Read Online Beard on Bread by James Beard - Free Book Online
Authors: James Beard
Tags: Non-Fiction
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for another minute. Put back in the bowl to rise again until doubled in bulk. Punch down, shape into two loaves, and put in buttered 8 × 4 × 2-inch loaf tins. Cover and let rise to double in bulk again. Bake in a preheated oven at 425° for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350° and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the crust is a dark, lustrouscolor and the bread sounds hollow when rapped on top and bottom with the knuckles. Cool on racks before serving.
VARIATIONS
• SaffronFruit Bread: Adding eggs, more sugar, spices, and fruits converts this into a tea bread. Excellent thinly sliced and buttered, it is also extraordinarily good for toast. Its festive character makes it a pleasant bread to give away during the holidays.
[2 loaves or 12 buns]
Use the ingredients listed in the master recipe, plus the following:
2 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup chopped currants
½ cup chopped citron
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Add the eggs, additional sugar, and spices to the dough before first kneading, plus additional flour if needed to compensate for the eggs. After the first rising, knead in the currants, citron, and caraway seeds lightly dusted with flour. Proceed as in the master recipe, except that you will use 9 × 5 × 3 pans. The dough can also be shaped into buns, placed on greased baking sheets, and allowed to rise until almost doubled in bulk. Bake at 400° for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
ItalianFeather Bread
This is a very easy-to-make, light, fluffy, and flavorful loaf, a bread to eat while still warm. It’s excellent with summer fare—cold meats, salads, and vegetables—or merely with coffee and preserves.
[2 free-form loaves]
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
⅓ cup butter, cut into small pieces
¾ cup hot water
2 teaspoons salt
5½ to 6 cups all-purpose flour
Cornmeal
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Stir the yeast, sugar, and warm water together in a large mixing bowl; let sit till yeast dissolves and starts to proof. In the meantime, melt the butter in the hot water and let cool to lukewarm. Add the salt, and combine with the yeast mixture. Stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough almost comes away from the sides of the bowl. (Don’t be afraid if it seems rather soft and sticky; it will stabilize in the next step.) Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board. Using a baker’s scraper or large spatula, scrape under the flour and dough, fold the dough over, and press it with your free hand. Continue until the dough has absorbed enough flour from the board and is easy to handle. Knead for 2 to 4 minutes, being sure to keep your hands well floured, because it is still a sticky dough. When the dough is soft and smooth, let rest for 5 or 6 minutes and then divide in two. Roll each half into a rectangle about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide. Starting from the wide end, roll this up quite tightly, pinching the seams as you roll.
Butter one or two baking sheets well and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place the loaves on the sheets, and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 50 to 60 minutes. Brush with beaten egg white and bake in a preheated 425° oven 40 minutes, or until the loaves are a rich, golden color and make a hollow sound when you tap the crust, top and bottom, with your knuckles. Cool on a rack and slice when quite fresh.
Salt-Rising Bread
Salt-rising bread is one of the oldest breads in this country. It has a delicious and unusual flavor and a very smooth texture. In fact, it is one of the most remarkable of all breads. It does present one great difficulty for the breadmaker. It is unpredictable. You may try the same recipe without success three or four times and find that it works the fifth time. Or you may get a loaf that is
VARIATIONS
• SaffronFruit Bread: Adding eggs, more sugar, spices, and fruits converts this into a tea bread. Excellent thinly sliced and buttered, it is also extraordinarily good for toast. Its festive character makes it a pleasant bread to give away during the holidays.
[2 loaves or 12 buns]
Use the ingredients listed in the master recipe, plus the following:
2 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup chopped currants
½ cup chopped citron
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Add the eggs, additional sugar, and spices to the dough before first kneading, plus additional flour if needed to compensate for the eggs. After the first rising, knead in the currants, citron, and caraway seeds lightly dusted with flour. Proceed as in the master recipe, except that you will use 9 × 5 × 3 pans. The dough can also be shaped into buns, placed on greased baking sheets, and allowed to rise until almost doubled in bulk. Bake at 400° for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
ItalianFeather Bread
This is a very easy-to-make, light, fluffy, and flavorful loaf, a bread to eat while still warm. It’s excellent with summer fare—cold meats, salads, and vegetables—or merely with coffee and preserves.
[2 free-form loaves]
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
⅓ cup butter, cut into small pieces
¾ cup hot water
2 teaspoons salt
5½ to 6 cups all-purpose flour
Cornmeal
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Stir the yeast, sugar, and warm water together in a large mixing bowl; let sit till yeast dissolves and starts to proof. In the meantime, melt the butter in the hot water and let cool to lukewarm. Add the salt, and combine with the yeast mixture. Stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough almost comes away from the sides of the bowl. (Don’t be afraid if it seems rather soft and sticky; it will stabilize in the next step.) Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board. Using a baker’s scraper or large spatula, scrape under the flour and dough, fold the dough over, and press it with your free hand. Continue until the dough has absorbed enough flour from the board and is easy to handle. Knead for 2 to 4 minutes, being sure to keep your hands well floured, because it is still a sticky dough. When the dough is soft and smooth, let rest for 5 or 6 minutes and then divide in two. Roll each half into a rectangle about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide. Starting from the wide end, roll this up quite tightly, pinching the seams as you roll.
Butter one or two baking sheets well and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place the loaves on the sheets, and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 50 to 60 minutes. Brush with beaten egg white and bake in a preheated 425° oven 40 minutes, or until the loaves are a rich, golden color and make a hollow sound when you tap the crust, top and bottom, with your knuckles. Cool on a rack and slice when quite fresh.
Salt-Rising Bread
Salt-rising bread is one of the oldest breads in this country. It has a delicious and unusual flavor and a very smooth texture. In fact, it is one of the most remarkable of all breads. It does present one great difficulty for the breadmaker. It is unpredictable. You may try the same recipe without success three or four times and find that it works the fifth time. Or you may get a loaf that is
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