Golden Thread Bread Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, butter and salt; mix well. Add eggs, extract and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 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 dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; sprinkle with raisins and knead in. Divide in half. Divide each portion into thirds. Shape each into a 14-in. rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet, and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes., Whisk egg white and water; brush over braids. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Combine the butter, cheese, garlic and basil; spread over cut sides of bread. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil 4 in. from the heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cut into 3-in. pieces.

Steps:

• 1. What is expanded sourdough starter? The night before baking bread, take your active starter out and add flour and water to it, at 3 parts flour and 2 parts water or whey. Place a light covering over the starter so the top doesn't dry out. It sits overnight and expands. In the morning, it's beautiful and bubbly. Part of this goes into your bread dough and some always goes back into your jar to save as your starter.
• 2. Mix expanded sourdough, buttermilk (or water), dry milk, sugar, salt, and butter. Add 5 cups flour and beat until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes.
• 3. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead, adding flour, until dough is no longer sticky. Place dough in large bowl sprayed with cooking oil. Cover with a dish towel or place lid on top (not sealed but just on top). Let rise until double in volume. This could take 3 to 8 hours depending on the warmth of the room. Some believe that the longer the rise takes for the sourdough, the better the flavor. I like to place mine in my cold oven with the light on right before I go to bed. In the morning, it is ready to punch and knead down. The picture here is of the dough before it has risen. By the time it has risen, it has doubled in size and filled my large "Tupperware thatsa bowl" completely.
• 4. Knead down and divide into four. Shape the 4 into loaves and place into greased and lightly floured loaf pans. Let rise until about ¾ inch over top of pan. This can be done again, inside your cold oven with the light on. This will not take as long as the unshaped rising did. Do not preheat oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. After removing from oven, remove from pans and place on cooling racks. Rub butter on tops of hot loaves. Cover with kitchen towels as loaves cool. Bread slices best when the loaves have cooled. However, if patience is not available and the bread smells and looks too irresistible to wait till cool, cut carefully so you don't smash down the loaf. Enjoy!

Steps:

• In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. , Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).

Steps:

• In small bowl combine yeast with 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees) and stir to dissolve. In a medium bowl combine whole wheat flour, bread flour, bran and salt. Add yeast mixture and 2 cups cool water (75 to 78 degrees) to dry ingredients; mix by hand to make a granular mass. Knead about 2 minutes; dough should be very loose and sticky. If necessary add 1 to 2 tablespoons cool water.
• Oil a large mixing bowl and a sheet of plastic wrap; set aside. Transfer dough to a very lightly floured work surface and knead until somewhat cohesive, 3 to 4 minutes, using as little flour as possible and using a scraper to lift and turn dough. Return dough to bowl and place oiled plastic wrap over surface. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
• Return dough to work surface and knead again 6 to 7 minutes; dough should be soft and loose. Return to oiled bowl and cover again with oiled plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature for one hour.
• Knead dough while still in bowl, gently deflating it with your fingertips. Fold in thirds like a letter, then bring ends in and turn over so seam is underneath. Let rise again for one hour.
• Repeat folding and turning process, and let rise again until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When dough is fully risen, an indentation made by poking your finger deep into the dough will not spring back.
• Sprinkle a large baking peel generously with cornmeal, or line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Divide dough into two equal pieces, shaping each into a tight boule (slightly flattened ball). Place loaves on peel or pan, leaving about 4 inches between them to allow for rising. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise again until nearly doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. If loaves begin to grow together, put in oven before they touch.
• Thirty minutes before baking, heat oven to 450 degrees. Place small cast-iron skillet on floor of a gas oven or lowest rack of an electric oven. Place oven rack two rungs above pan. If using a baking stone, place it on the rack. Fill a plastic spray bottle with water.
• Score a tic-tac-toe pattern with a sharp knife or razor blade on top of each loaf. Slide loaves into oven. Mist loaves 6 to 8 times, pour 1 cup hot water into skillet and quickly close oven door. After 1 minute, mist with water again, and close oven door.
• Bake 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue to bake until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, another 13 to 18 minutes. Place on a rack to cool.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in warm water; let stand until bubbles form on surface. Whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Stir oil into yeast mixture; pour into flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape each into a loaf. Place in 2 greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, 1 to 1-1/2 hours., Bake at 375° until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped or has reached an internal temperature of 200°, 30-35 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.