Cinnamon Buttermilk Bread

In my quest for another amazing bread, I tried this one. I must confess the original was a wreath bread, and I converted it to a loaf bread. But I kept the braid! I love braided loaf bread!!And this one is well on its way to becoming one of my favorite breads!!

2¼ tsp yeast

1 cup buttermilk

¼ cup butter

¼ cup sugar

½ tbsp salt

2½-3½ cups flour

Topping:

¼ cup sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1. On your stove top add buttermilk, sugar, salt and butter together. Heat until the butter has melted. Set aside until it cools to below 110 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, proof your yeast by mixing the yeast and ½ tsp of sugar in ¼ cup of water. It is “proofed” when it starts to get foamy and bubbles.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer mix yeast mixture, butter mixture, and 2 cups of flour with your dough hook on medium. Slowly add more flour as needed and scrape down the sides.
4. Once the dough has come together, turn you mixer up to high and allow it to “knead” the dough for 5 minutes. When the dough is smooth and elastic, remove it from the mixer.
5. Place dough in a greased bowl covered with a dishtowel and allow to rise until doubled in size about 1 hour.
6. Once the bread has doubled, remove from bowl, and punch the dough down.
7. Cut into three equal portions and roll each into a long snake.
8. Braid the 3 pieces and place in a greased loaf pan (or form a wreath if desired and placed on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet) and allow to rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
9. Twenty minutes before, preheat oven to 350.
10. In a small bowl mix sugar and cinnamon together.
11. Sprinkle over the top of your bread just before putting it in the oven.
12. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when you flick the top.

Buttermilk Ranch Sandwich Bread

When I saw this bread, I knew I had to try it! Unfortunately, I forgot to note where I got it from!! I altered it slightly to suit my tastes, but this is what I did. It's delicious. The herbs are a light addition to the bread flavor-wise but oh so pretty to look at once the bread is cut. Definitely a good bread!

1⅓ cup buttermilk (1⅓ cup water + ⅓ cup powdered buttermilk)

3 tbsp butter

4 cup flour

1½ tsp salt

2 tbsp granulated sugar

4½ tsp yeast

1 tsp dried dill (or 1 tbsp fresh)

1 tsp dried parsley (or 1 tbsp fresh)

1. Heat buttermilk and butter in a small saucepan set over low heat until butter is melted. Let sit for a few minutes to cool, or until temperature is between 120-130°.
2. Add 2½ cups of the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and herbs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
3. Add the buttermilk mixture and mix until it forms a wet dough.
4. Add remaining flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough clears the sides and no longer sticks to your fingers.
5. Continue kneading by hand until dough is smooth and elastic, about 7-8 minutes.
6. Form dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl.
7. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
8. Gently punch down dough and knead a few times to bring it back into a ball.
9. Roll dough out into a rough 9x15-inch rectangle.
10. Starting at one of the 9-inch ends, roll dough into a log.
11. Place in a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan, cover, and let rise again until doubled, 45-60 minutes.
12. Preheat oven to 375° for the last 20 minutes of the rise.
13. Bake bread until top is deep golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 30-35 minutes.
14. Remove bread from pan immediately and let cool on a wire rack.

Molasses Bread

adapted from Bernard Clayton

This bread intrigued me, but it was originally a wheat bread which I wasn't in the mood for. It was also originally a double loaf recipe, which since I was experimenting didn't seem like a good idea. So I switched out the wheat for white and halved the recipe. It's yummy, but as expected it doesn't have much of a molasses taste.

1 cup hot milk (120°-130°)

2 tbsp molasses

½ tbsp salt

2½ cups bread flour

2¼ tsp yeast

1½ tbsp shortening, room temperature

1 medium (8"-x-4") loaf pan, greased

1. Into a mixing or mixer bowl pour the milk, molasses, salt, and 1 cup bread flour.
2. Stir to form a thin batter.
3. Sprinkle on the yeast and add the shortening.
4. Beat for 75 strokes with a wooden spoon.
5. Gradually work in the remaining flour ¼ cup at a time.
6. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead with a strong push-turn-fold motion. If the dough sticks to the work surface or your fingers, dust lightly with flour. Knead in this fashion for 8 minutes.
7. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl.
8. Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature until the dough has risen to about twice its original size, about 1 hour.
9. Punch down the dough and knead for 30 seconds to press out the bubbles that formed during rising.
10. Roll and press under the palms so that each piece is about half again as long as the pan and shaped somewhat like a fat French baguette.
11. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes or it will resist twisting.
12. Twist 2 or 3 times and place in the pan.
13. Cover the pan and leave at room temperature until the center of the dough has risen ½" to 1" above the edge of the pan, about 45 minutes.
14. Preheat the oven to 375° 20 minutes before baking.
15. Place the pan in the oven. When the loaf is dark brown and tapping the bottom yields a hard, hollow sound, they are done, about 35 to 45 minutes.
16. If the crust is soft and gives off a dull thud, return to the oven, without the pans, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
17. Remove the loaf from the oven and turn the hot bread onto a wire rack to cool before slicing.

Braided Peasant Loaf

adapted from Ethel Scheer 
 

In the original recipe, Ethel Scheer has you cook the bread on a cookie sheet, but ever since I made the brioche loaf, I like to bake my braided bread in loaf pans. If that doesn't float your boat, go the traditional route with a little cornmeal on your cookie sheet. She also brushed the bread with an egg white wash, which I've never been crazy about, so I skip it. It makes a crunchy on the outside-airy on the inside loaf! :) It's awesome fresh out of the oven!

One of the things that I thought was crazy about this bread is that it has this wild push-down method during the rising that just doesn't seem like something "peasants" would have time to do. It's not a big deal and definitely intriguing.

3½ cup bread flour

1 tsp salt

4½ tsp yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1½ cup hot water (120°-130°)

2 tbsp vegetable shortening

1. In a mixing bowl measure 2 cups flour and sprinkle in the salt, yeast, and sugar.
2. Pour in the hot water and add the shortening.
3. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes to make a smooth batter.
4. Measure in additional flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring it into the wet batter.
5. When the dough has formed a mass, work it with the hands, with sprinkles of flour to control the stickiness, until it can be lifted from the bowl and placed on a floured work surface.
6. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. By hand, use a strong push-turn-fold motion, occasionally lifting up the dough and crashing it down, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and feels alive under your hands. Note: This bread calls for an unusual treatment of the dough for it to be pushed down into the bowl every 10 minutes for 1 hour. 
7. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and put aside at room temperature.
8. Set a timer for 10 minutes. When the bell rings, punch down the dough with your fingertips; turn it over. Cover. Repeat for the rest of the hour.
9. After the last push-down, cover the bowl and leave to rise until double in bulk, about 30 minutes.
10. Punch down the dough and turn onto the floured work surface. Divide the dough in half with a knife or dough blade cut one half into 3 equal parts.
11. To braid, roll each of the 3 small pieces into a strand about 16" long.
12. Lay them side by side and braid loosely, beginning in the middle; turn the dough around and finish the braid.
13. Repeat for the second dough half.
14. Place the braided dough in a loaf pan, cover, and allow to double in bulk, about 30 minutes.
15. Preheat the oven to 400° about 20 minutes before baking.
16. Place in the oven to bake until a light golden brown and crisp, about 35 to 40 minutes.
17. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before placing on a baking rack to cool. 

 

Flavorful Rosemary and Olive Bread

I love olive bread, but I've never made any. I have been looking for a good one, so I decided to try this one. There's very little yeast and it takes all night to rise. It's a very wheaty and crusty olive bread.

This one is by Emily Nelson.

2 cup flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup rye flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp yeast

2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

⅓ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

¾ cup + 2 tbsp water

⅓ cup beer

1 tbsp white vinegar

coarse finishing salt for sprinkling on top

special equipment: pizza stone

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, and yeast. Stir in the rosemary and kalamata olives. In a small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix together the water, beer, and vinegar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together with a wooden spoon until well combined.
2. Cover and let rest for 8-18 hours.
3. Place pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven. Place a large rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack. Preheat oven to 425.
4. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead 10-15 times. Divide dough to make 10 smaller pieces. Roll each piece to make a 10-inch rope. Twist 2 pieces together and pinch the ends. Repeat with the remaining 8 pieces. Cover and let rise 30-40 minutes, until the indentation springs back when a finger lightly presses the dough. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.
5. Quickly sprinkle the pizza stone with cornmeal and gently transfer the breadstick twists to the pizza stone. Pour 2 cups of water in the rimmed baking sheet and quickly close the oven door.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until bread is golden brown.