Homestead mailing list

[Rob <becida AT comcast.net>]

At  5/28/2007 05:59 PM,Lynda wrote:
> So, Rob, seems to me that last year or maybe longer <g> you were on a great
> bread experiment.  What happened with your bread baking and did you come up
> with a method that you feel is better than the others?
>
> Lynda, who is trying lots of new recipes cause she's got a new oven!!!!!

Hi Lynda,
Here is the bread I have been making every week (Sunday) for a long 
time now, I like it <g>.

3 cups hot tap water (there is no chlorine in our water)
2 teaspoons yeast
7 cups bread flour

mix these together enough to wet the flour and set aside covered. I 
usually let it set for 4 or more hours, it gets a good smell.

After it sets I knead it in the Kitchenaid machine. I do it on as low 
as it will do it and add1 teaspoon salt after 2 min of mixing. Then I 
mix it another 7 to 8 min (still on low)
(I have done this by hand too...)

After mixing I let it sit for 1 hour, then turn it out on a board and 
let it rest for 5 min. Then I cut and shape it. (2 loaves)
I either use small pie pans for round loaves or the long french bread 
shaped loves on a cookie sheet.
After it's shaped I let it proof for AT LEAST one hour.
Then I bake it in a pre heated 500 degree (f) oven. (I pre heat it 
maybe 20 min.) it's in the hot oven for 17 min. I get some great oven 
spring with the round loaves <g>.

This is a wet dough so I wet my hands when I handle it, the extra 
water is not going to hurt it and it won't stick to the wet hands. 
With nothing but flour-water-yeast-salt you can cook it hot.

In our new convection oven I pre heat as 'normal' oven and put it in 
like that. Sometimes I give it around 5 min in the normal oven then 
reset it to convection (still set for 500).

Good bread.



Rob

becida AT comcast.net
Western Washington State, USA