Baking Bread - Big Y® World Class Market®

Warm, inviting and bakery-freshfrom your own kitchen.

Nothing is more inviting than the wonderful aroma of a warm, crusty loaf of bread fresh out of the oven. Chances are, once you get a smell of its wholesome goodness, you’ll probably have to have a slice or two! Although the low-carb craze has pushed bread into the background, fresh-baked bread is actually very good for you — especially if it’s whole, or multigrain. In fact, there are numerous health benefits to eating bread. For example, a diet rich in whole grains can lower the risk of heart disease and other health problems. Whole grain bread also helps provide dietary fiber, which is crucial to healthy digestion. And if weight control is a concern — bread is not off limits. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that a diet rich in complex carbohydrates — like whole grain bread — and moderate fat can actually help a person keep the pounds off long term. In addition, homemade bread is a healthier choice because it’s fresh and doesn’t contain preservatives.

If the very thought of making your own bread is intimidating, never fear! It’s easier than you think. There’s no magic secret to baking good homemade bread, it just takes a little bit of know-how and practice. The truth is, bread baking is actually easier today than it was in years past because of a fewmodern products now available. Here are some pointers to help you get started.

The Basics

Even though people have been baking bread for thousands of years andunder much more primitive conditions than we do today, the basic ingredients haven’t changed very much. Most bread recipes call for bread flour, water, salt and yeast. Of course there are a lot of variations, but those basic fouringredients are typically where most loaves have their humble beginnings.

In addition to those simple ingredients, you will also need some basic equipment: measuring cups and spoons, a large glass bowl and a wooden spoon (glass and wood are preferable to metal, which can react with the dough and affect the bread’s flavor), rubber spatulas, baking pans, food thermometer, timer, and a wire cooling rack.

When baking bread, the recipe must be followed exactly; you can’t fudge or improvise as you can with many other recipes. With that said, remember to measure precisely and always use the correct utensil for the specific ingredient: dry measuring cups for dry ingredients like flour and salt, and liquid measuring cups for any liquids. And lastly, keep in mind all baking pans are notcreated equal — shiny pans tend to reflect heat, so baking time is generally a little longer and you’ll get a lighter crust than bread baked in a dark-coated pan. Dark pans absorb more heat, creating a darker crust. Glass pans arealso a good choice.

Breaking Bread

Kneading

Now it’s time for a little exercise. If you do it correctly, kneading the dough will definitely give your arms a workout. Kneading is important because it’s what gives the dough its elasticity and structure.

It’s important to start with a lightly floured surface (use only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking because using too much flour can prevent the loaf from rising). To begin kneading, use the heels of your hands and push the dough away from you. Now, lift the edge farthest away from you and fold the dough back toward you. Then turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat the first two steps. Most bread recipes require 8 to 10 minutes of kneading (this is where your timer comes in handy), but you’ll want to test the dough after about 7 minutes of kneading.

To test the dough, pinch off a small piece and with both hands slowly pull the dough apart about an inch or two. The dough should look like a window with a thin membrane in the center. If it doesn’t, keep kneading a few more minutes and then test it again.

Resting

Now that you and the dough have had a workout, it’s time to rest. Put the dough in a clean mixing bowl and cover it loosely with a damp cloth. Place the bowl in a humid, draft-free area with a temperature of about 75-85°F. A good place in any kitchen is an unheated oven, with a pan of very hot water on the lower rack.

To make sure that your dough has risen properly, do a simple touch test. With the tips of two fingers, press into the dough about a half inch, lightly and quickly. If the impression stays, the dough has risen sufficiently. If not, cover the dough and let it continue to rise for a few more minutes.

Shaping and Baking

Before baking the bread, make sure to preheat the oven. Next, place the dough in the baking pan; if you’re making rolls or a specific loaf shape, like a braid for example, you will need to shape it according to the recipe.

Bread recipes sometimes call for scoring the top of the loaf before baking. By cutting into the top slightly, the dough is able to expand quickly during baking, which prevents bursting in the event bubbles form under the crust. Next, place the dough in the oven and bake according to the recipe’s instructions.

Every oven is different, so it’s important to check your bread when there is 10 minutes baking time remaining. Just because the outside looks done, doesn’t necessarily mean the entire loaf is. There are two ways you can test for doneness. Take an instant-read thermometer and place it in the center of the loaf. If it reads between 190-210‹F, your bread is done. Another way to check is to tap the bottom and sides of the bread. If it sounds hollow, your bread is ready to take out of the oven.

Cooling and Storing

By this time, the wonderful smell of fresh baked bread is probably tempting your taste buds. But before you indulge, make sure to cool the bread completely. For best results, cool bread on a wire rack.

Make sure bread has cooled completely before storing. Homemade bread is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature (putting it in the refrigerator actually dries it out more quickly). If you have made several loaves and want to freeze some, again make sure they are cooled completely, and then place loaves in a freezer bag. Most loaves should keep in the freezer for two months.

Now that you know the basics of bread baking, why not try your hand at it? Here are some delicious recipes to help you get started.

Wheat Oatmeal Bread

1/2 cup warm water (about 110°F)

1 .25-ounce envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon Big Y sugar

1 12-ounce can Big Y evaporated milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup Big Y shortening, melted

1/4 cup Big Y honey

2 teaspoons Big Y salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups bread flour

2 Tablespoons Big Y butter, softened; divided

3⁄4 cup rolled oats

2 Tablespoons Big Y butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve yeast and sugar and set aside until bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes. In a large bowl, combine evaporated milk, 1/4 cup water, shortening, honey, salt and wheat flour; mix to combine. Mix in yeast mixture and let rest 15 minutes. Slowly add bread flour and knead until dough forms a ball. Knead by hand for 10 minutes. Grease a large bowl with 1 Tablespoon butter. Place dough in buttered bowl and flip over, turning butter to the top. Cover with a clean, damp towel and let rise in a warm place, free of drafts (such as an unheated oven with a pan of very hot water on rack below) for1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. Punch down and divide dough in half. Roll out each half and pound out the bubbles; form into loaves. Sprinkle oats on a flat surface and roll loaves to lightly coat. Grease two 9x5-inch bread pans with 1 Tablespoon butter. Place dough in pans and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until double in size. Second rise should take about 30 minutes. Place a small pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Add loaves and bake in an oven preheated to 375°Ffor 25 to 35 minutes or until tops are dark golden brown. While loaves are warm, remove from pan and brush with melted butter; cool on wire rack.

Makes 2 loaves.

Visit the Big Y Patisserie for a wide array of our hearth-baked World Class Breads.

White Bread

6 cups Big Y all-purpose flour, more or less; divided

1 Tablespoon Big Y sugar

2 teaspoons Big Y salt

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Using an electric mixer on low speed, add water and 2 Tablespoons butter. Continue to beat at high speed for 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour to the mixture and beat 4 minutes longer. Stir in 3 cups flour or enough to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding a little more flour as necessary. Grease a large bowl with1 Tablespoon butter. Place dough in buttered bowl and flip over, turning butter to the top. Cover with a clean, damp towel and set in a warm place, free of drafts (such as an unheated oven with a pan of very hot water on rack below) and let rise for about 1/2 hour or until dough has doubled in size. Punch dough down and knead until smooth. Divide dough in half, cover with the mixing bowl and let stand for 15 minutes longer. Roll each half into a rectangle. Grease two 9x5x3 loaf pans with 1 Tablespoon butter. Place loaves, seam side down, in loaf pans. Cover pans with clean towels and let rise in warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes. Bake loaves in an oven preheated to 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped with fingers and crust is nicely browned. Remove from pans to racks to cool.

Makes 2 loaves.

Olive & Onion Focaccia

1 1/4 cups warm water (about 110°F)

1.25-ounce envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon Big Y sugar

3 to 31/2 cups Big Y all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon Big Y salt; divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

4 Tablespoons World Classics Trading Co. olive oil; divided

1/4 cup cornmeal, divided

1 cup sweet onion, cut in halfand sliced

2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped; divided

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

1/2 cup Big Y black olives, pitted and roughly chopped

In a small bowl, combine warm water,yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve yeast and sugar and set aside until bubbly, about10 to 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour,1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon blackpepper; stir well to combine. Add yeast mixture and stir well to form a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly flouredsurface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add additional flour if needed. Place 1⁄2 Tablespoon of olive oilin a bowl, add dough, turning the dough over to coat the other side. Cover with a clean, damp towel and place in a warm place (such as an unheated oven with a pan of very hot water on the rack below) and let rise for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. Lightly oil a 151/2 x 101/2-inch pan; sprinkle with 3 Tablespoons cornmeal and set aside.

In a nonstick skillet over low heat, cook onion in 2 Tablespoons olive oil for5 minutes or until softened. Add 1 Table-spoon chopped rosemary and garlic and continue to cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add black olives and set aside to cool.

When dough has doubled, punch it down and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough a few times. Sprinkle surface with remaining cornmeal and roll dough in it to coat the surface. Transfer dough to the oiled pan and stretch it as needed to fit. Brush remaining olive oil over top of dough. Sprinkle with onion/olive mixture and remaining chopped rosemary, salt and black pepper. Allow to rise uncovered for 25 minutes. Bake in an oven preheated to 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove focaccia from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares and serve.

Makes 1 (151⁄2 x 101⁄2-inch) focaccia.