Most of the cooking lessons I have written have focused on someone teaching me their regional or family favorite. These lessons have been a great source of inspiration for my cooking, and I have thoroughly enjoyed making new friends and helping to preserve some old family recipes.
My recent bread lesson was a little different. I was the teacher. The taste of hot, fresh bread straight out of the oven has to be ranked at the top of my food pyramid. I love to bake fresh bread and have been making it for so long that I do not even think about the process and “just do it.” Simple ingredients, a little patience, and you have bread. But this is not everyone’s experience.
A friend of mine, Amanda Roberson, wanted to learn how to make homemade focaccia bread. I shared the recipe but she wanted a few hands-on tips. She asked me to show her and her precious new daughter-in-law, Brianna, the step-by-step process for my recipe.
Making bread is perfect for a beginner cook. Bread does not contain expensive ingredients, just flour, yeast, salt, and water. If you mess it up, so what? Mess up a whole beef tenderloin? You have a reason to fret, but flour is cheap. I encourage everyone to try making bread. It might take a few tries in the beginning but soon you will be baking bread without even thinking.
One of the main issues with bread is that you must plan ahead because most bread dough takes time to rise. However, fresh bread will be well worth those efforts. Before you go to work, throw some dough together, cover it up, and leave it on the counter. When you get home, push it down and pop it in the oven. You will have steaming hot fresh bread in no time.
A downside about baking homemade bread is that it does not have any preservatives, and it will not last. Convenient for me, since I could eat an entire loaf. Homemade bread is best eaten the day you make it. Or cut up only what you need immediately and store the remainder, well-wrapped in the freezer. Allow time to thaw on the counter and then toast what you would like.
The first few times, know that the bread may not look perfect, but I will promise no matter how it turns out it will be better than store-bought with flavor, taste, and texture.
Some basic bread making tips:
Flour: I normally keep two kinds of flour in my house. Unbleached all-purpose and bread flour. When making bread, I normally use bread flour because it has a higher gluten content and makes for a better crust and chewy texture. If I am out of bread flour, I simply use all-purpose; I am not sure that I have ever really tasted a difference. With several of these recipes, feel free to substitute a portion of wheat flour, rye flour or other types for a diverse taste. But in the beginning, just stick with regular flour and then try other additional types of flours as you get more experience.
Yeast: Yeast is a living organism and needs to be treated carefully. Yeast does not have a long shelf life so buy a little at a time and check the expiration date on any packaging. I purchase a large jar and store in the refrigerator. Occasionally, I will buy large quantities of yeast at the big-box stores and keep part in the freezer.
Water: I make bread with tap water without any problems. Recipes normally call for warm water. Not hot water. Someone once described the perfect temperature for the water as feeling warm to the touch of your hand. Our bodies are 98.6 degrees and if the water feels warm to us, we know it is over 100 degrees. This is perfect. If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast. I have also made bread using cool water but it takes a little bit longer for the yeast to activate. Just allow your hot water tap to run a few minutes and use without any problems.
Flavorings: Salt, sugar, herbs, and other flavorings. Salt is a must for bread. Some recipes do not include it but I think it adds just the right flavor. Most of my recipes include sugar. The sugar will help activate the yeast more quickly. The first few times, mix some of the water with the yeast and sugar in a small bowl. If the mixture foams in about five minutes, the yeast is working and you can add to the flour. If not, start again.
Time: Time is the one thing you cannot change when baking. It takes time for the yeast to activate and for the dough to rise. The more time you have and the more the yeast “works,” the more flavorful your bread will be.
In the summertime, my house tends to be the perfect temperature for making bread. It stays pretty warm and humid, which is great for helping the bread rise. In the winter, I might need to give the dough a little boost, and will put it in my oven with a pan of boiling water underneath. I use the proof setting on my oven. I put rising bread dough on top of my dryer and that has worked, too. Anywhere that provides a warm and damp environment will do just fine.
You can allow your dough to rise in refrigerator or on the countertop on a cold night, but it just slows down the process. If you have time, an overnight rise is certainly acceptable. Simply deflate or push down dough in the morning. Be sure dough is very tightly wrapped and topped with a damp cloth so a “skin” does not form on the dough.
1) Mixing the Bread Dough by Hand:
Peasant Bread
I recently saw this super simple bread recipe on Instagram. It is my “go to” bread recipe for general occasions.
In a large mixing bowl, combine:
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons each: yeast, salt, and sugar
2 cups very warm water
Stir together all ingredients until well combined. Cover and allow to rise at least an hour.
Heavily butter (using about four to six tablespoons of butter) a six-quart oven proof pot such as a Le Creuset. Deflate the dough, make a nice ball, and place seam side down in pot, turning to coat with butter. Top bread dough with herbs or seeds of your choice if desired, and allow to rise again for about 30 to 45 minutes.
Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped.
I bake with the top on the pot for about 30 minutes and then remove the top for the remaining time.
Remove bread from the oven and pot. Allow to rest for about five to 10 minutes before slicing.
2) Mixing the Bread Dough in a Food Processor:
Focaccia Bread or
Pizza Dough
Mix: 1 1/2 cup very warm water from the tap (no need to boil it), 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 package yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) in a measuring cup until foamy (i.e., proofed.) In the bowl of a food processor; mix 4 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and proofed yeast/water mixture. Process or pulse until a smooth ball forms.
Remove and allow to rise in an oiled bowl, covered for an hour or until doubled in size. Punch down dough and begin to push and pull into a rectangle in a well-greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Cover and allow to rise again for about an hour.
Once it has risen, sprinkle with fresh (or dried) rosemary, coarse kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Begin making indentions in the dough with your fingers. These will become the pools for the olive oil. Drizzle with olive oil and make sure some of the pools are filled with oil.
Bake in a preheated 475 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Watch very closely as ovens vary and it will cook quickly. Bread should be golden on top but moist with lots of air pockets.
You can also use this dough to make homemade pizzas.
3) Mixing the Bread Dough in a Stand Mixer:
French Baguettes
About 3 1/2 cups bread flour, more for dusting
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon table salt
About 1 1/2 cups warm water
Semolina or fine cornmeal for sprinkling on the baking sheet
In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Stir and with the dough hook attached, pour in 1 1/2 cups of the warm water. Mix on low speed for about one minute. Scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula. The dough should be very sticky. Mix and scrape down the bowl and dough hook every few minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides, or about six minutes.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Carefully fold the edges of the dough into the middle and gently knead the dough adding more flour as necessary for about two minutes. Cover the dough with a towel and allow to rest for about one to two hours or until it has doubled in size.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a linen towel that has been covered generously with flour. I have also used parchment paper with a good result.
Once the dough has doubled in size, begin folding the dough into the middle and pressed down firmly along the length to make a rectangle. Cut the dough into four equal pieces and dredge each of the four pieces in a little flour. Working with one piece at a time, put dough, smooth side down on a lightly floured work surface. Press it into a rectangle of about a half inch thick. Continue to fold the long edge of the dough into the center pressing firmly with your fingertips all the way down folding with one hand and pressing with the other. Fold the other long edge into the center in the same way. Continue to fold and press alternating edges until the baguette is about 12 inches long.
Dredge the smooth side into additional flour and set the baguette on your towel or parchment lined baking rack. Repeat with remaining dough using plenty of flour to separate each baguette. Allow to double in size for about one to one and a half hours. While the dough rises, preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Generously sprinkle a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with semolina flour. When the baguettes are ready, carefully transfer them to the baking sheets. With a thin very sharp knife, make four to five slashes on a sharp diagonal on the top of each baguette. Open the oven and quickly put the baguettes in the oven and toss in five ice cubes. This will create the steam in the oven and help form the crispy crust on the outside of the baguette. Quickly close the door to trap in the steam and reduce the oven temperature to 475 degrees.
Bake baguettes for six minutes and then quickly turned them over on their baking sheets. Cook additional five minutes. Remove baguettes from the baking sheets and put them scored side up directly on the oven rack. Bake additional five minutes until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Selby’s Christmas Rolls
These have always been an essential part of our holiday table. The recipe makes a lot of rolls. They freeze easily if you have any left over. Also, get the kids to help shape the rolls—they do not have to be perfect.
Proof: four packages or four and a half teaspoons of active dry yeast in two cups warm water with a pinch of sugar. Allow mixture to sit for about five minutes until yeast blooms and appears foamy.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together:
Proofed yeast
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons table salt
Once thoroughly mixed add in six to seven cups of all-purpose flour, stirring in one cup at a time. You may not need it all.
When dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn it out on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes adding flour as needed. Dough should be smooth and elastic.
Put dough in bowl coated with nonstick spray. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one to two hours. Punch down dough and gather into a ball. With floured hands, shape pieces of dough into balls about the size of a ping-pong ball. You will have about 40 balls when finished.
Arrange on a well-greased baking sheet about a half inch apart and cover with a loose towel. Allow to rise again until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls 20 to 30 minutes or until golden, and then brush with halp cup melted butter. Sprinkle a mixture of one tablespoon dried dill weed, two tablespoons sugar, and two tablespoons kosher salt on the top of the baked rolls.
Cool slightly before serving.
4) Quick Breads or Non-Yeast Breads:
These breads are made using baking powder, baking soda or other ingredients instead of yeast as their leavening agent -- to make the dough rise.
Katty’s Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
2 tablespoons shortening, chilled
1 cup buttermilk, chilled
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your food processor, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Carefully pulse in butter and shortening or cut in with two forks. Pulse in or mix in buttermilk until dough just holds together. Turn dough out onto a floured service and dust the top of the dough with additional flour and gently pat down.
Cut the biscuits with a well-dusted two inch biscuit cutter or jar, being careful not to twist when you cut them as that can seal the edges and prevent the biscuits from rising.
Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake about 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.
Beer Bread
Technically, I guess this is a yeast bread, but the yeast is already in the beer so this is really quick and easy. I have seen a thousand versions of this bread recipe and have baked it about as many times. This bread recipe is about the easiest you can make. And, it will make your house smell like a bakery. Feel free to add some grated sharp cheddar cheese or even some herbs to the batter.
2 cups self-rising flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 - 12 ounce can of beer, do not use light beer
4 tablespoons or half a stick butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil or butter a standard loaf pan. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar and beer and mix with a wooden spoon until well blended and sticky or for about one minute. Pour the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven and pour the melted butter over the top. Bake for additional 30 minutes until lightly golden browned. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. Remove and serve.
Martha Stewart’s Quick Cheddar Bread
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 4 1/2 x 8 1/2“ loaf pan and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together, flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. In a separate bowl whisk together the butter, eggs, and buttermilk until thoroughly combined.
Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, or about 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer loaf to a wire rack to allow to cool for about five minutes. Removed from pan and allow to cool completely.
Gluten Free Rolls (or better known in our house as Dominque’s Cheese Bread)
There is always one recipe that I insist that you make and this is it!! The ingredients might not be on your normal grocery list but they are relatively easy to find and it is very easy to make.
2 1/2 cups tapioca flour
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 Tablespoon salt
2 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese or a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan 1 egg
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Measure the tapioca flour in a mixing bowl and set aside. Heat milk, oil, butter, and salt until salt dissolves. Pour hot liquid into bowl with tapioca flour and mix it on medium speed for two minutes. With mixer running, add the cheese and mix for about another 30 seconds. Continue to beat and add the egg. Mix for another 30 seconds and make sure it has a smooth appearance.
Pinch pieces of dough about the size of a golf ball and roll into a ball. Place each on a greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake in a preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes.
Baking bread with a “starter” or sourdough starter yields some of the best bread around. I have tried to keep a starter alive in my fridge with little success. Once, I went on a vacation and forgot to feed it (along with two very hungry geckos.) Another time, I packed my fridge with too much stuff and the starter froze along with about half the items in the back of my refrigerator. Bread starter takes effort, commitment, and care. Probably time to try again. . . maybe a future article.
