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Baked Bread & Rolls - Made Simple!
- BY PAM SEVERANCE
My Mother, upon watching
me mix up a batch of home made Orange Rolls, made the comment
that I was the last of a dying breed. In a way she was right!
It seems that in our society of simple to prepare foods, we have
lost the art of bread baking. My generation, commonly called
"Generation-X" has never been called upon to bake bread
for necessity, we can just go to the store and buy it! I believe,
however, that we should not let this tradition fade away! Baking
bread and rolls at home is not as difficult as you think-with
today's modern tools we have in our kitchens, plus a really good
recipe, baking bread at home is a lot easier than you think!
Here are a few tips:
The first tool you need for baking bread at home is a good quality
mixer. KitchenAid makes a high quality stand mixer that is powerful
enough to easily mix your doughs and pastries. The mixers are
available in 3 different models- Classic, Heavy Duty and Professional.
I prefer the Heavy Duty model as it has a larger bowl capacity
and a bit more power than the classic model.
The recipe you choose to use will greatly influence the type
and texture of your bread. Yesterday's bread recipes required
rising for several hours- not so today! There are many great
recipes that are quick and easy, and produce a wonderful quality
of bread. My personal favorite follows:
60 Minute Rolls
**
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 4-5 cups all purpose
flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pkgs active dry yeast
Combine milk, water
and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until liquids
are very warm to the touch, about 120 degrees, butter does not
need to melt completely. In mixer bowl, place 3 cups of the flour,
along with the remaining dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until
well blended. Gradually add the warm milk mixture. Mix until
well blended.
Gradually begin adding the remaining 1 to 2 cups of flour, 1/2
cup at a time, until the dough is firm, clings to the hook, and
cleans the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto counter top and knead
a few times.
Place in a large greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place
for 20 minutes. Turn out, and divide into rolls or loaves, whichever
you choose. Place bread in a warm place and allow to rise for
another 20-30 minutes. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes
or until golden brown. Brush with butter while still warm to
produce a nice soft crust.
Here are some hints for successful bread baking:
Do not use liquids that are too warm, using liquids that are
above 130 degrees will kill the yeast in your dough. Liquid
should feel very warm to the touch - not burning hot!
Yeast that is old will not rise, but yeast can be stored indefinitely
in the freezer! When you buy it at the store, simply pop it in
your freezer until you need it!
If you want a shiny, brown crust simply brush the crust of your
dough with beaten egg whites before baking. Coating the crust
with butter after baking produces a nice, soft, buttery flavored
crust.
Not sure if your bread is done? Tap the crust-if it sounds hollow,
it's done!
And last but not least, be sure that your pans are well greased
to avoid sticking to the sides. Using a cooking spray such as
Pam or Crisco spray works just fine!
There you go! Following the tips given, you should have a wonderful
tray of home baked bread in less than 2 hours! I baked this bread
recipe into rolls and entered them in our local county fair-
won a blue ribbon! And if this member of the "X-Generation"
can bake bread, you can too!
_________________________________
Author:
Pam is the publisher of the online home cooking magazine and
cookbook, Cooking with The Country Sunshine. She is a full time
farm wife, webmaster, and an editor for the Open Directory Project's
Personal Recipe Collections site.
The Country Sunshine
- http://www.thecountrysunshine.com/ |
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