I love bread!

My love affair with bread really kicked in when I had found Hillbillyhousewife.com and her recipe for 6 loaves of bread at a time. I still use that, but then a friend of mine gave me the recipe for the Artisan Bread, and the love grew.

I have scoured the web, books and more books. These are our favorite recipes so far for different kinds of bread. The kids love when I make bread and "help" by monitoring when they are cool enough to cut.

I have found that one benefit is the budget! Home made breads have more substance to them rather than most store bought and as a result they are more filling, so they (the children) dont eat quite as much of the other foods.

None of these need kneading (YEAH)

Artisan Bread

Mix:

6 1/2 cups of flour (You can use whole wheat or white flour in watever proportions you want. (For bread I like 1/2 of each if not more wheat, for pizza dough etc, more of the white)
1 1/2 tbls yeast
1 1/2 tbls kosher salt or sea salt
3 cups luke warm (100 degrees or so)

Mix in large plastic bowl with lid until the flour is blended, sit on counter to rise for 2-3 hours, keep the lid loose.

Pull of piece about the size of a softball, roll in cornmeal and score the top to prevent cracking
Let rise (45 mins if fresh, an hour to an hour and a half if from the fridge)
Bake at 400 for 20 mins on a preheated pizza stone

Put remainder of dough in fridge covered. Use as desired within 2 weeks (never had it last this long, so I cannot vouch for this)

This is suggested to bake a round loaf on the pizza stone, however it works just as good in a pan. I have not tried the water in the oven to see if the pan loaf will come out crusty.

IF you are serving an italian dish, top with italian seasonings and/or garlic. You can season each loaf to taste, just be sure not to overwork the dough


For "english muffins"

Take a lump of dough and sprinkle with flour (it will be sticky). Pat it slightly on a flat counter that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.

Roll out or pat the dough to about 1/4" or slightly more. Cut whatever shape you like, a clean tuna can works well. If the artisan dough gets to sticky, you may need to add more flour, but do so sparingly.

Flip the muffins over so both sides get coated with cornmeal. Let rest for 10 to 20 mins, this lets the "nooks and crannies" develop.

After resting, heat a dry griddle or non stic pan to med high (375 on griddle) cook about 5 mins per side. This will rise more on the griddle. Best eaten toasted.


Thin Crust Pizza dough

Use the artisan bread dough. Preheat the baking stone, the hotter the better.
Prepare toppings in advance (I cheat...pre grated cheese, chopped veg, pepperoni...whatever you want, how about taco meat with refried beans, more mexican spice in tomatoe sauce for the pizza base?)
Flatten the dough to 1/8 in round on cornmeal, dust with flour to keep from sticking. you may need to let rest a few mins then go back to rolling.
Distribute toppings over surface. .
Lower the oven temp, some of the cornmeal may smoke during cooking
place pizza on stone bake for 8-10 mins, may need up to 5 more mins depending on oven

(quicker and tastier than anything out of a box)

You can also Roll this out for breadsticks

Naan

Traditional Indian(the country) flat bread...great if you need bread really quick

1/4 pound dough (about peach size)
1 tbls butter or veg oil (recipe calls for Ghee...indian clarified butter)

Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour. dust with more flour quickly shaping into a ball, rotating quarter turn as you go. Use minimal flour and roll out to 1/8 inch about 8-9"
Heat heavy cast iron skillet over high heat. Add oil to pan drop the dough into the skillet and reduce heat to med, cover skillet to trap in steam and heat.

Check for doneness with spatula at about 3 mins or sooner if you smell it overbrowning. Adjust heat as needed and flip when deeply brown.
cook another 2-6 mins or until it feels firm and second side is brown. This will take longer if you are using a thicker amount or if you are using dough with whole grains.
Remove from pan, butter and enjoy






Another on the same principle...


100% whole wheat sandwhich bread

1 1/2 tbls granulated yeast
1 tbls plus 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
5 tbls neutral flavored oil
1 1/2 cups luke warm milk
1 1/2 cups luke warm water
6 2/3 cups whole wheat flour

mix yeast salt honey oil, milk and water in a 5 quart bowl or other container.
mix in flour use a spoon, or heavy duty mixer with dough hooks
cover loosely and allout to rest until the dough rises and collapses (flattens on top) about 2-3 hours
Dough can be used immediately or refrigerated in a lidded (not airtight) container and used over several days.

When ready to bake, lightly greas a 9x4x3 in loaf pan. Using wet hands scoop out 1 1/2 pounds (about cantelope size) hunk of dough. shape into a ball and drop into the loaf pan. This should fill the pan a little more than 1/2 full.
Allow dough to rest for 1 hour and 40 mins. Flour the top of the loaf and slash using a serrated knife
5 mins before baking, heat oven to 350 with an empty broiler tray on another shelf
Place loaf in center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray and quickly close the door. Bake 50 to 60 mins or until deeply brown and firm
Allow to cool completely before cutting.


I have yet to try unleavened bread, crackers, and different tortilla recipes....