Marthas Best Bread Recipe New Orleans French Bread

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast, salt and sugar in warm water.
• Gradually stir in flour, adding only until the mixture refuses to absorb more.
• On a floured board knead the dough for 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and brush the top lightly with butter.
• Cover with a damp cloth.
• Set the dough aside in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until it is double in bulk.
• Butter a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal, shaking off the excess.
• Punch down the dough.
• Transfer the dough to a floured board and divide it into thirds.
• Roll each portion into an 8 x 13 inch rectangle.
• Roll each rectangle up from the long side, seal and shape ends.
• Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet and with a sharp knife make several diagonal cuts across the tops.
• Brush lightly with melted butter.
• Let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes.
• Place the bread on the middle rack in oven.
• Place a pan of hot water on bottom of oven.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes.
• Note: Cooking time includes rising times.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan; set aside. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, the cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Beat in whole eggs until smooth; whisk in cream and vanilla. Add bread cubes; stir, allowing bread to soak up custard. Scatter raisins in greased pan; top with egg mixture, which will prevent raisins from burning. Bake until pudding is golden and firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. It should be moist, not runny or dry. Cool to room temperature.
• Butter six 6-ounce ceramic ramekins; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar; continue whisking until shiny and thick. Test with a clean spoon. If whites stand up stiff, like shaving cream, when you pull out the spoon, meringue is ready. Do not overwhip, or whites will break down and souffle will not work.
• In a large bowl, break half the bread pudding into pieces using your hands or a spoon. Gently fold in a quarter of the meringue, being careful not to lose the air in the whites. Divide a portion of this mixture among the ramekins. Place remaining bread pudding in bowl, break into pieces, and carefully fold in rest of meringue. Top off souffles with this lighter mixture, piling it high, about 1 1/2 inches over top edge of ramekins. With a spoon, smooth and shape tops into a dome over ramekin rims. Bake immediately until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Using a spoon at the table, poke a hole in the top of each souffle, and spoon the room-temperature whiskey sauce into the souffles.

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle or dough-hook attachment. Add butter and remaining 1 3/4 cups water and 3 tablespoons honey. Whisk flour with salt; add 3 cups to yeast. Mix on low speed until smooth. Add remaining 4 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and forms a ragged, slightly sticky ball. Butter a large bowl.
• Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball. Transfer to prepared bowl; cover with plastic wrap.
• Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubles in volume (it should not spring back when pressed), about 1 hour. Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough; divide in half.
• Shape 1 dough half into an 8 1/2-inch-long rectangle (about 1/2 inch thick). Fold long sides of dough in to middle, overlapping slightly. Press seam to seal. Transfer dough, seam side down, to pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush each loaf with butter, or dust with flour for a rustic look. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drape loaves with plastic. Let stand until dough rises about 1 inch above tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to wire racks. Let cool slightly; turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Combine yeast, water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl, stirring until dissolved. Stir in remaining sugar, salt and 6 cups flour to form a stiff dough.
• Turn dough onto a surface sprinkled with remaining flour; knead dough for 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free of drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 15 minutes. Knead 3 to 4 times.
• Divide dough into 4 equal portions; roll each portion into a 13x7-inch rectangle. Roll up each rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at a long end. Pinch seams and ends together to seal. Place loaves, seam side down, in 4 heavily greased baguette pans or on baking sheets.
• Cut 3 or 4 diagonal slashes, 3/4 inch deep, in top of each loaf. Cover and repeat rising procedure 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Brush loaves with egg white. Bake 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove bread from pans or baking sheets immediately; cool on wire racks.

Steps:

• Mix the poolish ingredients well, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 9 hours until bubbly, doubled in volume, and sweet smelling.
• This can be used then or refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Add poolish and all other ingredients except salt to the bowl of a mixer and knead with the dough hook until all dry ingredients are wetted.
• Cover bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.
• Add salt and knead for 8 to 10 minuts until smooth.
• Tip out onto lightly floured counter and stretch the doughn into a rectangle. Fold the dough letter-style, top downward, bottom upward, and sides inward until a packet is formed.
• Place in straight sided clear container sprayed with oil, cover and let rest at room temperature until doubled in volume (about 1 1/2 hours).
• Divide into 4 pieces. Roll into baguettes about 16 inches long.
• Place on a floured cloth with folds to support the baguettes. Cover with sprayed plastic film.
• Let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour as oven heats to 400F with steam pan (skillets work well with water added just before baking).
• Score and bake in steam for 10 minutes. Remove pan, rotate loaves, and bake for 8 more minutes until 205F internally.
• Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine raisins and brandy. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; cover and set aside. Brush a shallow 2-1/2-qt. baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with sugar and set aside., In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and nutmeg. Stir in remaining butter and reserved raisin mixture. Gently stir in bread; let stand for 15 minutes or until bread is softened. , Transfer to prepared dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean., For sauce, in a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt; gradually add water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Serve with bread pudding.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center. Place bread cubes in a shallow 2 1/2-quart baking dish; set aside. Place raisins in a small bowl. Add zests and juices; let stand 30 minutes.
• Place eggs in a large bowl. In another large bowl, combine heavy cream, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg. Pour the cream mixture into eggs, whisking constantly until fully combined. Add the raisin mixture, and stir to combine. Pour over bread, making sure all the bread is thoroughly saturated. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.
• Brush a sheet of parchment paper with butter. Place, buttered-side down, over the bread. Place baking dish in a larger roasting pan. Place in oven, and add enough water to the larger pan to come halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes before serving. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat to incorporate.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts and pour into prepared pan.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Steps:

• in a large bowl combine the butter, salt, sugar, bopiling water and stir occasionally to met the butter. Add the cup of cold water and cool the mixture to a warm temperature
• when the temperature is right, sprinkle the yeast over the liquid, let stand for 5 minutes and stir to dissolve
• gradually beat in 4 cups of flour and then add in 1 1/2-2 cups more flour to form a stiff dough
• turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in well greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with damp cloth
• let rise in warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours, till doubled in bulk. Punch down, cover and let rise another 30 minutes until again double in bulk
• heat oven to 375 degrees. Turn dough onto floured surface, knead slightly to press out gas bubbles, shape into a 14-16 inch cylinder on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise till doubled in bulk. Cut 1/4 inch deep slashes in top of loaf with sharp knife, brush with glaze of 1 egg white mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water
• bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes till golden brow. Serve bread to your grateful family.