by James Beard
Continue to bake until it is a golden brown, which will take about 12 to 15 minutes more. Turn the loaf out of the pan and put it directly on the rack of the oven to bake for a few minutes longer, until the bread is a beautiful color and sounds hollow when tapped with the knuckles. Let it cool thoroughly on a rack before slicing.
NOTE
The loaf can be frozen successfully for 2 months, and it will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.
Refrigerator Potato Bread
The potato and butter in this loaf give it a distinctive, very pleasant flavor. Moist and rather heavy in texture, it keeps extremely well in the refrigerator if stored in a plastic bag. It is nice for sandwiches or toast or as a breakfast or tea bread, and is reminiscent of breads that used to be common in the nineteenth century.
[1 round loaf or 2 regular loaves]
1 package active dry yeast
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 cup warm milk or potato water (i.e., water in which the potatoes were cooked)
1½ sticks (¾ cup) butter, softened in the milk or potato water
1½ tablespoons salt
2 eggs
1 cup mashed potatoes (instant mashed potatoes can be used)
6 cups all-purpose flour, approximately
Dissolve the yeast and tablespoon of sugar in the warm water and let proof for about 5 minutes. Then add the warm milk or potato water, butter, ½ cup sugar, salt, and the eggs to the yeast mixture, and stir to blend thoroughly. Add the mashed potatoes and stir well. Then add the flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, to make a thoroughly stiff dough. (You may not need the full 6 cups.) Turn out the dough on a floured board and knead for 10 or 12 minutes, until the dough is very smooth and shows great elasticity. Shape into a ball. Butter a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat all sides with the butter. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight to let rise. (In testing, we have refrigerated it as much as 16 to 18 hours.)
Remove from the refrigerator, punch down, and turn out on a floured board. Let rest for 5 to 6 minutes, then knead vigorously for 4 or 5 minutes and let rest again. Shape into two loaves, using either of the methods given. Place in two well-buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch tins, or form into a ball and place it in a well-buttered 9-inch pie tin to make a single round loaf. In either case, let the dough rise until it is doubled in bulk. (Because it has been refrigerated for a lengthy period, the rising time may be as long as 4 hours. So be patient.) Preheat the oven to 375° and bake the loaf or loaves for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the bread from the tins and rap the top and bottom with your knuckles. If you get a hollow sound, it is done. Return the bread, standing free now, to the oven, placing it directly on the oven rack to bake and crisp and color the crust. Cool thoroughly before slicing.
VARIATIONS
• Before baking, brush the loaves with white of egg, lightly beaten, and slash the tops diagonally in two or three places with a very sharp knife or razor blade.
• If you are baking a round loaf, slash the top twice to make a cross, which gives the loaf a nicely finished look.
• Use half whole-meal, whole-wheat, or graham flour.
• If you wish, you may omit the ½ cup sugar entirely.
George Lang’s Potato Bread with Caraway Seeds
This fine example of gutsy Middle European peasant bread, from The Cuisine of Hungary, is baked free form, rises well, looks appetizing, and has a delicious “nose.” Its pungent flavor is completely different from that of most other breads, and is much better the second day. It also stores well in the refrigerator, and because of its rather tight texture, makes extraordinarily good toast. All in all, it is a most satisfactory loaf of bread, delicious with heavily sauced dishes because it is a perfect dunking bread. It’s also great for a bread, cheese, and wine meal.
[1 large free-form loaf]
3 medium potatoes, or enough for 1 cup mashed potatoes
1 package active dry yeast
2½ cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
2 pounds unbleached all-purpose flour (approximately 8 cups)
1½ tablespoons salt
½ tablespoon caraway seeds
Cornmeal (optional)
Scrub the potatoes and boil them in their skins until tender. Drain them, then peel and mash or put through a potato ricer while they are still warm. Allow the potatoes to cool. Dissolve the yeast in ½ cup of the warm water, mix well with 3 tablespoons of the flour in a large bowl, and let this “starter” rise for 30 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of warm water, the salt, and the caraway seeds, then add the remainder of the flour and the mashed potatoes and mix well. Turn out on a floured board and knead until the dough is elastic and supple and has great life in it, about 12 to 15 minutes. Shape into a ball. Oil a bowl, put the dough in it, and turn the dough to coat with oil. Place in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 to 2 hours to rise until doubled in bulk.
Remove the dough, punch down, and knead for 4 or 5 minutes. Shape into a large round loaf, place in a buttered 12-inch ovenproof skillet with rounded sides, and let rise for about 30 to 35 minutes. Brush the loaf with water, and then make a deep incision in the form of a cross in the center. Bake it in a preheated 400° oven for 1 hour, or until it is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped with the knuckles. (The baking time can vary, taking even as long as 1¼ hours.)
NOTES
1. If you find the dough is not too soft, you might try letting it rise in a free-form shape on a cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Then slide it directly onto hot tiles to bake.
2. You may want more salt in this bread the second time you make it; I find that 2 tablespoons is not too much.
Sour-Cream Bread
This is a very rich bread with a slightly acid flavor and a wonderful texture. I invented it one day when I set out to make buttermilk bread and didn’t have any buttermilk. I resorted to sour cream instead, and the results were highly satisfactory. I like it as a fresh bread, with plenty of butter, or as toast, and I must say it also makes delicious sandwiches.
[2 loaves]
1 package active dry yeast
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
2 cups sour cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Combine the yeast, sugar, and water, and allow to proof for 5 minutes. Put the sour cream, salt, and soda in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture. Then add 4 cups of the flour, cup by cup, to make a very wet, sticky dough, beating hard with a wooden spoon after each addition. Scrape out onto a lightly floured board. Using a baker’s scraper or a spackling knife, lift the flour and the dough, and fold the dough over. Turn it clockwise slightly and repeat the lifting and folding process until the dough is less sticky and can be worked with your hands. Add only enough flour to prevent sticking. (This entire kneading should take about 10 minutes, possibly longer if you are inexperienced.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat it with the butter. Cover with plastic and let sit in a warm spot to double in bulk.
Punch the dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead for a minute, then divide into two equal pieces. Butter two 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf tins. Shape the dough into loaves and fit into the tins. Cover loosely and let rise again until doubled. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on top and bottom. Cool thoroughly before slicing.
Jane Grigson’s Walnut Bread from Southern Burgundy
This recipe comes from a delightful cookbook called Good Things by an English writer, Jane Grigson, who has a fine palate and the ability to evoke vivid pictures of food. It makes one of the most attractively flavored and textured breads I have eaten in a long time. If you can’t find walnut oil, you can use a fruity oliv
e oil. Baked in intriguing small, round loaves, it is light and has a pleasant crust, delicious “nose,” and a delicate onion flavor. It’s good with broiled or roasted meats, or with some cheeses, notably goat.
[4 free-form loaves]
5 cups all-purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 packages active dry yeast
2 cups warm milk
½ cup walnut oil or 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted but cool
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
¾ cup onion, finely chopped
“Sift flour, salt, and sugar into a warm bowl. Dissolve the yeast in ½ cup of warm milk, and pour it into the middle of the flour, together with the walnut oil (or butter) and the rest of the milk. Knead well until the dough is firm and blended into a smooth, springy ball (about 10 minutes). Leave in a warm place to rise for 2 hours (or in a cool place overnight). Punch down the dough, mix in the walnuts and onion, shape into four rounds, and leave on a greased baking tray to rise for 45 minutes. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped underneath.”
Cornmeal Bread
This is a deliciously crunchy loaf with a texture quite different from that of most other breads, although it is somewhat similar to oatmeal bread. I find it best freshly sliced and toasted, and make it often to use for breakfast, since it is a good keeper. It makes a beautiful, well-risen loaf that should be thoroughly cooled before slicing. Don’t let the smell of it tempt you into cutting a big chunk off while it is still hot.
[2 loaves]
½ cup cornmeal
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
2 packages active dry yeast
½ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup warm milk
2-3 teaspoons salt
¼ cup dark brown sugar
4 to 4½ cups all-purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
Pour the cornmeal into the boiling water with the salt and stir vigorously until it cooks thick (about 4 minutes). Place it in a large mixing bowl to cool. Proof the yeast with the granulated sugar in the water, then pour into the mixing bowl with the cooled cornmeal mixture. Mix well. Add the warm milk, salt, brown sugar, and flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring very well after each addition of flour. When the mixture is well blended and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, turn out on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes, adding more flour as needed. Butter a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the butter on all sides. Cover and set in a warm, draft-free place to double in bulk.
Punch the dough down and turn out on a lightly floured board. Cut in half, shape into two loaves, and let rest while you butter two 9 × 5 × 3-inch tins. Place the dough in the tins, cover, and let rise again until almost doubled in bulk, or just level with the tops of the baking tins. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350° and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow when removed from the tins and rapped with the knuckles on top and bottom. Place the loaves, without tins, on the oven rack for a few minutes, to crisp the crust. Cool on racks before slicing.
Cheese Bread
This rather unusual bread is delicate and moist, with an intriguing cheese bouquet and flavor. It is ideal for sandwiches, it toasts extremely well, and it makes excellent crumbs when a cheese-flavored topping for certain dishes is called for. You may, of course, combine the crumbs with a little additional grated Parmesan cheese.
[2 loaves]
1 package active dry yeast or one ½-ounce cake compressed yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1¾ cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt, or slightly more to taste
½ stick (¼ cup) softened butter
1 teaspoon Tabasco
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or slightly more to taste
¾ cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss Emmenthaler cheese
Dissolve the yeast with the sugar in ¼ cup of the warm water and allow to proof. In a large bowl, mix 5 cups of flour and the salt. Make a well in the center and add the remaining 1½ cups warm water, the butter, the Tabasco, and the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula or with your floured hands until the dough is well amalgamated. Turn out on a heavily floured board (use about ½ cup flour) and knead for 10 to 12 minutes or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and rather satiny in texture and all the flour on the board is absorbed; add flour if you need it. Place the dough in a buttered or oiled bowl and turn to coat on all sides. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 1½ to 2 hours or slightly more.
Punch down the dough, turn it out on a lightly floured board, and knead in the cheeses. When thoroughly blended, cut the dough in half and let rest for 10 minutes, then roll out each half into a rectangle about 11 × 6 inches and let rest for 2 or 3 minutes more. Roll each rectangle up, pinching the edges as you do so, and tucking in the ends so that the loaf measures about 4½ × 7½ inches. Place the dough in two well-buttered 8 × 4 × 2-inch tins, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until the bread has reached the top of the tin or slightly higher, or has more or less doubled in size.
Bake on the center of the middle rack in a preheated 375° oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when removed from the tins and rapped with the knuckles on both top and bottom. Bake directly on the oven rack, without the tins, for a few minutes to firm the crust. Cool the bread on racks before slicing.
VARIATIONS
• Instead of the butter, use ⅓ cup peanut oil or olive oil. Also use oil for the baking tins.
• Use fresh Parmesan or Romano only—a little over a cup—or use a mixture of the two.
• Use shredded sharp Cheddar instead of the Gruyère cheese.
• Bake as one loaf in a 10 × 4½ × 3-inch pan, which will make a thicker, more concentrated loaf and will take slightly longer to bake.
Pizza Caccia Nanza
This is a recipe of Edward Giobbi’s, from his delightful book, Italian Family Cooking. “The literal translation of caccia nanza,” says Mr. Giobbi, “is ‘take out before.’ When bread was made in traditional Italian households a bit of dough was reserved to make a pizza. The pizza was placed in the oven with the bread and obviously cooked more quickly. It was ‘taken out before’ the bread, hence the name. Caccia Nanza is a specialty of Castel di Lama in the Marches. This is the only garlic bread I have ever eaten in Italy,” Mr. Giobbi concludes. It is perfectly delicious, I might add. It’s good with antipasti, or pasta, and the rather flat loaf may be cut in wedges or broken off in pieces.
[1 round loaf]
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
“Preheat the oven to 400°.
“Combine the flour, salt, yeast, and water in a mixing bowl. Blend well, then turn the dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead well, for about 15 minutes, and shape the dough into a ball. Place it in a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until double its size, about 1 to 1½ hours.
“Turn the dough onto the board and knead once more. Put it back into the bowl and let rise again. Then punch down the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured board. Roll it out to ½-inch thickness. Rub the surface of a baking sheet with oil. Transfer the round of dough to a baking sheet. Make indentations over the surface of the dough and insert a thin sliver of garlic and a bit of rosemary into each indentatio
n. Pour the olive oil over the pizza and rub gently with the hands. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the garlic before serving. Serves 4 to 6.”
Gluten Bread
Gluten bread is not only low in calories, it is also a dietetic bread for those suffering with diabetes and other illnesses. Making it is a fascinating lesson in what gluten does: the dough will resist you when you knead, will try to contract when you spread it out, but the resulting loaf is worth the battle.
It is sometimes difficult to find gluten flour—which is very high in protein, fairly high in carbohydrates, and very low in fat—but you are most apt to find it in health food shops.
[1 loaf]
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
2⅓ cups gluten flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg white, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Allow the yeast to dissolve in the 2 tablespoons warm water, and when it begins to proof combine it with the additional cup of water. Stir in the flour and salt and knead thoroughly for 10 to 15 minutes. Roll the dough out and form into a loaf; it won’t be easy. Place firmly in a well-buttered 8 × 4 × 2-inch pan, and allow it to rise until doubled in bulk. Brush with the egg wash and slash the top of the loaf twice. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes, until the loaf is nicely browned and sounds hollow top and bottom when tapped with the knuckles. Cool on a rack before slicing.
