Basic White Bread By James Beard, Chef & Cooking Teacher Recipe
Yield: 1 loafRecipe by luhu.jp
Ingredients:
1 package: Yeast, active, dry
3 tsp: Salt,
1/4 cup: Water, warm (110-115 degs)
3 tbsp: Butter,
2 tsp: Sugar,
3 3/4 cup: Flour, All-purpose
1 cup: Milk,
EGG WASH
1 medium: Egg White, beaten slightly
-in 1 tbspn warm water.,
Directions:
James Beards Basic White Bread Makes 1 large loaf or 2 small loaves
* Making basic white bread dough *
In a small bowl mix the yeast and the 1/4 cup warm water; add the
sugar, stir well, and set aside until proofed. It is proofed when
fermentation is apparent: the mixture will swell and small bubbles
appear on the surface. (If it doesnt proof at all, it means the
yeast is not fresh.)
In a small saucepan heat the milk with the salt and stir in the butter
until it melts. Set aside to cool until it is no warmer than the yeast
mixture.
Put 2 cups of the flour in a large mixing bowl and stir in the milk
mixture. Beat well with a wooden spatula, add the yeast mixture, and
continue beating the dough until it is smooth, adding an additional
cup of flour to make a firm dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and begin the kneading
process, which evenly distributes the fermenting yeast cells through
the dough.
* Kneading Instructions *
There are several kneading methods, but the basic one is to flour the
dough and your hand lightly, then push the heel of your hand down
into the dough and away from you. Fold the dough over, give it a
quarter turn, and push down again. Repeat pushing, folding and
turning until the motion becomes rhythmic.
Knead for about 10 minutes, kneading in additional flour as necessary,
until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, and blisters form on
the surface.
To test whether the dough has been kneaded enough make an indention
in it with your fingers; it should spring back. If blisters form on
the surface of the dough and break, this is another sign that the
kneading is sufficient.
* Note: If you have a heavy-duty electric mixer with a dough-hook
attachment, knead the dough with the hook and finish it off on the
board.
Butter a large bowl, transfer the dough to it, and turn the bowl
until the dough is well coated with butter on all sides. Cover the
dough with a dish towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place
for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until it is doubled in bulk. A good, warm,
draft-free place is inside your room temperature oven.
To test further if the dough has risen properly, make an indentation
in it with two fingers: if the dough does not spring back, then it is
ready.
* Baking Preparations *
Butter a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, or two pans that are about 8x4x2 inches.
Punch the dough down with your fist to deflate it; transfer it to a
floured board and knead it well for about 3 minutes. Pat it into a
smooth round or oval shape and let it rest for 4 to 5 minutes.
Then form into 1 large or two small loaves, by shaping the dough into
an oval the length of your bread pan, then gently stretching,
rounding, and plumping it in the palms of your hands, tucking the
edges underneath and pinching them together.
Lift carefully; drop the dough into the pan or pans and smooth out.
Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise again in a warm
draft-free place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it is double
in bulk.
Preheat the oven to 400dF. Brush the egg wash over the top of the
dough.
Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes; reduce the heat to
350dF and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the crust is well
browned and the bread sounds hollow when removed from the pan and
tapped on the bottom with the knuckles.
If you like a crusty loaf, remove it from the pan about 5 to 10
minutes before the end of the baking time and let it finish baking on
the oven rack. It will get brown and crusty all over.
Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a rack before
slicing.
The bread may be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator after it
has cooled. If you seal it in a bag before it is completely cooled,
the crust will become soft. Stored bread will keep about 1 week. It
also freezes well if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and sealed in a
plastic bag and can be kept for up to 3 months.
From: James Beards Theory & Practice of Good Cooking. Consumers Union
Edition for Consumer Reports Readers. Published by Alfred A. Knopf,
Inc. Copyright 1977 by James Beard. ISBN: 0-89043-108-6
From: Don Alt Date: 09-13-94
Source from luhu.jp
* Making basic white bread dough *
In a small bowl mix the yeast and the 1/4 cup warm water; add the
sugar, stir well, and set aside until proofed. It is proofed when
fermentation is apparent: the mixture will swell and small bubbles
appear on the surface. (If it doesnt proof at all, it means the
yeast is not fresh.)
In a small saucepan heat the milk with the salt and stir in the butter
until it melts. Set aside to cool until it is no warmer than the yeast
mixture.
Put 2 cups of the flour in a large mixing bowl and stir in the milk
mixture. Beat well with a wooden spatula, add the yeast mixture, and
continue beating the dough until it is smooth, adding an additional
cup of flour to make a firm dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and begin the kneading
process, which evenly distributes the fermenting yeast cells through
the dough.
* Kneading Instructions *
There are several kneading methods, but the basic one is to flour the
dough and your hand lightly, then push the heel of your hand down
into the dough and away from you. Fold the dough over, give it a
quarter turn, and push down again. Repeat pushing, folding and
turning until the motion becomes rhythmic.
Knead for about 10 minutes, kneading in additional flour as necessary,
until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, and blisters form on
the surface.
To test whether the dough has been kneaded enough make an indention
in it with your fingers; it should spring back. If blisters form on
the surface of the dough and break, this is another sign that the
kneading is sufficient.
* Note: If you have a heavy-duty electric mixer with a dough-hook
attachment, knead the dough with the hook and finish it off on the
board.
Butter a large bowl, transfer the dough to it, and turn the bowl
until the dough is well coated with butter on all sides. Cover the
dough with a dish towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place
for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until it is doubled in bulk. A good, warm,
draft-free place is inside your room temperature oven.
To test further if the dough has risen properly, make an indentation
in it with two fingers: if the dough does not spring back, then it is
ready.
* Baking Preparations *
Butter a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, or two pans that are about 8x4x2 inches.
Punch the dough down with your fist to deflate it; transfer it to a
floured board and knead it well for about 3 minutes. Pat it into a
smooth round or oval shape and let it rest for 4 to 5 minutes.
Then form into 1 large or two small loaves, by shaping the dough into
an oval the length of your bread pan, then gently stretching,
rounding, and plumping it in the palms of your hands, tucking the
edges underneath and pinching them together.
Lift carefully; drop the dough into the pan or pans and smooth out.
Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise again in a warm
draft-free place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it is double
in bulk.
Preheat the oven to 400dF. Brush the egg wash over the top of the
dough.
Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes; reduce the heat to
350dF and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the crust is well
browned and the bread sounds hollow when removed from the pan and
tapped on the bottom with the knuckles.
If you like a crusty loaf, remove it from the pan about 5 to 10
minutes before the end of the baking time and let it finish baking on
the oven rack. It will get brown and crusty all over.
Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a rack before
slicing.
The bread may be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator after it
has cooled. If you seal it in a bag before it is completely cooled,
the crust will become soft. Stored bread will keep about 1 week. It
also freezes well if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and sealed in a
plastic bag and can be kept for up to 3 months.
From: James Beards Theory & Practice of Good Cooking. Consumers Union
Edition for Consumer Reports Readers. Published by Alfred A. Knopf,
Inc. Copyright 1977 by James Beard. ISBN: 0-89043-108-6
From: Don Alt Date: 09-13-94
Source from luhu.jp
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Bread