realsorien (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
realsorien) wrote2007-02-21 03:23 am
realsorien) wrote2007-02-21 03:23 am
Baking!
This last weekend I decided to try and make homemade bread from a so-called easy recipe from the Star-Tribune (Taste section, Thursday, February 15, 2007); It actually worked out pretty good. Most liked it, though both ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
feezlekahn and ataramos commented that it was 'salty'. Not a criticism, just a comment. I found out after the fact that salt acts to inhibit the action of yeast, so I may alter the recipe somewhat to deal with their comment and to improve the rising. Here's the recipe!
What you need:
Large mixing bowl
4 to 6 quart oven-safe container such as a casserole or a dutch oven, with a cover
3 cups flour
1 5/8 cups tepid (warm) water
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 scant tablespoon salt
What you'll do
In the bowl mix the water, flour, salt and yeats together until well blended; the resulting dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover the bowl and set in a warm (70 degrees fahrenheit) place for 12 to 18 hours to rise. The dough will be ready for the next step when the surface is dotted with bubbles and the gluten (strands that stick to the sides of the bowl) is well-developed.
Lightly flour a worksurface and place the dough on it; sprinkle the dough with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice and let it rest thereafter for 15 minutes. Using just enough flour to keep it from sticking to your hands and the worksurface, gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel or Silpat mat with flour and put the doughball seam-side down into it; dust it with more flour (for the dusting and such you can use corn meal or bran flour), cover with another towel and let it rise for another 2 hours.
At least 30 minutes before the dough is ready preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place the 4 to 6 quart container mentioned above in while it preheats. When all is ready take the container out of the oven and put the dough into it; don't worry if it looks messy, it'll sort itself out as it cooks. Cover and put it back into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the container at that point and bake for a further 15-30 minutes to brown the crust. When its finished place the loaf upside down on a cooling rack.
That's pretty much it. What I'll be changing is as follows: I'm gonna halve the amount of salt, proof the yeast before adding it to the mix, and I think there has to be a better method than the towel-trick for the second rising. :)
It IS easy, it just takes forever. All credit to the Star-Tribune for this, and specifically staff writer Joyce White.
feezlekahn and ataramos commented that it was 'salty'. Not a criticism, just a comment. I found out after the fact that salt acts to inhibit the action of yeast, so I may alter the recipe somewhat to deal with their comment and to improve the rising. Here's the recipe!What you need:
Large mixing bowl
4 to 6 quart oven-safe container such as a casserole or a dutch oven, with a cover
3 cups flour
1 5/8 cups tepid (warm) water
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 scant tablespoon salt
What you'll do
In the bowl mix the water, flour, salt and yeats together until well blended; the resulting dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover the bowl and set in a warm (70 degrees fahrenheit) place for 12 to 18 hours to rise. The dough will be ready for the next step when the surface is dotted with bubbles and the gluten (strands that stick to the sides of the bowl) is well-developed.
Lightly flour a worksurface and place the dough on it; sprinkle the dough with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice and let it rest thereafter for 15 minutes. Using just enough flour to keep it from sticking to your hands and the worksurface, gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel or Silpat mat with flour and put the doughball seam-side down into it; dust it with more flour (for the dusting and such you can use corn meal or bran flour), cover with another towel and let it rise for another 2 hours.
At least 30 minutes before the dough is ready preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place the 4 to 6 quart container mentioned above in while it preheats. When all is ready take the container out of the oven and put the dough into it; don't worry if it looks messy, it'll sort itself out as it cooks. Cover and put it back into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the container at that point and bake for a further 15-30 minutes to brown the crust. When its finished place the loaf upside down on a cooling rack.
That's pretty much it. What I'll be changing is as follows: I'm gonna halve the amount of salt, proof the yeast before adding it to the mix, and I think there has to be a better method than the towel-trick for the second rising. :)
It IS easy, it just takes forever. All credit to the Star-Tribune for this, and specifically staff writer Joyce White.