Monday, February 15, 2010

Awesome Bread Recipe!


My husband is the bread maker in the family, and he is getting pretty good at it! I was looking through Martha Stewarts February Issue of Living magazine and came across this bread recipe. My husband decided to try it, and it turned out to be the best bread recipe that we have tried so far! Here it is!

White Bread

Ingredients
Makes 2 loaves

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees)
  • 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons honey
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 7 cups all-purpose flour (we needed about 8 cups in the end)
  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt
Directions

1. Sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup warm water. Add 2 teaspoons of honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of electric mixer fitted with a paddle or dough-hook attachment. Add butter and remaining 1 3/4 cup warm water and 3 tablespoons of honey. Whisk flour with the salt; add 3 cups of flour to yeast. Mix on low speed until smooth. Add remaining 4 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and formes a ragged, slightly sticky ball (we need 8 cups or so to get the dough this way). Butter a large bowl.
2. Kneed dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly sticky, about 5 minutes. Shape into ball and transfer to buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
3. Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubles in volume ( it should not spring back when touched) about 1 hour. Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2 inch loaf pans. Punch down dough; divide in half.
4. Shape 1 dough half into an 8 1/2 inch long rectangle. Fold long sides of dough in to middle, overlapping slightly. Press seam to seal. Transfer dough to pan and repeat with other half of dough. Brush each loaf with butter, or dust with flour for a rustic look. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drape dough with plastic wrap and let sit for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Reduce heat of oven to 400 degrees. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly, turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing.

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