Country White Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water in large bowl. (I usually add a pinch of sugar and wait for the yeast to foam but the original recipe didn't call for this step.).
• Add next 4 ingredients and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth.
• Stir in remaining flour.
• Knead 6-8 minutes.
• Let rise in greased bowl until double.
• Divide into 3 loaves; let raise again.
• Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes.

Steps:

• Make the starter:.
• Using the starter ingredients listed above, combine water and yeast in medium bowl. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add flour and stir until thoroughly mixed. Cover with a cloth and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before using in the dough.
• Make the dough:.
• Using the dough ingredients listed above, combine the water, honey, and yeast in the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer. Stir to mix thoroughly. Add shortening, flour, salt, and starter. Mix ingredients on low speed, with the mixer, until the dough is smooth and elastic (this usually takes me about 8 - 10 minutes). To test it for elasticity, I pinch off a piece of dough, and stretch it between both thumbs and my fingers into a square. If the center stretches and becomes thin (like a windowpane) it's perfect. If the dough breaks easily instead of stretching, it's not ready yet. When ready, remove dough from mixing bowl.
• Divide the dough into two halves. Form each into a smooth ball. (You can wrap and freeze one of the loaves at this point.) Place the dough on the counter, or in a proofing basket, and cover with a warm, damp cloth. Rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400ºF. Form the dough into a loaf shape (free form or use a loaf pan), and cover with a warm, damp cloth. Let rest another 30 minutes.
• Baking the bread:.
• Score the loaf (loaves) with a sharp knife. Spritz with some water and place in the pre-heated oven (if making a free form loaf, place on a preheated baking stone). Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown, and the temperature in the middle of the loaf is about 195ºF. I use a digital probe thermometer to test the temperature.
• Remove the bread from the oven and from the pan (if using one). Let cool about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, eggs, oil and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch down dough. Divide in half and shape into loaves. Place in 2 greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375°., Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Mix together water, buttermilk and oil.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix with a wooden spoon till smooth.
• Add sugar and eggs stir together till smooth.
• Mix in the salt.
• Then stir in yeast.
• Allow to sit uncovered for 15 minutes. Then add flour a 1/2 cup at a time. Stir till it becomes to hard to mix. Place some flour onto the counter and continue to slowly add remaining flour till the dough is just a little bit sticky (note you may not need all the flour).
• Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes till smooth and elastic (stand mixer 5-6 minutes with a dough hook). Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl.
• Spray the top of the dough with an oil spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for about 1 hour.
• Pour out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough in half and degas the dough.
• Shape dough into 2 rectangles the length of a 5x9 loaf pan. Roll the dough like a jelly roll being sure to lightly press with each rotation of the dough. Pinch the seam closed with your fingers.
• Place into two greased 5x9 loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise till double in bulk about 45-60 minutes.
• After the dough has proofed, make egg wash and brush the tops of the loaves. Wait 5 minutes then brush again.
• Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. If you place a thermometer into the center of the loaf it should register between 180 degrees or when you tap the bottom of the loaf it sounds hollow.
• Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Stir milk powder and hot water together till well mixed.
• Add cold water and now it should be cool enough for yeast, add yeast.
• Then add sugar, salt, shortening, and potatoes one at a time.
• Add flour 2 cups at a time till you get a soft but not sticky dough (you may not need all the flour).
• Mix well or knead for about 5 minutes or till elastic.
• Place in a bowl that has been lightly sprayed with pan spray and cover with a towel and let rise 1-1/2 hrs or till doubled.
• Punch down let rise 1 hours.
• Punch down and divide into 4 loaves or bread bowls or whatever.
• Place in greased pans or on a greased cookie sheet.
• Let rise 1/2 hr and bakein 325 oven for 30 min or till bottom sounds hollow when thumped.
• For raisin bread add 1 cup of raisins mixed with 1-2 t cinnamon per loaf, it makes great toast! My mother always "plumped" the raisins by soaking them or boiling them for a few minutes first.

Steps:

• The day before making the bread or early in the day, make the poolish (or biga) by placing 8 ounces of the flour, 7 ounces of room temperature water and the yeast in a large bowl and mixing it well with a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it stand for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight. The poolish should double in volume.
• Add 1 pound of the flour and 12 ounces of room temperature water to the poolish and mix together well with your hands. It will be very sticky. Cover the bowl with the kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the salt over the surface of the dough and then fold the dough onto itself several times until the salt is incorporated. Cover the bowl with the kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
• Cover your hands with flour and sprinkle flour around the outside edge of the dough. Fold the dough onto itself 6 to 8 times. Cover the bowl with the kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour.
• Fold the dough onto itself 6 to 8 times, dust a board generously with flour and pour the dough out onto the board.
• Divide the dough into two equal parts and turn and form each part into a ball, stretching the dough to form a smooth top. Sprinkle flour heavily in 2 separate bowls (there should be enough flour to keep the dough from sticking) and turn each ball of dough upside down into a bowl. Sprinkle the top of each ball with flour, cover each bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 500 degrees F and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Turn each ball of dough bottom-side up onto its own sheet pan and use a knife or razor blade to score a tic-tac-toe design on the top of each loaf.
• Place the loaves in the oven, immediately lower the temperature to 450 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes. (Do not open the oven door!) The loaves are done when they are golden brown and make a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Cool the loaves on a baking rack.

Steps:

• The night before baking the bread prepare this starter: In a medium sized non-metal mixing bowl dissolve 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast in 1 cup warm water. Add 1 1/2 cup bread flour and mix well. Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature.
• The next day: In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the 2 teaspoons yeast in the 2 cups warm water. Add the starter mixture, the whole wheat flour, 3 cups bread flour and the salt; stir until well combined. Add the remaining bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into the prepared pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.