One of my mad skills I”m going after is how to bake the dank bread. By this I mean anything that I would like to eat rather than the hard lumps of dough I’ve made before. To that end I’ve found two big clues worthy to share.
First, it’s all about the yeast. Those little guys have to get active and produce the gas to make your bread fluffy and delicious.
Second, bake a lot of bread. I haven’t yet gotten the right mix, but I’m getting closer every time. Don’t be discouraged if you get crappy tasting dense bread, just try again and focus on one aspect.
Ziggle’s French
For yeast, patience is key. The recipes I’ve used have all underestimated that time it takes for yeast to activate and for the dough to rise. To activate yeast, mix equal parts flour and water and throw in a teaspoon-ish amount of yeast to a two-cup mixture. Let sit in a warm spot until it bubbles and froths up a little. You’ll immediately realize what active yeast looks like when you see it. This mixture is your engine for the bread.
Following yeast I’ve been adding flour, milk, butter and a little water. Basically, mix flour and water/milk to the right proportions to get good looking dough, and then add some fat like melted butter or olive oil. Milk also has fat in it, but I don’t think it could hurt to add more. Then let this rise once or twice (again, keep warm and it will be obvious when it’s risen) and shape into loaves, baguettes, whatever, and bake. I baked at 350 until it looked like bread. I also painted the top with melted butter and threw on some salt on one loaf and special Lebanese spices from Melissa on the other. This is what my best batch looked like.
The Dank Bread!
Basically, with bread, it’s active yeast, flour, water and fat. People have been baking bread forever, it’s not rocket science. Getting it delicious takes time and practice, but luckily it’s fun and easy to bake all the time. Future experiments could include a solar oven, mixing in nuts, raisins, garlic, gummy bears…
My Uncle’s Bread Recipe
[NOTE THAT THIS RECIPE MAKES IT HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE]
3 cups flour
1½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1 cup + 1 tablespoon warm water
The trick to this recipe is keeping everything warm. Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt. This flour mixture should be kept warm as well. You can place the mixing bowl in a warm oven for a few minutes if necessary. When the yeast mixture begins to bubble, pour it into the flour mixture. Shape it into a ball with your hands and cover the bowl with a dishtowel. Set it aside in a warm spot in the kitchen.
When the dough has expanded to at least double its original size (after about an hour), place it on a floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a loaf. Make a few diagonal cuts on the surface of the loaf with the tip of a sharp knife and place on a floured baking sheet. Cover it with the dishtowel and set it aside in a warm place until it has at least doubled in size again, about another hour to an hour and a half.
Place it in the oven and bake it at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until it has a golden brown crust.
For a thicker crust, spray water in the oven every 10 minutes while the bread is baking. When the bread is golden brown, raise the temperature of the oven to 450°F for 7-8 minutes, watching the bread carefully to avoid burning it.
Yields:
Time to make:
Date Added: 12/22/07
Source: Sarkis