon active dry yeast, or 3½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ cups warm water, between 105°F and 115°F
1 tablespoon canola oil, plus additional for greasing
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 teaspoons salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
About 1½ cups rye flour
Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl. Set aside until foamy, about 3 minutes. (If the mixture does not foam, start again.)
Stir in the canola oil, caraway seeds, and salt, then stir in the all-purpose flour until a smooth batter forms. Stir in ½ cup rye flour.
If you’re working with a stand mixer: Attach the bowl and dough hook to the mixer, add ½ cup rye flour, and begin beating at medium speed. Add more rye flour in 2-tablespoon increments until a soft, smooth, even but slightly sticky dough forms, about 5 minutes. Continue kneading for 10 more minutes, adding more rye flour in 1-tablespoon increments if the dough starts to stick or climb up the hook.
If you’re working by hand: Stir in another ¼ cup rye flour, then turn the dough out onto a clean, dry, well-floured work surface. Dust your hands with all-purpose flour and knead the dough by gently twisting the heel of one hand into it while pulling and twisting with the other. Add more rye flour in ¼-cup increments until a smooth, soft, pliable, but slightly sticky dough forms. Continue kneading for 10 minutes, turning and repositioning the dough repeatedly so it’s evenly worked.
Grease a large bowl, gather the dough into a ball, and place it in the bowl. Turn the dough over so the top is lightly greased, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm, dry place until doubled in bulk, until an indentation made with your