Date: Sun, 02 May 93 19:07:57 EDT
From: Erika Penzer (penzer@Panix.Com)
Here is a recipe for French-style white bread, adapted from Julia
Childs's *The Way To Cook.* This book has a terrific bread section.
Use about 3 1/2 cups white flour, one tablespoon of
whole wheat flour, one package of yeast, 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix the
yeast with a pinch of sugar (or a pinch of flour--just something for it to
grown on) and about 1/4 cup TEPID water (put your wrist under the faucet
and it should feel a little warmer than your skin). While the yeast is
proofing, put the flour and salt in a food processor. When the yeast is
foamy (about 5 minutes), add it to the flour, process for about 10
seconds, then start adding room-temperature water while the processor is
running. Do this slowly so as not to add too much water. When the dough
begins to ball up on the blade, stop adding water and let the dough rotate
under the cover about 25 times. Open the processor and feel the dough--it
should feel a little sticky, but not too gummy. If it feels too wet, add a
little more flour and let it rotate about 20 more times. Let the dough sit
a few minutes, turn it out on a floured board or counter, knead it about
10 times by hand, and put it in a bowl (not oiled) covered with plastic
wrap or a floured towel in a warm place. (Obviously you can make bread
without a food processor--I just find it a lot easier.)
When it has doubled (about 90 minutes), punch it down, knead it about 10
times, and let it rise again until doubled. Turn it out on the counter or a
board, shape it into loaves (this recipe makes 2), put the loaves on a
baking sheet or pizza brick, let them rise for about half an hour. Preheat
the oven to 450 degrees F and stick a cast-iron frying pan in the bottom of
the oven. When you put the loaves in the oven, toss 1/2 cup of water into
the frying pan--the steam makes a nice crust on the bread. Bake at 450 for
20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400 degrees. If the loaves brown too
quickly, cover them loosely with foil. The loaves are done when a
thermometer inserted into the bread reads 200 degrees F. Eat as soon as
possible. This bread does freeze well.
kwvegan vegan