by James Beard
Oatmeal Bread with Cooked Oatmeal
There are two or three favorite recipes for oatmeal bread in this country. I first encountered this one in Nevada, in a restaurant that was made famous by Lucius Beebe, and it was so good that I extracted the recipe from the owner and have been using it for many years. It is an interesting, loosely textured bread with an unusual light-brown color and a rich, full flavor. It is delicious with sweet butter, and it keeps well.
[2 small loaves]
1 cup coarse rolled oats
1 cup boiling water
2 packages active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 cup warm milk
1 tablespoon salt
¼ cup dark brown sugar
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, approximately
Cook the oats in the boiling water until thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, stir the yeast and teaspoon of sugar into the warm water until dissolved, and allow to proof. Add the warm milk, salt, brown sugar, and yeast mixture to the oats and stir well, then stir in 4 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Turn out on a floured board. Knead into a smooth, pliable, elastic dough, if necessary using as much as ½ to 1 cup, or more, of additional flour to get it to the right feel. (This will take about 10 minutes.) Shape the dough into a ball, put into a well-buttered bowl, and turn to coat on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1½ hours.
Punch the dough down. Knead for 2 or 3 minutes and shape into two loaves. Thoroughly butter two 8 × 4 × 2-inch tins. Place the dough in the tins, cover, and let rise in a warm place until about even with the top of the tins, or amost doubled in bulk.
Preheat the oven to 375°, place the bread in the center of the lowest rack, and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on top and bottom with the knuckles. Return the loaves, without the tins, to the oven rack to bake for about 5 minutes and acquire a firmer crust. Remove the loaves to a rack and cool.
NOTE
If you should want a very soft top crust, brush the loaves with melted butter when you bring them out of the oven.
SWEETENED BREADS AND COFFEE CAKES
Mother’s Raisin
Raisin and Nut
Currant
Whole-Wheat Nut
Pistachio
Rich Sour-Cream Coffee Cake
Monkey
Moravian Coffee Cake
Cinnamon
Swedish Limpa
Kugelhopf
Verterkake
Mother’s Raisin Bread
This was a raisin bread that my mother made very often, modeled on one she had admired at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. During World War I she used to do benefit teas for the British Red Cross, and there were always requests for this bread, thinly sliced and spread with good sweet butter. It was arranged on large platters, and there was never any of it left.
[2 loaves]
1 package active dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm milk
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
Melted butter
1½ cups sultana raisins plumped overnight in sherry or Cognac to barely cover, ½ teaspoon ground mace, and 2 teaspoons grated fresh orange rind
1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 tablespoons cream
Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup of the warm milk and proof it. Combine the rest of the warm milk, sugar, salt, and 3 tablespoons butter in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, then, using one hand or a heavy wooden spoon, gradually stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out on a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and glossy. Place in a buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface with butter. Cover and set in a warm, draft-free spot to rise until doubled in bulk, about 2½ hours.
Punch the dough down and knead for 3 minutes. Return to the bowl and let rise again for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and roll each out into a rectangle about 7 × 20 inches. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the raisin mixture. Roll the dough up tightly; tuck the ends under. Fit each roll, seam side down, in two well-buttered 8 × 4 × 2-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm spot till the dough shows just above the top of the pans. Brush with the egg yolk-and-cream wash and bake in a preheated 400° oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on top and bottom. If necessary, return the loaves to the oven rack without their pans to brown the bottom crusts.
Raisin and Nut Bread
This can be baked in two loaves with a mixture of raisins and nuts in both or with raisins in one loaf and nuts in the other. It is a good, all-purpose bread, which is enhanced by the extra sweetness of the honey and raisins. It toasts well; it is delicious cut thin, buttered well, and served with tea or coffee; it makes interesting sweet sandwiches when filled with chopped nuts and fruits, chopped figs, or even chopped olives and nuts; and it is also very good with marmalades of various kinds.
[2 loaves]
1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, cut in small pieces
1¾ cups warm milk
5 to 6½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ to 2 teaspoons salt
½ cup raisins, or to taste (see note below)
½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or unsalted peanuts; coarsely chopped filberts; or almonds, or to taste
Melted butter (optional)
Dissolve the yeast in the water with honey and allow to proof. Warm the butter in the milk, and add to the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour, mixed with the salt, 1 cup at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. When the dough becomes rather stiff and difficult to stir, turn out on a floured board. Knead, adding small quantities of flour, until the dough is soft, velvety, and elastic. (It should spring back when pressed with the fingers and blister easily.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and roll around to coat with butter on all sides. Cover tightly and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down. Turn out on a floured board and let rest for 5 minutes, then knead in the raisins and chopped nuts.
(If you are making one raisin loaf and one nut loaf, divide the dough into two equal pieces, and knead in the extra ingredients separately.) When the nuts and raisins are thoroughly amalgamated in the dough, cut it in half and shape into two loaves. Place in two well-buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch bread pans, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, or until the dough comes up above the tops of the pans.
Bake in a preheated 400° oven 25 to 35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom with the knuckles. Remove from the tins and allow to bake on the rack in the oven for several minutes more to add color and texture to the crust. (For a tender crust brush the loaves with melted butter just as you bring them out of the oven.) Allow them to cool on racks before slicing.
NOTES
1. It is better if the raisins have soaked in a little warm water or some Cognac for an hour or so. I sometimes add a tiny bit of cinnamon or nutmeg, too, because I like these flavors with the raisins.
2. These loaves freeze well, and will keep in plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days.
Currant Bread
This bread, which I used to eat very often as a child, is a rich, flavorful, extremely pleasant loaf that keeps well and toasts magnificently. It is perfect cut very thin and spread with sweet butter and cheese, and it’s a good base for sweet sandwiches like those filled with cream cheese and nuts.
[1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves]
1 cup milk
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar<
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2½ teaspoons salt
1 stick (½ cup) plus 6 tablespoons butter
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour, approximately
1½ cups currants, soaked for 1 hour in rum, Cognac, or sherry
Melted butter
Heat the milk and stir in the 3 tablespoons sugar, the salt, and the 6 tablespoons butter. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and add to the milk mixture. Stir in 3 cups sifted flour and beat until thoroughly smooth. Gradually add another 3 cups, or enough flour to make a smooth, kneadable dough. Turn the dough out on a board and knead until thoroughly blended and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes. (If you use an electric mixer with a dough hook, knead about 5 to 6 minutes.) Put the dough in a buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a cloth, and set it in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down, turn it out onto a board again, and knead in the ½ cup sugar, the ½ cup butter, softened, and the currants, drained and lightly floured. Form the dough into two small loaves or one long loaf and put into two buttered 8-inch pans or one 10-inch pan. Brush with melted butter and let rise in a warm place until they have increased about 60 percent. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 50 minutes, or until the loaves are nicely browned and sound hollow when rapped top and bottom with the knuckles. Cool thoroughly on racks before slicing.
Whole-Wheat Nut Bread
The addition of toasted pine nuts and a few raisins gives this loaf its distinction, both in texture and in flavor.
[1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves]
2 packages active dry yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1½ cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
4 cups whole-wheat flour
1¾ to 2 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
1 tablespoon salt
¾ cup milk
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons melted butter
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted for 3 minutes
¼ cup raisins, preferably soaked in a little sherry or Cognac
Combine the yeast and the sugar in ½ cup of the warm water, and let proof. Combine with the flours and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the remaining cup warm water, the milk, and the honey. Blend well, adding additional all-purpose flour if the dough seems too sticky and soft to knead. Finally add the melted butter. Turn out on a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes. Place the dough in a large buttered bowl and turn to coat with butter on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down and knead in the nuts and the raisins. Divide the dough into two pieces, form into two loaves, and place in well-buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf tins, or else form one large loaf and bake in a buttered 12-inch tin. Cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped with the knuckles. Cool on a rack.
Pistachio Bread
This is a rather sweet bread—actually, more like a coffee cake, of the type once called a “race track”—flavored with delicious, beautifully green pistachio nuts. It is rolled, formed into a very large ring, and sliced before baking. It looks and tastes extraordinarily good, and is certainly one of the best breads of this kind I have ever had. It provides about 12 servings.
[1 ring loaf]
1 package active dry yeast
Granulated sugar
¼ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 cup warm milk
½ stick (¼ cup) softened butter
2 teaspoons salt
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup melted butter
1 cup shelled, salted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
Combine the yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and water in a large mixing bowl, and allow to proof. Then add the milk, the softened butter, the salt, and ½ cup sugar to the yeast mixture. Add the flour, cup by cup, beating well after each addition. (This dough is easy to handle but will be a little sticky at this stage.) Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead for a good 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat the surface with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free spot to double in bulk.
Punch the dough down and turn out on a floured board. Let rest for a few minutes, then roll into a rectangle about 18 × 12 inches. Brush the surface with the melted butter and sprinkle with ⅓ cup additional sugar and the coarsely chopped pistachio nuts. Beginning with the long edge of the rectangle, roll up the dough like a jelly roll, pressing each seam as you do so. Join the ends of the roll and pinch together to form a ring. Place the ring carefully on a buttered baking sheet. Slice two-thirds of the way down into the ring, at ¾-inch intervals. Twist each slice to the right so that the interior of the slice is now facing upwards. Let the ring rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in size. Brush the entire surface with beaten egg, then bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes until nicely browned. Cool on a rack before serving.
Rich Sour-Cream Coffee Cake
This is another coffee bread, baked in a tube pan, one that I have enjoyed all my life. In fact, it is my favorite of all the sweet breads. The apricot glaze gives it a superb color and sheen, and the flavor makes it a rich, delicious accompaniment to coffee or tea.
[2 ring loaves]
FOR THE DOUGH:
4 packages active dry yeast
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 teaspoon salt ½ cup cold milk
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
3 sticks (1½ cups) softened sweet butter
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
FOR THE FILLING:
2 tablespoons melted sweet butter
¼ cup brown or white sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ to ½ cup currants, presoaked, preferably in brandy, for 1 hour
¼ cup finely chopped nuts
FOR THE GLAZE:
1 one-pound jar apricot jam or preserves (preferably without pectin)
1 tablespoon brandy, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier
Combine the yeast, ¼ cup of the sugar, and lukewarm water in a large bowl, and allow to proof. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, salt, milk, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix well. Add the egg yolks and blend. With your fingertips, rapidly work the butter into 5 cups of the flour as you would for pie dough, to produce a dry, meal-like consistency. Add this to the yeast mixture and begin to knead in the bowl, adding more flour if necessary, to make a smooth, elastic dough. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead 5 to 6 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly buttered bowl, turning to coat the surface with butter. Cover tightly and refrigerate to let rise for at least 4 hours or until doubled in bulk. Remove from the refrigerator, punch down, and turn out on a lightly floured board. (The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for as long as 3 days, in which case it should be punched down twice a day, until ready to roll out.)
Divide the dough in half, and roll out each piece into a rectangle about 10 × 14 inches. Brush each rectangle with melted butter, and sprinkle with the brown or white sugar and cinnamon. Over this sprinkle the drained currants and then the finely chopped nuts. Gently press the filling into the dough with the rolling pin. Roll up from the wide end, jelly-roll fashion. Heavily butter two 9-inch tube pans. Carefully fit the rolls into the pans so that the ends of the dough join.
Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake in a preheated 375° oven 45 to 55 minutes, until they are golden brown and give off a hollow sound when r
apped with the knuckles. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then invert on a rack. Meanwhile, melt the apricot jam over low heat. Add the brandy, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier, and blend. Strain, and coat the sides and top of the cakes with the glaze while the cakes are still warm. Cool them thoroughly before slicing.
Monkey Bread
This is a sensationally good and oddly textured sweet bread or coffee cake. It has been known as monkey bread for as long as I can remember. I have never seen an explanation for the name; perhaps it has stuck because of the bread’s silly shape. I have also heard it called bubble bread. It is made in a tube pan, and if you follow directions carefully you will have a very light finished product that can be cooled and sliced or served warm and pulled apart in little clumps. You must, however, take special care in the baking to see that it is thoroughly cooked before it comes out of the oven.
[1 ring loaf]
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
2 sticks (1 cup) softened sweet butter
1½ tablespoons salt
1 cup warm milk
3 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup currants, presoaked
Combine the yeast, white sugar, and water in a large mixing bowl. While this is proofing, stir 1 stick of the butter and the salt into the warm milk. (The butter does not need to melt completely.) Add to the yeast mixture. Stir in the whole eggs and egg yolks. Beat with a wooden spoon or with the hands to blend thoroughly. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. (After the first 5 cups it will get harder to incorporate the flour and the dough will be very sticky.) Turn out on a floured board, and using a baker’s scraper or large spatula, scrape under the flour on the board, lift the dough, and fold it over. Continue this procedure, adding more flour until the dough is no longer sticky and can be kneaded with your hands. Knead a full 10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and pliable. Shape into a ball and put in a buttered bowl, turning to coat all over with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down and let rest for 5 minutes. Turn out on a lightly floured board (using about 1 tablespoon flour) and again shape into a ball. Let rest for another 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, butter a 10-inch tube pan.
