Comments on: Baking some bread

By: mg

mg — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:27:26 +0000

your kitchenaid was not rated to handle 7 cups of flour – you should try halving that and your machine will work just fine.

By: Aimee

Aimee — Fri, 11 Feb 2005 04:56:44 +0000

I love kneading bread I resisted making bread for a long time because I thought it would take forever and I would be kneading and kneading and kneading. And finally one day I just did and it turns out you only have to knead for a few minutes and even more suprising is that I enjoy it. My favorite part is punching it down in between risings.

By: Pooty Pootwell

Pooty Pootwell — Tue, 08 Feb 2005 05:35:39 +0000

I am a kitchen klutz (I burn butter and soup), but I can make this foccacio, and it’s great.

I think it’s better to knead by hand….after you get a handle on the consistency, you can switch to a mixer if you want. In this recipe, hand works better IMO.

Keys: fresh yeast, bread flour, hot enough water, let rise covered with saran wrap AND a towel on a stove.

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast; that’s two packets
2 cups warm water (really more like hot, as hot as your tap will go without a special gizmo)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 1/2 cups unbleached white bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
Chopped kalamata (or rosemary, garlic, or anything of your choice)
coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Combine the yeast, 1/2 cup of the warm water, and sugar in a large bowl. Let sit for about 10 minutes, until foamy. Add olive oil, remaining water, and herbs.

In a separate bowl combine flour and salt; add to wet mixture one cup at a time. It may be necessary to knead the last cup of flour into the dough. Turn the dough out onto your lightly floured work surface and knead vigorously for 5-10 minutes, adding a little more flour if necessary to keep from sticking. The dough will be very sticky at first, but it will become more cohesive as you knead it. (Knead in chopped olives if you like.) Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with plasic wrap and a kitchen towel, or just a damp towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 and lightly oil two large baking dishes (or freeze half the dough for later use, wrapping tightly). Press into an oiled dish. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Dimple dough, brush with oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt (and olives for variation). Place in oven, reduce to 375 degrees, and bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Transfer to a rack to cool.

By: Philip

Philip — Tue, 08 Feb 2005 02:55:00 +0000

If you are going to try the baguette thing you might look for tin stove piping. You take them apart and voila baking pans for baguettes.

By: Elisabeth

Elisabeth — Tue, 08 Feb 2005 02:34:40 +0000

If you want to make great bread (including baguettes!) without kneading, check out Suzanne Dunaway’s terrific book No Need to Knead. You can have delicious home-made bread in under two hours, no kidding. (Alas, no, she doesn’t pay me to advertise…)

By: Denise

Denise — Mon, 07 Feb 2005 17:11:31 +0000

Terrible, but true: I’ve found (after making bread myself, including challah, which is easy and delicious, a family favorite) that the frozen bread loaves (zut alors!) smell the most like bread when baking. And, no kneading!

In my best Jacque the Shrimp voice: “I am ashamed.”

By: Jess

Jess — Mon, 07 Feb 2005 13:30:27 +0000

Did you set your mixer any higher than 2? If you read the mixer book, you’re not supposed to set it higher than thta with the dough hook – you can burn the motor out. When reading bread recipes, if it calls for low-medium, set the Kitchen Aid to Stir, and if it wants a higher speed, to 2.
If you didn’t set your mixer above 2, I have no idea what went wrong.