Friday, May 29, 2009

My Favorite Bread Recipe


My Favorite Bread Recipe: Easy, quick in a machine and very reliable. Tender crust and soft crumb and best of all it will last for days but as it is also delicious it won't. Add what you want, seeds, oils, nuts or whole wheat flour, the porportions allow all of these and will deliver a most nutricious and delicious bread.
Combine: (In Machine or non metalic Bowl)
10 oz Bottled Spring Water, not demineralized.
1/2 cup Whole Oats (NOT Quick Oats), groats, wheat flakes, etc.
2 teaspoons dry instant/quick yeast or equivelent (or 2 cups LIVE Sourdough Foam)
2 Tablespoons Honey, syrup, sugar, molassas, glucose, cane sugar etc.
Allow to rest 30-60 minutes for oats etc. to soften.
Add:
2 cups/16 oz. Bread Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Bread Flour/ Rye Flour/multi-cereal flour etc.
2 Tablespoons melted sweet (unsalted) butter, cool before adding (High heat kills yeast!).
1 Tablespoon fine salt (a bit less if you use salted butter)

Combine ingredients in order, after all ingredients have been added mix thoroughly, do not knead.
Allow to rest 45 - 60 minutes between folds. Press gently to make a 1/2 inch thick rectangle 12 inches by 9 inches approx. Fold lengthwise into middle as thirds. Do the same lengthwise and press ends togethr to seal (prevents dryness). Rub in water as needed to keep dough soft (slack). Do this three times with 45 - 60 minutes between foldings. Shape into desired loaf shape, allow to rise last time then slash three times diagonally and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. (200 degrees Centigrade).
Enjoy!

1 comment:

Lyndsey and Mike said...

Hi Guys,
Love the recipe. Go eat some at Mom's, apparently they haven't bought any bread for two years! It really is good stuff.

We were over to the amazing Lignieres for a long weekend last week and then Mike flew back to UK. Hard on the arms of course. Lyndsey dropped him off and on the return journey from Charles De Gaule via Pairs the temperature reached 32 degrees C! ouch.

We hoped to see you both. We'll see you in July - derniere. XX