# ONE-der Bread



## oldcoot (Feb 6, 2004)

BW stated she wanted a loaf of whole wheat bread.  Her wish is, of course, my command!    So I trotted off to the market for some whole wheat flour, and then threw caution to the winds.

First of all, I tired of waiting interminably for dough to proof.  I remembered an old B&D Toaster Oven in among our junk, so I pulled it out, cleaned it up, and turned it on to its lowest setting.  Then measured the temp: 95-101F.   Voila!  Just what I wanted. 

So I proceeded to conjure up a recipe.  It went thusly:

ONE.....     cup .....    AP Flour
ONE .....    cup   .....  Whole Wheat Flour
ONE.....     cup   ..... WAter
ONE.....     pkg   .....    Dry Yeast
ONE .....    tsp  ......     Salt
ONE .....    tsp  .....     Sugar
ONE .....    Tbsp .....    Butter
ONE .....    Tbsp .....    Honey

I mixed the yeast, sugar, and water and put it in the 100 degree oven for half an hour - it foamed up real good!

Then I dumped everything into the KA mixing bowl, set it on ONE, and let 'er rip for about 10 minutes until the dough cleaned the bowl.

Took the nice, soft, slightly sticky dough out, formed a ball, and put it in an 8" round pyrex casserole.  Too big for the oven, so I set it atop the oven at 100 F with a cloth over it forming a tent to holld in the heat.  

Let it proof for ONE hour, punched it down and reformed a ball, back into the same ONE bowl.  Atop the oven again for ONE hour.  Brushed with egg and sprinkled with sesame seed.

Then into a cold oven set for 335 for ONE hour.




]Result: As shown, the best texture yet.  Plenty of small holes, soft, moist, flavorful.  Good crust, not too hard or thick.


----------



## BubbaGourmet (Feb 7, 2004)

old coot;
   That is one gorgeous loaf of bread...mail me a slice?


----------



## carnivore (Feb 7, 2004)

very nice oldcoot--good experimentation too!  i've been trying ChrisF's idea of letting the dough rise on a heating pad.  it works great and doesn't tie up the oven.
i'm going to have to try your recipe/method this weekend.


----------



## oldcoot (Feb 7, 2004)

In both cases where I let the yeast "proof: for an extended period (1st the sourdough and now this), the resulting bread has had much better texture, risen faster, etc.  While even 2 swallows don't make a spring, I wonder if the longer proofing time is the cause.  Peerhaps it allows more of the yeast cells to become active.


----------



## BubbaGourmet (Feb 8, 2004)

old coot;
    As I am "flour-challenged" my wife is the baker in the family (except biscuits and cornbread). I asked her about your experimetn and results and she said,

"The problem with most home baked bread is lack of patience. The dough is supposed to _double_ at each proofing. Most people don't understand double. It means grow _twice_ as large as it started each time." 

Pressed, she said she couldn't give an exact time as it depends on room temp, humidity, etc. but that each proofing will take from 45 minutes to an hour and fifteen minutes. Thus, she supports your conclusion. Longer proofing time.


----------



## northernMIcook (Feb 8, 2004)

I made a loaf of panettone for the first time yesterday. NOW THIS IS A BREAD THAT TAKES PATIENCE! 10 minutes to proof, 3-4 hours for the first rising....2 hours for the second...40 minutes to bake...Finally came out of the oven at 10pm and my husband was all over it. Had to get out the butcher knife to keep him away till it cooled ..   jk
Anyways, my patience was rewarded. I made it to try it out since my husband, who is Italian, had it as a child but not since.  He really enjoyed it and if he doesnt eat it all, I would love to use it to make a bread pudding.


----------



## oldcoot (Feb 8, 2004)

Yesterday I decided to put my "knowledge & experience" to the test.  

Made an ordinary white bread ina pyrex loaf pan (dish?).  Let the yeast-sugar-water mix proof half an hour in that 100 degree oven (used Star Active Dry Yeas in 1 cup of water).  Three cups of  King Arthur Bread flour,  first making a slurry and letting it mix  in the KA for about 5 minutes, then adding the balance of the flour until it cleaned the bowl  and then mix another ten minutes.  Also doubled the amount of fat:  used Wesson oil, 1/4 cup. 

Let it rise atop the toaster  oven again, covered, for a little over an hour.  Punched it down and formed a roll about 2 " in diameter and put it in the loaf pan (well sprayed with Pam).  Let it rise atop the oven again for a hour and a half, until it had completely filled the pan  to the brim.

Baked at a low 335 preheated for 1 hour, kicking the temp up to 450 for the last ten minutes to brown the pale laof.

*By far the best loaf I've ever masde:*  Thin crisp crust, very llight, airy, and soft inside.  Close to store=nought bread.

Now I have no doubts:  Full proofing of the yeast mix, and of both risings, plus ample fat and a lower baking temp is the way to go.

But I'm still not getting that wonderful yeast flavor I remember from when I was a kid.  Next I'm going to try doubling the amount of yeast and see if that helps.

Needless  to say, with just the two of us, we're getting an excess of bread lying around.  Oh, well, the birds in the basck yard enjoy it.


----------



## joesfolks (Aug 29, 2004)

You might want to try letting your bread rise(second rise) in the refridgerator overnight and do the baking in the a.m.   Longer proofing definately= more flavor.


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 30, 2004)

Yeast is a live organizm.  as it eats the flour and starch, it reproduces rather quickly.  The yeast flavor intesifies as more of the critters come into being.  That is why sourdough becomes sour.  It contains a buch of live yeast.

The other thing yeast does is give off carbon-dioxide gas.  I sort of burbs the stuff.  That gas is what causes the dough to rise.

One more very important point.  As we age, sadly our tongues become less sensitive to many flavors.  My Dad used to lver salt everything.  He blamed his lack of salt sensitivty to smoking.  I don't smoke, never have, but tend to be less sensitive to it than when young.  What used to be inedible to me back then now tastes just right to me, and is too salty for my own children.  The same is true of yeast.  I just can't taste it as well as when I was a child.

Also, the more you taste something, the less potent it tastes.  Tobasco Sauce used to cause me great grief.  Now, it's just another condiment.

My point, be careful with the yeast adjustments.  Too much can ruin a good bread.  Instead, flavor with other seasonings, such as sage, or onion, or even Itallian herbs.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------

