The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book Part 24

Well-seasoned hardwood burns hotter and requires less fussing. Sometimes hardwood mills will give mill ends free for the hauling. Once cut, the wood must cure for at least six months to a year so it will burn hot and clean.

STEAM.

We finally settled on a system that pipes (stainless steel pipes! Copper pipe threw blue flakes onto the bread) tap water along the sides of the oven so that it drips down the masonry, turning into steam. A simpler method that also worked was to fill a punctured loaf pan with boiling water, letting it drip onto the hearth. We abandoned that because it was hazardous to the bakers and wasted s.p.a.ce.

HEAT.

It takes a little while to learn how to get the heat just right at the moment the bread is ready to load. We fire the oven slowly for a couple of hours, then keep the temperature at 1000F for another hour. After that, shut down the oven for half an hour to even out the heat before the bread is loaded. By then the heat is about 550F, which is just right. After loading and steaming, the temperature is about 400F, or a little higher. A thermometer (pyrometer) in the ceiling of the oven makes gauging this easier.

EQUIPMENT.

Once the oven has been fired, it is brilliantly self-cleaned except for a few ashes that can easily be mopped out using a long-handled mop and clear water-and care to prevent burning arms!

Essential for loading the bread into the oven is a baker's peel, a sort of paddle about an arm's length longer than your oven is deep. Load and unload the loaves with a deft push-pull that comes quite naturally.

Knives Every home baker needs a good knife. This is especially true if (like some authors) you can't wait to slice the bread until it is completely cool: a bad knife can really really wreck a fresh, soft loaf. Fortunately, although you can spend upwards of twenty dollars for an elegant knife, a truly splendid bread cutter lurks on the supermarket rack for about two dollars. (They call it a ham slicer, but don't let them fool you.) These knives have a wreck a fresh, soft loaf. Fortunately, although you can spend upwards of twenty dollars for an elegant knife, a truly splendid bread cutter lurks on the supermarket rack for about two dollars. (They call it a ham slicer, but don't let them fool you.) These knives have a long, thin long, thin blade with the wavy kind of serrated edge-not the sawtooth sort, which is inferior. They keep their sharpness for a year or two of daily slicing-not forever, granted, but in the meantime they are great. They're very hard to sharpen at home. Electric knives, if you have one, work very nicely. blade with the wavy kind of serrated edge-not the sawtooth sort, which is inferior. They keep their sharpness for a year or two of daily slicing-not forever, granted, but in the meantime they are great. They're very hard to sharpen at home. Electric knives, if you have one, work very nicely.

A short-bladed knife is for the birds, by the way. One of our favorite catalogs advertises a "bread" knife that has a 7-inch blade-ridiculous!

On the other hand, for loaves of the dense, firm sort, that want to be sliced thin, a long, razor-sharp French vegetable knife serves better than the one described above. If you like really really thin slices, favor the firm breads, and have a rich uncle, there is a hand-turned Dutch all-purpose slicer that is truly remarkable. The brand name is thin slices, favor the firm breads, and have a rich uncle, there is a hand-turned Dutch all-purpose slicer that is truly remarkable. The brand name is eva eva, and it effortlessly cuts slices of any thinness out of the densest bread. There are probably other such gizmos, too, that we haven't seen.

To slice a loaf, cut with a smooth, gentle, sawing motion-lots of sawing and not much downward pressure. If you can, grasp the loaf on both sides with your noncutting hand. The secret of perfect, even slices is fierce concentration, even more than manual dexterity. If you can, grasp the loaf on both sides with your noncutting hand. The secret of perfect, even slices is fierce concentration, even more than manual dexterity.

The Bread Box You've just put a lot of work and a lot of good stuff into making this great bread. How to store it so it keeps its appeal to the very last slice?

First, always let bread cool completely (under a towel, to soften the crust and minimize big holes) before you put it away. Bread will sweat if you put it away warm, and be likely to mold.

If the bread will be eaten in a day or two-or, if it is a good keeper, four or five-store it at cool room temperature, loosely wrapped in a clean cloth or a clean paper bag, or in an old-fas.h.i.+oned bread box. Avoid plastic bags or airtight containers: without air circulation, at room temperature bread can mold quickly. If you use a bread box of any kind, clean it well between loaves to prevent any mold spores from pa.s.sing from one batch to another. Something simple and at hand may be just right: for example, "granite-ware" canning pots with their loose lids make excellent bread boxes-mouseproof and easy to clean.

For longer storage, freezing is best. For easy-to-use, elegant frozen slices, cool the bread thoroughly before you pick up the knife. Slice carefully. Arrange the slices in order in the pan they were baked in. Wrap airtight, and freeze. Once the bread is frozen solid, you can remove the pan. Now, easily separated slices can go from freezer to toaster; if you make a sandwich in the morning, it will be thawed and ready to eat by lunchtime.

Don't keep bread in the refrigerator because there, it stales fastest of all.

Bread Machines A fresh hot loaf baking to perfection-it fills the house with that wonderful smell, and makes us so happy to be home! With all the demands on our time, it's rare to have the luxury of making bread from beginning to end by hand these days. But bread machines can give us the warmth and goodness of homemade bread without our being there to knead, to punch at just the right time, shape at just the right time, to preheat the oven-it really is a miracle.

Frankly, it can be a second second miracle to have excellent machine loaves using entirely whole wheat flour. Even though some offer whole wheat cycles, bread machines are, in fact, engineered to use white flour. Coaxing them to do their best with whole wheat is tricky-but it can be done! miracle to have excellent machine loaves using entirely whole wheat flour. Even though some offer whole wheat cycles, bread machines are, in fact, engineered to use white flour. Coaxing them to do their best with whole wheat is tricky-but it can be done!

Sue has been dancing with her new machine for three months. A skilled home baker whose kids have reached an age that makes a leisurely day at home quite rare, she had been dismayed to find herself spending $3.75 to buy a decent loaf of bread for toast and sandwiches. Priorities firmly in hand, she investigated her options and figured that even the top machine would pay for itself in nine months. She says, "Most appliances are pretty straightforward. You figure out what they'll do in a short time. But a bread machine? It requires a kind of relations.h.i.+p. You need to build trust. You have to stick with it. Each baking is different, but you get the hang of it, you learn what your machine can do for you. And gee, it is simply wonderful to have good bread, fresh and fragrant and wholesome-at home, so easy, so dependable-and so cheap!"

Choosing a New Bread Machine SHAPE & SIZE.

Whole wheat loaves work best when they are relatively narrow. In machine terms, the narrowest is 5, though a few of the older one-pounders make 4 loaves. Loaves wider than 5 across collapse from over-rising; in sandwiches their slices crumble, and in the toaster they burn in the center. Toast!-and sandwiches! Whatever else you get from your machine, at least you should be able to count on these. Look for a machine that makes slices not more than 5 across.

Size in the other other direction has more to do with how fast you'll eat it up. Machine bread doesn't keep fresh for more than a few days-but it's so very easy to make, you can bake as often as you want, to have fresh bread. direction has more to do with how fast you'll eat it up. Machine bread doesn't keep fresh for more than a few days-but it's so very easy to make, you can bake as often as you want, to have fresh bread.

WHOLE WHEAT CYCLE.

A machine that doesn't have a whole wheat cycle may work fine. Older machines, as mentioned above, can offer the advantage of a narrower loaf; often, they also operate with a longer rise and cooler temperature, which together produce a tastier, longer-keeping bread. Whole wheat cycles, however, do generally offer a shorter kneading time, and that is a good thing: too much kneading can break down the dough, making a loaf that cannot rise.

REST/PREHEAT.

Newer models start up with an extended "rest/preheat" period, sometimes as long as 40 minutes, especially in the whole wheat cycle. If you want to check to make sure the dough is the right consistency, the delay means having to remember to come back after that time is up-bother! If the machine is programmable, you can get rid of the preheat. However, there is a point to it. Even if the ingredients start out nice and warm, by the time everything is loaded in, it all cools down quite a bit. And since having the right temperature is critical for the yeast, that annoying preheat turns out to be not such a bad idea after all. If you program it out (or if yours doesn't have a preheat period), we suggest that you warm the bucket ahead of time, and be very sure your ingredients are warm, too.

PROGRAMMABILITY.

The programming option can seem intimidating at first, but you'll love it. For one thing, you can change the timings (not temperatures, alas) to be better for whole wheat doughs (more on that later). The Breadman Ultimate lets you lengthen the amount of time it spends "shaping," as well as the other times, and this is a very big plus.

THE TIMED CYCLE.

One of the most popular options, the delay timer lets you set up your baking so that you come home from work to fresh hot bread-or wake up to that wonderful smell. Virtually all machines offer this feature, but the ones that begin with a preheat give the best timed loaves. Double paddles help also, because they support the pile of flour, protecting the yeast. For many bread machine enthusiasts, the timer option is pure magic.

THE RAPID-RISE CYCLE.

The Quick or Rapid cycle times range from three hours in older machines to just over one hour in some newer ones. The faster it is, the poorer quality the bread, but this short timing does actually make something that looks and smells like a loaf of bread. Tip: add lots of goodies.

POWER & DURABILITY.

Bread machines, even the most powerful, use only about a nickel's worth of electricity from start to finish. Whole wheat dough does require more "muscle" than white. Probably only the top-rated machines will hold up to regular stints at making what the manufacturers call a "two-pound" loaf (4+ cups of flour). The most inexpensive machines probably won't give you even a hundred loaves of any sort before they burn out.

PEEKING.

Big windows are fun, but they let precious heat escape, contributing to loaves' collapsing from being both over-risen and undercooked in the center. (Don't cover the window, however! It can melt.) With good light, you can check progress just fine through a small window, and anyway, except during the last rise and bake, there's no reason not to lift the lid to see how things are going. cover the window, however! It can melt.) With good light, you can check progress just fine through a small window, and anyway, except during the last rise and bake, there's no reason not to lift the lid to see how things are going.

Tips: Starting Out You can save yourself some gruesome loaves if you read the directions in your manual and follow them step-by-step. We will be suggesting some changes, but the basics are basic basic-and not always intuitive. Here are a few things the manual may not tell you: GET IT TOGETHER.

Array the recipe's ingredients in front of you before you start. It is very easy to forget the salt, and, astonis.h.i.+ngly, very very easy to forget the yeast. (Top professionals always do this-the setting-things-out part!) It's called easy to forget the yeast. (Top professionals always do this-the setting-things-out part!) It's called mise en place mise en place.

MEASURING.

Please don't yawn! Accurate measuring is a hot topic when you bake in a bread machine. It really is better to spoon, not scoop, the flour, and liquid measuring really does need to be done in a clear, calibrated cup you can see at eye level. Really do use a flat knife to level cups and spoons.

All that said, measuring spoons and cups, surprisingly, vary a lot. And after awhile, you'll tweak the amounts to suit your own flour, machine, and teaspoons-but will you remember? Keep a notebook; you will be so glad if you do!

If you have a kitchen scale, use it. Weighing is far more accurate, and much easier. "The difference between bricks and beauties," says a friend who loves her flea-market scale.

Subtle variations in different batches of wheat affect the amount of liquid required to make just-right dough. Natural whole wheat flour, unlike white flour, is not standardized. Except for supermarket brands, whole wheat flour is simply wheat grains put through a mill-no separating or blending, no additives or chemical conditioners. So, in some years, in some fields' grain, there will be a little more starch; in others, a little more protein; and you will notice these differences from time to time.

Last, because it doesn't make the dough wet in the way that water does, oil is not quite a "liquid." Honey, on the other hand, definitely is liquid, and maple syrup, too, so be sure to count them in the liquid measure. Also eggs.

AFTER BAKING.

Set your baked loaf on a soft towel, not a rack. Remove the paddle if it's stuck, and then wrap the towel over the loaf while the loaf cools. Because of the low temperature at which bread machines bake, a newly finished loaf is fragile inside and benefits from slow cooling before you slice it. Keeping it wrapped helps the inside finish baking and also somewhat tenderizes the (generally formidable) crust. Both make slicing less likely to crush the loaf to smithereens. (Even Laurel waits, mostly.) If you do need to have a taste immediately, use a long sharp sharp serrated knife, and, if possible, cut off just one crust. serrated knife, and, if possible, cut off just one crust.

CLEANING UP.

After you remove the loaf, run some hot soapy water into the bucket. In a few minutes, it's easy to clean the inside with a soft brush. Be very careful to protect the nonstick surfaces, including the paddle.

"Careful cleaning between bakings lengthens the life of any machine," a repairman told us sternly, "even if you have to use dental tools." He suggested vacuuming the inside of the outer container.

HELPFUL GIZMOS.

A heatproof silicon-rubber spatula loosens a stuck loaf without hurting the nonstick surface. Get a bright color and keep it with the machine, so you'll use it to level your measures. It's also handy for poking and prodding the dough when you feel like doing that.

A size-K crochet hook easily pulls stuck paddles out of baked loaves with minimum damage-worth getting. crochet hook easily pulls stuck paddles out of baked loaves with minimum damage-worth getting.

Nested measuring cups for dry ingredients, a see-through measuring cup for liquids, and accurate spoons can prevent otherwise unexplained bricks and blahs.

A half-tablespoon (1 teaspoons) spoon is our favorite luxury; keep it in the salt. And a scoop or container sized to slide the flour into the machine's bucket without spills.

Last but not least, please get a chef's thermometer-so handy for seeing if temperatures are right. And, when in doubt about whether a loaf is done through, you can check to see if it has reached 200F in the middle.

Better Bread Bread machines do a good job of kneading. They entirely solve the problem of where to let the dough rise so that it's out of drafts. They don't heat up the kitchen. They bake with almost no electricity-and, of course, you don't have to be there to mix, knead, deflate, shape, proof, preheat, or bake! Still, as we've said, commercial bread machines are engineered for white flour, even those with whole wheat cycles. For elegant whole wheat loaves, some finer points: TEMPERATURE.

Temperature matters so much that if your machine doesn't preheat, we suggest that you preheat it yourself, except for timed loaves. At the beginning, before you gather your ingredients, fill the bucket with very warm water. Pour that water out when you are ready to put the ingredients in.

FLOUR.

Please read about flour. Machine baking requires high-protein flour. If you think your flour needs help, put a tablespoon of gluten flour (or "vital wheat gluten") in the bottom of the cup when you measure flour.

Contrary to what some manuals say, freshly home-milled flour works wonderfully in machines. Since it is fluffy, tap down the cups when you measure, or weigh instead.

YEAST.

Good new yeast makes bread rise. Old yeast, or yeast damaged by heat or exposure to air, doesn't. In our testing, we had the best results with Fleishmann's Bread Machine Yeast, but you can use any fresh active dry yeast. Check the date, and if in doubt, proof the yeast as suggested. You can use proofed yeast in your bread if you don't let it sit around. Add it after the other ingredients have begun mixing, counting the water in the yeast as part of the bread's liquid measure.

FAT.

b.u.t.ter lubricates the gluten, increasing the bread's rise when added in amounts of 1 to 3 teaspoons per cup of flour. Oil is more healthful, but to get the leavening effect requires twice as much. Besides helping it rise, fat makes bread tender, and helps it to keep fresh and moist longer.

SWEETENERS.

Use any nonartificial nonartificial sweetener in bread. Honey is our first choice because its flavor harmonizes with whole wheat, and it also holds moisture, helping the bread keep better. For easy measuring, store honey in a warm place in a squeeze bottle. To measure, squirt the honey into an oiled spoon or into a see-through measuring cup. At eye level, 1 fluid ounce is 2 tablespoons, so you can measure even small amounts that way. Pour the recipe's warm liquid in with the honey and stir until it's dissolved; easy cleanup, no mess. sweetener in bread. Honey is our first choice because its flavor harmonizes with whole wheat, and it also holds moisture, helping the bread keep better. For easy measuring, store honey in a warm place in a squeeze bottle. To measure, squirt the honey into an oiled spoon or into a see-through measuring cup. At eye level, 1 fluid ounce is 2 tablespoons, so you can measure even small amounts that way. Pour the recipe's warm liquid in with the honey and stir until it's dissolved; easy cleanup, no mess.

Cautions: too much of any kind of sweetener can overwhelm the yeast, slow it down, and reduce the loaf's rise. Artificial sweeteners do not feed the yeast at all; some of them turn bitter or even toxic when heated.

GOODIES.

Bread machine websites feature exotic recipes replete with fruits, cheeses, nuts, peppers, herbs, even chocolate chips. It is good to realize that when you are using whole wheat flour, many of these will take something of a backseat to the rich flavor of the wheat, so please use your imagination before investing in expensive additives that might not really sing out. Raisins and walnuts do fine, likewise st.u.r.dy dates and pecans. Poppy seeds and Kalamata olives make a show; bulgur wheat and pine nuts disappear. Applesauce or succulent dried nectarines contribute only a faint, lovely nuance.

Even if you add "extras" at the specified time, bread machines pulverize anything that isn't fairly tough. Also, some are not talented at distribution. For evenly distributed chunks, wait until the kneading is over. Remove the dough and roll it out on a tabletop. Sprinkle the goodies over the dough, press in press in, roll up, and put back into the machine. The chunks will stay chunky, and at slicing time, you won't find them all huddled together at the bottom of the loaf.

Basic Whole Wheat Bread - TWO-POUND LOAF - 2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) honey - 1 cups (12 fluid ounces) warm water (90100F) - 3 tablespoons b.u.t.ter or oil - 3 cups + cup whole wheat bread flour - 1 teaspoons salt - 2 teaspoons yeast - 1 -POUND LOAF - 1 tablespoons honey - 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (9 fluid ounces) warm water - 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter or oil - 2 cups + cup whole wheat bread flour - 1 teaspoon salt - 1 teaspoons yeast - ONE-POUND LOAF - 1 tablespoon honey - cup (6 fluid ounces) warm water - 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter or oil - 1 cups + cup whole wheat bread flour - teaspoon salt - 1 teaspoon yeast In this recipe, we present general instructions that show how to adjust to the special requirements of whole wheat flour when making bread in machines.

If your machine does not begin with a preheat period, fill the bucket with very warm water and let it stand while you gather all your ingredients, then pour water out. This will help maintain the warmth the yeast needs.

Measure honey and water in a clear liquid-measuring cup, and stir to dissolve honey completely. Add oil. If you choose b.u.t.ter instead, add it after the flour.

Put all ingredients except the extra cup flour into bread machine's bucket according to the manufacturer's protocol. If you use b.u.t.ter, add it in pieces in the corners. Start machine.

If you have not made this recipe before in this machine with this flour, watch the mixing and first part of the kneading carefully. If the dough looks flabby or gets gooey under the paddle, add the reserved flour a little at a time, until the dough makes a firm ball. It must be firm (quite a bit firmer than nonmachine dough!) or the loaf will collapse when baking begins, and sometimes before. It's fine to encourage the mixing with your rubber spatula, though given time the machine will usually gather in all the odd bits of flour.

When the loaf is done, remove the bucket from the machine. Turn the loaf out onto a soft towel and gently extract the (hot!) paddle if it is stuck in the loaf. Wrap the towel around the loaf while it cools. The towel lets the loaf cool more slowly, softening the crust and giving the center of the loaf a chance to firm up so that slicing doesn't mash and mangle.

ABOUT SOME OTHER INGREDIENTS.

Milk, included in any form, benefits machine bread greatly: it boosts gluten strength, mellows flavor, and provides a thin, pretty golden-brown crust. Professional bakers suggest that up to half the liquid measure can be milk or b.u.t.termilk without making other changes; or add equivalent amounts of powdered milk when you add the flour. Usually cup of powder is the equivalent of one cup of milk, but check the label. See this page this page for tips on using soymilk. for tips on using soymilk.

We usually call for honey, but other nutritive sweeteners also feed the yeast and provide a different mood: mola.s.ses, maple syrup, date sugar, apple juice concentrate. Subst.i.tute as part of the liquid or dry measure, as appropriate.

Eggs add protein and other nutrients to bread. They usually make the loaf lighter and its flavor milder; the bread will be drier, and stale more quickly. Count eggs as liquid.

Fresh milk, eggs, or soymilk spoil when kept long at room temperature, so don't include them when you make timed loaves (more below). If you use powdered milk, limit the delay to a few hours, and put a layer of flour between the liquids and milk powder. b.u.t.termilk powder has advantages over regular powdered milk, especially in timed bread.

TIME DELAY.

Once you've got your measurements just right, "Basic" is an ideal recipe to put on the timer. All ingredients should be at room temperature, or cool if the delay is long. Be careful to place the flour in the best way possible to isolate the yeast. For example, if you put the liquids in first, put the salt to the side, and slide the flour into the center of the bucket in a cone shape. Make a small crater in the top. Carefully spoon the yeast into the crater, taking care not to let any roll down the side. Put the bucket in gently. If the yeast gets into the liquid, it activates ahead of time, which can give an off flavor or even keep the loaf from rising well.

If you have programmed out the preheat, put it back! It's a big help with timed loaves.

Adding Goodies - CINNAMON GLAZE - 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter - 3 tablespoons brown sugar - 1 teaspoon cinnamon Here are some fine combinations for fancy loaves, starting from the "Basic" recipe. We like to include egg and milk as part of the liquid ingredients because they lighten the loaf while mellowing the wheaty flavor so that the "extras" have a stronger voice.

RAISINS AND NUTS.

Raisins (with or without walnuts, pecans, or filberts) need no advertising. Chop the nuts raisin-size, and toast them lightly, if you like, for extra flavor.

ONE-POUND.

1 - 1 -POUND.

TWO-POUND TWO-POUND.

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