The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book Part 9

Yogurt and b.u.t.termilk add a rich flavor and tenderness. As with fresh milk, you will want to keep the quant.i.ty you use below half the amount of liquid in the recipe. The other liquid will usually be water. We find, in fact, that this works out in other respects: too much yogurt makes the bread taste yogurty (rather than marvelous), and too much b.u.t.termilk makes it so tender that the dough can just fall apart. How much is too much? It depends on your yogurt, but cup per loaf is a good amount. b.u.t.termilk is subtler, and can make up as much as half the liquid in any bread.

It is especially important that the the cultured products you use in your bread taste fresh, because if the flavor is off, likely enough the culprit is alive and active, and quite capable of sabotaging your bread dough.

b.u.t.tERMILK.

In times past, b.u.t.termilk was what was left over from making b.u.t.ter. Nowadays, commercial b.u.t.termilk is cultured from lowfat or nonfat milk, usually, and varies a lot in flavor from brand to brand both in consistency and tartness. If you make your own b.u.t.ter, you know how good b.u.t.termilk can be, but when we call for b.u.t.termilk in this book, we mean the commercial kind. Since it is almost always salted, the quant.i.ty of added salt in these recipes is low. If you have unsalted b.u.t.termilk, teaspoon salt per cup of milk will bring the dough to the saltiness intended in the recipe.

YOGURT.

Yogurt gives bread tenderness, a fine texture, and a unique richness of flavor that is fuller and tangier than that you get from b.u.t.termilk. Be most particular about the freshness of the yogurt you use in baking: a lot of fellow travelers can set up housekeeping in a batch of yogurt, and some of them make the bread taste weird. We have friends who cultivate their yogurt with an expansive "let it be" policy about protecting the starter from outside influences. The yogurt is pretty interesting stuff, with a kind of ripeness you might look for in Camembert or an old Gorgonzola. When one of these was used in A Loaf for Learning, the normally light, subtly flavorful bread emerged dense and bluish-gray, with a strange beerish flavor.

COTTAGE CHEESE.

Cottage cheese plays the part of a liquid in bread, providing impressive amounts of protein and calcium and extra rising power, too. Bread made with cottage cheese is usually very light and moist. For all its advantages, though, these days a cup of cottage cheese can more than double the price of a loaf of homemade bread, so unless you are looking for a way to sneak a lot of protein and calcium into someone's diet, it's a pricey option.

CHEESE.

From Tillamook to Gruyere, cheese is even more expensive. Delicious on on whole wheat bread, cheese just doesn't make much of a show whole wheat bread, cheese just doesn't make much of a show in in it, unless you use a powerful lot. But if you have an occasion that merits really sensational cheesy rolls or loaves, it can be done, for sure. Choose any plain light bread recipe, like Fresh Milk Bread, for example. Add at least a cup of grated sharp cheese to the dough for each loaf's worth of bread, working the grated cheese into the dough after the kneading is nearly completed. To help the flavor sing, include some complementary spice or herb: for example, a tablespoon of dill weed with Swiss, or a teaspoon of chili powder with cheddar. The milk protein and the added fat from the cheese will enhance the rise, so the bread should be light and airy. Be careful not to overbake cheesy rolls or breadsticks, or they may become dry. it, unless you use a powerful lot. But if you have an occasion that merits really sensational cheesy rolls or loaves, it can be done, for sure. Choose any plain light bread recipe, like Fresh Milk Bread, for example. Add at least a cup of grated sharp cheese to the dough for each loaf's worth of bread, working the grated cheese into the dough after the kneading is nearly completed. To help the flavor sing, include some complementary spice or herb: for example, a tablespoon of dill weed with Swiss, or a teaspoon of chili powder with cheddar. The milk protein and the added fat from the cheese will enhance the rise, so the bread should be light and airy. Be careful not to overbake cheesy rolls or breadsticks, or they may become dry.

b.u.t.tER.

b.u.t.ter is the only fat we use that can be called shortening, meaning that it gives the bread crumb the velvety-soft quality called short. Because it can stay unmelted in the dough, b.u.t.ter actually lubricates the gluten, making the loaf noticeably higher. (You have to use at least twice as much liquid oil to get a similar effect.) If you want the b.u.t.ter you use to do all it can for you, add it cool, rather than melted. The French method is to smear the b.u.t.ter onto the board after the kneading is nearly done, working it into the dough until it disappears and the dough is smooth and l.u.s.trous. You can also cut (or grate) cold b.u.t.ter into tiny pieces and knead it in-again, after the gluten has had a chance to develop. In either case, the lubricating effect is unmistakable. It may seem like a time-saver to melt the b.u.t.ter, but though you get the flavor that way, you don't get the extra rise.

As to the flavor of b.u.t.ter-well, what could be more delectable? And yet with whole grains, which have their own character and are not merely backdrop like white flour, b.u.t.ter's taste plays a supporting role: very good indeed, but subtler than the flavor of the grain itself.

Note here that we use ordinary b.u.t.ter in our recipes; if you use sweet b.u.t.ter you may want to increase the salt by a pinch. Salt is added to b.u.t.ter as a preservative, and it does help prevent it from going rancid: sweet b.u.t.ter keeps much less well. Sweet or salted, don't be tempted to use up rancid b.u.t.ter in your baking. Rancid fat is not only unhealthful but can spoil the bread.

Fresh Milk Bread "Drink this now," Jo Anne said, blue eyes ablaze, handing over the steaming mug. "Not since I was a girl in Scotland have I tasted this. this."

I drank obediently. "Is it-milk?" I really wasn't sure. It tasted like liquid flowers.

"Fresh from the cow. You never get this nowadays." Jo-Anne had been visiting a neighbor who has a small dairy farm. His cows were giving more than he could process and we were the beneficiaries.

"Do you realize that the milk from our local dairies goes all the way to Sacramento for processing? Most of its goodness is gone by the time it comes all the way back in a paper carton. And before long, the way things are going, all you will see on the supermarket shelves is sterilized milk months old, from 6,000-cow milk factories a thousand miles away. If that the milk from our local dairies goes all the way to Sacramento for processing? Most of its goodness is gone by the time it comes all the way back in a paper carton. And before long, the way things are going, all you will see on the supermarket shelves is sterilized milk months old, from 6,000-cow milk factories a thousand miles away. If we we had a cow ..." had a cow ..."

When Jo Anne takes a decision, nothing will stop her, and this morning from my window I can see a pretty little Jersey heifer across the way, graceful as a deer. Soon enough she will give us fresh milk every day too. Meantime, what a beautiful, gentle, sweet creature! She has charmed all of us-and those eyes! eyes! Her name is Shoba, which means the "bright one," and her friend and custodian is Jo Anne's daughter Julia. Her name is Shoba, which means the "bright one," and her friend and custodian is Jo Anne's daughter Julia.

Well, besides drinking it and making unimaginably good yogurt with it, what do you do when the spring makes the bucket overflow with liquid flowers? When our neighbors sent their extra milk our way, we put some in our bread, and it was sensational. The recipe works just fine with any fresh whole milk, even if it isn't from your local cow.

Scald the milk and cool to lukewarm. To cool it quickly, put the pan of hot scalded milk in a dishpan of cold water, and stir the milk until it cools. Stir the honey into the milk.

- 2 cups fresh whole milk (475 ml) - cup honey (60 ml) - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - 6 cups stone-ground whole wheat flour (900 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (14 g) - cup more water (120 ml) - 2 tablespoons cool b.u.t.ter (28 g) Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

Measure the flour and salt into a large bowl and stir lightly. Make a well in the flour and pour the milk and the dissolved yeast into it. Stir from the center outward, until all the flour is mixed in, making a stiff dough. Knead vigorously for about 15 minutes without adding more flour. Use the extra water on your hands to keep the dough from sticking, working in as much as you need of the cup (or even more) to make a soft, elastic dough. Now knead in the b.u.t.ter in bits, continuing to work the dough until it is silky.

Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in the bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn't fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before. The second rising will take about half as much time as the first.

Press the dough flat and divide it in two. Round and let relax, then deflate and shape into loaves. Place in greased 8 4 loaf pans and let rise in a warm place until the dough slowly returns a gently made fingerprint. The loaves should arch beautifully over their pans. 4 loaf pans and let rise in a warm place until the dough slowly returns a gently made fingerprint. The loaves should arch beautifully over their pans.

Place in a preheated oven (350F) and bake about 40 minutes, or until done. For a less deeply colored crust, turn the heat down to 325F after 15 minutes and bake about 50 to 60 minutes in all. If the occasion merits, brush the crust with b.u.t.ter. Cool this bread before you slice it.

You can also make excellent rolls with this recipe. Bake them about fifteen to twenty minutes at 400F after the bread comes out of the oven. If you want, bake them along with the bread at 325F; they will be paler and less moist inside, and they'll take about half an hour to bake. A sprinkle of poppy seeds is pretty. Brush the rolls with b.u.t.ter and serve them piping hot.

b.u.t.termilk Bread This is one of our most beloved recipes. Tender, featherlight, bright-tasting bread that is somehow perfect with any sandwich filling, and devastating (in its subtle way) as toast. It keeps exceptionally well, too, when hidden. The bread may be slightly extravagant for everyday, but it makes an occasion of any simple dinner.

For the lightest, most delicate version, use very finely ground spring wheat flour. Coa.r.s.ely stone-ground flour makes an earthier, tenderer bread. For rolls that are light as a feather, include the larger amount of b.u.t.ter in the dough; for bread, the smaller measure is plenty. Well-kneaded dough made with bread flour will give airy, chewy rolls; if you prefer soft rolls, use a cup of whole wheat pastry flour in place of one cup of the bread flour.

The b.u.t.termilk conditions the dough to give the bread its special tenderness. Because of this conditioning, or mellowing, of the gluten, be careful not to overwork the dough, particularly if you are kneading by machine. Be careful, too, not to let it rise too long at each stage or else the loaves may tear in the final proof.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - cup very hot water (175 ml) - cup honey (60 ml) - 1 cups cold b.u.t.termilk (300 ml) - 5 cups whole wheat flour (830 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (11 g) - 2 to 4 tablespoons b.u.t.ter (2856 g) Mix the hot water with the honey and add the b.u.t.termilk. The temperature should be just slightly warm.

Stir the flour and salt together, making a well in the center. Pour the yeast and b.u.t.termilk mixture into the well, and stir from the center outwards, incorporating all the flour. Test the dough to see whether more flour or more water is needed and adjust accordingly. The bread is lightest if the dough is slightly soft. For rolls, it should be quite soft. Knead about 20 minutes, adding the b.u.t.ter in cold bits at the end of the kneading time.

Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in the bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn't fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before. The second rising will take about half as much time as the first.

Press the dough flat and divide in two. Round it and let it rest until relaxed, then deflate and shape into loaves or rolls. The recipe makes two loaves for 8 4 pans. Or shape the dough into rounds, flattening them slightly, and place in pie tins. Bake a little less time than loaves. These rounds, cut into wedges, make really good dinner bread. For rolls, one loaf's worth of dough makes 9 large or 15 small dinner rolls in 8 4 pans. Or shape the dough into rounds, flattening them slightly, and place in pie tins. Bake a little less time than loaves. These rounds, cut into wedges, make really good dinner bread. For rolls, one loaf's worth of dough makes 9 large or 15 small dinner rolls in 8 8 or 9 8 or 9 13 pans, respectively. Sesame seeds complement the flavor perfectly, though they are not at all required. 13 pans, respectively. Sesame seeds complement the flavor perfectly, though they are not at all required.

Place the shaped dough in greased pans and let rise in a warm place until the dough slowly returns a gentle fingerprint. This dough makes a very high loaf when properly kneaded, so be a little bold about giving it time. Bake the bread in a preheated 325F oven for nearly an hour. Rolls take 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size, at 400F. Brush the rolls with b.u.t.ter when they come out of the oven (the bread, too, if you feel fancy).

Yogurt Bread - SPONGE INGREDIENTS - 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (3.5 g) - cup warm water (60 ml) - 3 cups whole wheat bread flour (450 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (11 g) - 3 tablespoons honey* (45 ml) (45 ml) - cup yogurt (160 ml) - cup cold water (80 ml) This delicious bread is the one we feature in A Loaf for Learning. In this version, the recipe is adapted to the sponge pattern. Making part of the dough ahead lets you prepare the rest on a faster schedule than normal, without sacrificing the quality of the bread. (It also makes it even more important to use yogurt that is fresh. fresh.) The timing and measurements here are for a sponge that ferments for 6 to 10 hours; for other sponge timings, see this page this page.

TO MAKE THE SPONGE.

Dissolve the yeast in the cup warm water. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl; add the honey, yogurt, cold water, and dissolved yeast, making a stiff stiff dough. Knead about 5 minutes, and set aside in a cool place, snugly covered to keep the dough from drying out, but with plenty of room in its container for the sponge to rise. Keep at room temperature for the shorter period, or in a very cool place if it will stand a full ten hours. dough. Knead about 5 minutes, and set aside in a cool place, snugly covered to keep the dough from drying out, but with plenty of room in its container for the sponge to rise. Keep at room temperature for the shorter period, or in a very cool place if it will stand a full ten hours.

When you mix the sponge into dough, once again you have the choice whether to let it rise more or less quickly, depending on how warm the mixing water is and how warm you keep the dough. For dissolving the yeast, though, use warm water always.

TO MAKE THE DOUGH.

- DOUGH INGREDIENTS - 1 teaspoon active dry yeast ( oz or 3.5 g) - 1 cups warm water (350 ml) - the sponge from above cup oil (60 ml) - 3 cups whole wheat flour (450 ml) Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Soften the sponge with the liquids and work in the rest of the flour measure, adjusting the consistency as required. Knead until silky, about 15 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in the bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour check to see whether the dough is ready. Gently poke your wet finger about inch deep into the center of the dough. If the hole doesn't fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let rise once more as before. The second rising will take about half as much time as the first.

Press the dough flat and divide in two. Round it and let it rest until relaxed, then deflate and shape into loaves. Place in greased 8 4 loaf pans and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the dough slowly returns a gently made fingerprint. If the dough rises nicely, slas.h.i.+ng the loaves can be very pretty. We like to make one long vertical cut, about inch deep, in Yogurt Bread. Bake 45 minutes to an hour at 350F. 4 loaf pans and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the dough slowly returns a gently made fingerprint. If the dough rises nicely, slas.h.i.+ng the loaves can be very pretty. We like to make one long vertical cut, about inch deep, in Yogurt Bread. Bake 45 minutes to an hour at 350F.

Overnight Started Bread - SPONGE INGREDIENTS - teaspoon active dry yeast (1 g) - cup warm water (60 ml) - 2 cups whole wheat flour (300 g) - 6 tablespoons powdered milk (45 g) - teaspoon salt (1.75 g) - cup cold water (175 ml) This is one of our standbys. A good all-purpose bread for sandwiches and toast, it is flavorful and dependable. Because the sponge ferments overnight, the bread has some of the qualities of a long-rising dough: warm flavor and good keeping quality. The addition of fresh ingredients in the morning provides characteristics you would expect from a fast dough: energetic yeast activity and a high, speedy rise.

The composition of the sponge, incidentally, is not arbitrary. Much testing and tasting-and some research, too-have gone into balancing the ingredients. There is just enough salt, for example, to control the fermentation for the long rise; and including the milk from the beginning, rather than adding it with the dough ingredients, significantly improves the flavor of the bread. If you use this recipe as a pattern for adapting other recipes to the sponge method of mixing, you'll want to experiment for a couple of bakings to decide just which ingredients should be included in the sponge, and which later, in the full dough.

TO MAKE THE SPONGE.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Combine the flour, powdered milk, and salt, stirring well to keep the milk powder from lumping. Add the softened yeast and the cold water and mix vigorously for about 5 minutes.

Cover and leave in a cool room until you are ready to make the bread, 12 to 18 hours. If you will be leaving it for 18 hours, use very cold water, and keep the sponge in a place that is quite cool.

TO MAKE THE DOUGH.

- DOUGH INGREDIENTS - 1 teaspoons active dry yeast (6 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - 2 tablespoons honey (30 ml) - 1 cup warm water (235 ml) - 2 teaspoons salt (11 g) - 4 cups whole wheat flour (600 g) - more water as needed - 3 tablespoons b.u.t.ter (42 g) (optional) Dissolve the yeast in the cup warm water. Dissolve the honey separately in the 1 cup of water. Mix the sponge and sweetened water together. Your fingers do the best job, though it is is messy. Next, incorporate the yeast into the mixture. messy. Next, incorporate the yeast into the mixture.

Mix the salt and flour, and make a well in the center. Pour the sponge mixture into the well, and fold in the flour. Mix all the flour into the sponge, squeezing it with your fingers to make sure it is uniform. Is there enough water in it? This will depend on the flour, the timing of the sponge, and other variables. If it seems a little stiff, wet your hands and knead in more water, as much as half a cup, whatever's needed. All that stirring and squeezing may have been a lot of trouble, but both develop the gluten in the dough and cut down on kneading time. Knead the dough, working in the b.u.t.ter toward the end of the kneading time. Keep kneading until it is all absorbed and the dough is smooth and silky. Whether you add the b.u.t.ter or not-it does make a spectacular difference in the bread-the dough should take only about 10 minutes of efficient kneading to attain supple perfection.

Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in the bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn't fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before. The second rising will take about half as much time as the first.

Press the dough flat and divide in two. Round and let relax, then deflate and shape. The bread is good in standard loaves, hearth-style rounds, French batons, or big hard rolls. Proof about 45 minutes in a very warm place.

This bread benefits very much from high initial heat and a a steamy oven (see this page this page) though a standard bake is plenty good. Baking times will vary according to the shapes you have chosen, from 25 minutes for rolls to almost an hour for bread, at 350F. If you steam the rolls or the bread, reduce the total baking time by about ten minutes.

Lemony Loaves - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - 5 cups finely ground whole wheat flour (825 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (11 g) - cup wheat germ, toasted (28 g) - peel of one lemon, grated (about 1 tablespoon) - 1 cups cottage cheese (300 ml) - cup water, nearly boiling (175 ml) - 2 tablespoons honey (30 ml) - 2 tablespoons cool b.u.t.ter (28 g) A bright, full-flavored bread that is very light and nutritious. This recipe makes excellent rolls.

Dissolve the yeast in the cup warm water.

Stir the dry ingredients, including the lemon peel, together, and mix the cottage cheese, hot water and honey separately; combine all the ingredients except the b.u.t.ter. Knead about 20 minutes, incorporating the cool b.u.t.ter towards the end of the kneading time.

Cover and let rise in a warm place, being careful not to let the dough go longer than necessary each time. This is quite important. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn't fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before. The second rising will take about half as much time as the first.

Press the dough flat and divide in two. Round it and let it rest until relaxed, then deflate and shape into loaves. Place in greased 8 4 loaf pans and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the dough slowly returns a gently made fingerprint. 4 loaf pans and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the dough slowly returns a gently made fingerprint.

Place in preheated oven and bake at 325F 40 minutes or so, until done. This bread makes delightful rolls; make any fancy shape, or cloverleaf rolls with poppy seeds. You can also just divide one loaf into 12 rounds and fill the greased cups of a m.u.f.fin tin. Give them a full proof, and bake about 15 minutes at 425F (or longer at 325F along with the bread). Brush with b.u.t.ter.

Eggs Eggs add protein and make the bread richer and higher-rising. Since bread with egg tends to dry out rapidly, most recipes call for extra fat to counteract this. Often, too, for greater tenderness the sweetener is increased; and if you use a lot of egg, more salt is needed to keep the bread from being too bland.

Adding eggs to whole wheat, we think, does make a bread rather less interesting in flavor, and so when we include them, it is most often in recipes that get their sparkle from some other source (raisins, for example). Relatively simple egg breads like Vienna or Challah draw their elegance from their baker's careful attention to making a flavor-rich crust. Vienna bread is baked hot with plenty of steam at the outset; Challah is "washed;" both are shaped to increase the amount of crust surface and thereby enhance the flavor of the loaf.

Whole Wheat Egg Bread - 6 cups finely ground whole wheat flour (900 g) - 1 tablespoon salt (16.5 g) - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - 4 eggs, plus water to make 2 cups (650 ml) - cup oil (60 ml) - 3 tablespoons honey (45 ml) - 1 egg for glazing, and poppy or sesame seeds if desired.

Whole grain flour produces bread of an earthier mood than the white flour with which Challah is usually made. The recipe is therefore not an exact translation, but it is as authentic as we could make it-and very good. Some people like to add raisins; if you are one of them, use about 1 cup per recipe. Steam the raisins to soften them, then cool; work gently into the dough toward the end of the kneading period.

Stir the flour and salt together in a bowl. Make a well in the center.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, and set it aside while you mix the other liquids.

Break the eggs into a quart measuring cup. Add enough tepid water to make 2 cups; then add the oil and honey, and beat until smooth. Add this mixture and the yeast to the well in the flour, and stir together. Knead the dough until it is silky and supple, adding water by wetting your hands, as necessary. The dough should be soft, but not flabby; the important thing is the kneading: for the very best and highest bread, an efficient kneader will require about 20 minutes to develop the dough to its springiest.

Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in the bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn't fill in at all, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before. The second rising will take about half as much time as the first. Keep your eye on the dough, and don't let it go so long that it sighs when you poke it. Egg-rich doughs like this benefit from a slightly shorter rising, particularly if you will be spending extra time shaping the bread (not unlikely with this one).

There are many ways to shape this dough, the cla.s.sic being to braid it. For two good sized plump and pretty braids, flatten the dough out on your table, making an oblong about 12 inches by 18 inches. Cut it in half lengthwise and then cut each half in thirds, making each piece the same size. Form smooth smooth b.a.l.l.s out of the pieces, and cover with a thick damp cloth or an inverted bowl to keep them from drying out while you work. b.a.l.l.s out of the pieces, and cover with a thick damp cloth or an inverted bowl to keep them from drying out while you work.

When the rounded dough softens, roll three of the b.a.l.l.s into snakes about 18 inches long, working each of them back and forth under your palms, from the center toward the ends. Try to keep them smooth and even: don't rush. Professional bakers use fine rye flour to dust the snakes, which prevents them from bleeding bleeding, or pulling into each other, during their final rise. If you have no rye flour handy, any kind will do.

Braid from the center toward each end-this is strange but helpful. For the best final result, keep the braid somewhat loose; don't stretch or pull the strands. When you have your braid, place it in a greased loaf pan or on a greased baking sheet, dusted with seeds if you wish. Repeat the whole process with the other 3 pieces of dough. Let them rise in a warm humid place until the soft dough returns a gently made fingerprint (wet finger) slowly.

If you know how to braid 4 strands instead of 3, the loaf will be higher. Here is a fast way to braid a pretty braid with only one one strand: it takes a little practice, but works not only for loaves but for rolls as well. Incidentally, this recipe makes good, very light rolls, providing they are not allowed to dry out at any time. strand: it takes a little practice, but works not only for loaves but for rolls as well. Incidentally, this recipe makes good, very light rolls, providing they are not allowed to dry out at any time.

Brush the braids with an egg wash made of one egg plus the amount of water that will fill half the sh.e.l.l. Use a soft paintbrush, a feather brush, or a fringed cloth napkin for this: those stiff commercial pastry brushes can be hard on the dough. Cover the whole exposed surface carefully, but don't let the egg wash collect in the valleys. Sprinkle with seeds, if you choose, and place the masterpiece in a preheated 350F oven. Bake until nicely browned, about 35 minutes for a long thin braid, or 45 minutes for a fat one; in loaf pans, allow at least 45 minutes, unless the bread is fantastically light.

NOTE: If the smell of the baking egg wash is obnoxious to you, next time wash the bread just after it comes out of the oven, instead of just before it goes in. The effect is nearly the same, and the heat of the bread cooks the egg to a respectable s.h.i.+ne without added time in the oven.

SOME TIPS If you want really high slices-not at all necessary for dinner bread, but convenient for sandwiches-make a braid that you twist only three times, so that it is very short and fat. For the highest slices of all, put this loaf in a regular 8x4 pan. These fatter breads will take a little longer to cook, and need to cool before slicing. If you want really high slices-not at all necessary for dinner bread, but convenient for sandwiches-make a braid that you twist only three times, so that it is very short and fat. For the highest slices of all, put this loaf in a regular 8x4 pan. These fatter breads will take a little longer to cook, and need to cool before slicing.

A very long, skinny braid made with long, thin snakes can be formed into a circle on the baking sheet and is quite spectacular served hot from the oven. It will bake much faster, and in fact you can bake it at a higher temperature much much faster if it is very thin indeed. faster if it is very thin indeed.

Featherpuff Bread - 1 cups cottage cheese (355 ml) - 2 eggs, slightly beaten - cup honey (60 ml) - cup water (120 ml) - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - 5 cups whole wheat flour, finely ground (750 g) - cup powdered milk (60 g) - 1 teaspoons salt (8.25 g) - 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter, in cold chips (28 g) This is not an inexpensive bread, but it is packed with protein, and much loved. Probably you could say it represents some outside limit of what a dairy bread can be, both in ingredients, and in the bread itself: tender, exceptionally light, pale and rather sweet, with a very dark crust. It is hard to believe that a single bread can incorporate so much milk and eggs, but it does, and gracefully.

Warm the cottage cheese gently in a saucepan. Remove from heat and mix in the eggs, honey, and water, taking care that the cottage cheese is not so warm that it cooks the eggs. The final mixture should be about 80F.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

Mix the flour, powdered milk, and salt thoroughly, making a well in them and adding the liquids. Mix to make a dough, and test for consistency, adding water or flour if needed. The dough should be very soft, and it will be sticky to work with, but if you add too much flour at this stage, the dough will be dry later on and the bread not so high as it should be.

For the lightest bread-and this one can be outrageously light-knead very well. Knead at least 15 minutes; then add the b.u.t.ter little by little, and knead again until quite silky.

Because it contains so many eggs, this dough rises rather slowly. Even so, be careful not to wait too long. When it has risen well, gently poke its center with your wet finger, applying the usual test to see if it is ready to deflate. The dough should not sigh, but is ready as soon as the hole you have made remains without filling in. Press the dough flat and shape it again into a smooth ball. Let it rise again as before.

Divide in two and form smooth rounds. Protect the rounds from drafts, letting them rest until the dough regains its suppleness. Shape carefully, and place in greased 8 4 pans for the final rise. When spongy and quite high, put in preheated 325F oven and bake for about an hour-check at 45 minutes, though; if the bread is exceptionally light, it will bake faster. The bread is prettiest brushed with b.u.t.ter when it comes out of the oven. 4 pans for the final rise. When spongy and quite high, put in preheated 325F oven and bake for about an hour-check at 45 minutes, though; if the bread is exceptionally light, it will bake faster. The bread is prettiest brushed with b.u.t.ter when it comes out of the oven.

Do, please, let this one cool completely before you try to slice it, or it will squash.

Cinnamon Rolls