The Clueless Baker. Evelyn Raab

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СКАЧАТЬ wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size — 30 to 40 minutes. (See rising instructions on page 35.)

      When the dough has risen to double in volume, punch it down to deflate it, knead it a few times and let it rest while you prepare the baking pans.

      Grease two 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pans. Divide the dough in half and form into two loaves (see instructions on page 43). Let rise again until almost double — about 30 minutes.

      Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

      Place the loaves in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are nicely browned on top and sound hollow when you tap on them. Remove from pans and let cool on a rack before devouring. If you can wait that long.

      Makes 2 loaves.

      Variations

      Whole Wheat Multigrain Bread

      Substitute 1 to 2 cups (250 to 500 ml) whole wheat flour for the same quantity of all-purpose flour in the recipe. The more whole wheat flour you use, the denser the bread will be — so experiment gradually until you know what you like best.

      Oatmeal Raisin Multigrain Bread

      Omit the wheat germ and bran, and increase the oats to 1⅔ cups (400 ml). Soak ½ cup (125 ml) raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain and stir into the dough along with the egg.

      Multiseed Multigrain Bread

      Stir in 1 tbsp. (15 ml) each flaxseed, poppy seed and sunflower seed when you’re mixing the dough.

      Finishing Touches

      Just before placing your loaves in the oven, brush the tops with a little beaten egg or milk, sprinkle with a few flakes of rolled oats or some seeds and make 3 diagonal slashes across the top of each loaf with a very sharp knife (for that oh-so-professional look).

      Kneading Dough

      Okay, you’ve mixed up the dough — so far, so good. Now you have to knead it. Right. Like what’s that supposed to mean? Relax — it’s fun.

      First — a little background. When you look closely at a slice of bread, you’ll notice that it consists of a bunch of bubbles in a fibrous framework. The fiber is called gluten — a stretchy protein that occurs in many grains, including wheat (from which most bread is made). Without gluten, the little bubbles that give bread its soft and spongy texture would have nothing to hold them together. The bread would have no structure and turn out dense and flat — and not in a good way either. Probably not what you had in mind.

      But gluten doesn’t just happen. You have to develop it. That’s where kneading comes in. When you work dough by hand (or with a mixer or other machine), you encourage the strands of gluten to become long and elastic so that they can contain the bubbles of carbon dioxide that the yeast exhales as it grows and so that your bread can rise beautifully.

      The beginner’s method

      Dust your work surface liberally with flour. Dump the dough onto this floured surface and dust the top with more flour. Press down on the dough, flattening it out in a pizza shape about 1 inch (2 cm) in thickness. Fold it into quarters. Flatten again as before. Fold again. Continue to flatten and fold, dusting the dough with as much flour as is necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the table or your hands. Keep going. Don’t stop. Flatten, fold, flatten, fold, dust, and so on. Eventually the dough will become smooth and elastic and will no longer stick to the table or your hands. Keep kneading a little longer. When the dough feels very much like your earlobe (pinch it to find out), it’s ready. There. Now, wasn’t that fun?

      Advanced transcendental kneading

      After you’ve gained some bread-baking experience, you’ll become so good at kneading that you’ll no longer have to consciously flatten the dough and fold it into quarters. Instead, you’ll use the heel of one hand to press down on the dough while turning it over with the other. It becomes rhythmic. Hypnotic. Transcendental. You become one with the dough as the squishy lump absorbs all your frustration and stress. You achieve inner peace. At the same time, you have made bread. I mean, is that perfect or what?

      Loafing Around

      When it comes to forming a loaf of bread, you have choices! You can simply form your dough into a regular loaf — squarish, baked in a loaf pan — which is convenient for sandwiches. Or you can make a fancy braided loaf. Or a round one. Or do something weird and free-form. Go ahead — loaf around.

      Regular loaf

      On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough out with a rolling pin or by hand, to a 9-inch (23 cm) square. Approximately. Now roll the dough up firmly into a cylinder, pressing out any air pockets or bubbles. Place in a well-greased 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan and tuck the ends under neatly. There. Nice and tidy. Let rise and then bake.

      Rustic round loaf

      By hand, form the dough into an evenly rounded ball and place it — smooth-side-up — on a well-greased baking sheet that has been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rise until almost (but not quite) doubled. Just before baking, remove the cover and cut a shallow X in the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife. When the loaf is baked, this cut will allow the loaf to expand, giving it a very snazzy, professional look.

      Beautiful braided loaf

      For a simple braided loaf, divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 1 inch (2 cm) thick. Pinch the three ropes together at one end and proceed to braid the three strands until you come to the end. Pinch the other end together so it doesn’t unravel and place the braid on a well-greased baking sheet.

      For a double-decker braided loaf, you can make two braids — the smaller one on top of the larger one. Simply divide the original lump of dough into two unequal portions (one noticeably larger than the other). Divide each into three ropes, then braid each one as above. Place the smaller braid on top of the larger braid, let rise and bake as usual. There: double-decker!

      Crazy mixed-up loaves

      Make a loaf out of balls of dough squashed into any shape of pan. Roll the dough out into a long snake and form it into a spiral, a squiggle, an octopus, a figure eight. Make a turtle, a bunny, an elephant. Shape your dough into an alligator. A dump truck. A daisy. Have fun. Go crazy. It’ll all get eaten in the end.

      Awesome Egg Challah

      This traditional bread is so stunning that it would still be worth making even if it didn’t taste so wonderful.

      4 cups (1 liter) all-purpose flour (approximately), divided

      4½ tsp. (22 ml) (2 envelopes) quick-rise instant yeast

      ¼ cup (60 ml) granulated sugar or honey

      2 tsp. (10 ml) salt

      1 cup (250 ml) hot tap water

      ½ cup (125 ml) vegetable oil

      2 eggs, СКАЧАТЬ