The Staff of Life: Bread

Ok, this is going to be tricky; as I don't know how to create web sites, this will have to do for a section on BREADS. I'll edit it as needed, adding recipes and tips...

Feb 14^th 2014: yup Valentines Day, and I decided to do some bread. A Challah Bread to be exact. Had tried some Artesian 5 minute bread earlier in the week and it was a flop (pun intended) Well, this days attempt was worse than a flop, it failed to make any attempt to raise to the occasion. My error on both occasions appears, (on reflection and getting up at 2:30 am Saturday Morning, to search the internet,) to have been the flour. It said All Purpose, but is behaving and looking (those little brown flecks are a dead giveaway) like whole wheat. The remedy was in the way I mixed the dough. 

The recipe ingredients

    1 1/4 c water (luke warm??)

    2 TBSP active yeast

    1/4 cup sugar (??)

    1/4 TSP salt

    5 cups of AP flour (3-4 cups whole wheat)

    oil to coat dough for rises 

    1 extra large egg and some honey, for coating bread before baking

 Method:

1) Add 2 cups of hot water, two tbsp sugar and two tablespoons of yeast. in a large bowl; proof 10-15 minutes

2) Add more sugar 2+ tbsp, the salt required

3) Add to mixture 2 cups of flour, stir

4) Add 1 more cup of Flour stir until thick, then get hands in and begin to knead the dough. 

5) Add 1/2 cup there after each time needed; dough should only be slightly sticky, like tape, not gumming up the fingers, not so dry as to be no stick at all...towards the end, flour your hands while kneading, to keep from adding too much flour, and get the dough to the right consistency. Knead for 15 minutes. 

    Kneading is an art in itself. Some believe you have to have a floured bread board, or some large bowl with flour in it... myself, I found just handling the dough, twisting and folding it, was the easiest method here. Unless one is making dough for 4+ loaves of bread, there is no need for anything more. 

For making bread: 

      Divide into two balls, coat with oil and set aside to rise in separate bowls, covered.

      Let rise for 1 hour in pan, to double, punch down, and either braid the bread with 3 ropes of dough, or re-coat ball with oil and let rise again, until suitable. 

   

(It was chilly in the house, so I left it to rise again for 1 hour, but normally it should only take 30 minutes, according to the recipe. This is something to keep in mind for later. Have read that heating the oven to 200 and turn it off, and putting the pan or tray in the oven, with the door ajar, will get it to rising temperature in a chilly house)

      Coat bread with the honey egg solution, and sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds on top

 or 

     Coat with flour and slash with a bread knife either diagonally or horizontally, and put a tray of water in the oven; this will ensure a firm crust.

      Bake for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown

For making buns:

       don't let rise, flatten to 1/2 inch, cut into circles with large cup, (I got 6 buns) and lay on tray... let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how you want them. They did tend to rise a bit more in the oven when left to rise for 30 minutes. Haven't done a batch for 1 hour yet ;) 

  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees...