Soft French-Style Bread - Especially for Dana Marie

                            This recipe makes ONE loaf.  Double for the two loaves pictured above.

This is an easy and delicious recipe.  Shape it free-form on a baking sheet.


Ingredients:

1 cup warm water (no more than 110°F)
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 package yeast (or 2-1/3 teaspoon if you buy in bulk)

2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon oil

3 cups flour - bread flour or winter wheat is best as it is softer and makes nicer bread

Oil for greasing the baking sheet
1 Tablespoon polenta, coarse cornmeal or grits for the baking sheet
1 egg, beaten for the top of the loaf

Method:

Pour warm water into medium sized bowl.  Add sugar and stir together.  Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand 5 minutes.

Once yeast is dissolved add salt, oil and one cup of the flour.  Mix well with a spoon.  Add another cup of flour and continue mixing.

Put one cup of flour on the counter or a board and scrape the contents of the bowl directly onto it. 
Begin kneading the dough, adding bits of flour if you find that it is too sticky.  After about 5-7 minutes you should feel the dough begin to change and it will become smooth. 

Do not add too much flour - this is a fairly soft dough but not sticky. 





Oil a medium-sized bowl and place the dough inside.  Cover lightly with a tea-towel or cling wrap.
Let rise in a warm room for abut an hour to an hour and a half.  The dough should be about double in size.

To prepare baking pan:

I prefer to use baking paper as it helps to eliminate a lot of the clean up.  If you have baking paper, cut a piece to fit a cookie sheet.  Oil it lightly and then sprinkle with Polenta, coarse cornmeal or grits.  This gives the bottom crust a nice crunch.

Remove dough from bowl and on a very lightly-floured counter knead the dough until it is back to the size it was before the first rise.  Begin shaping a long roll - it should be 8-10" long.  Place the roll on the prepared baking sheet and allow to rise in a warm room for 45 minutes. 

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F - Place rack in the centre of the oven

Beat one egg in a bowl and then gently brush the entire unbaked loaf with the egg.  Use a pastry brush or even your hands.

Cut slices about 1/4" deep, diagonally in raised loaf. (See photo of finished loaves above)

Place baking sheet in oven on the middle rack and bake for about 25 minutes.  To check to see if your bread is baked, open the oven and tap the top of the loaf.  If it sounds a bit hollow then it is done.  The colour should also be brown and shiny.

Cool on rack for a minimum of 10 minutes.

K (P)

Parker House Rolls - Rich and Delicious

Have you ever wanted to make homemade dinner rolls but felt they were too much work?  Do you crave that rich roll flavour but purchase them at a bakery because you want them to come out looking perfect?

Now you can make delicious Parker House Rolls - so easy even a 4-year old can shape them!

My granddaughter shaping rolls. 
She is making half a batch and using an 8x8" pan

Rich Roll Dough

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups warm milk (or milk substitute)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute made for baking)
2-3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or one package)

1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

13x9x2" pan, lined with baking paper

Rolls in 13x9x2" pan, ready to bake

Baked Parker House Rolls

Method:

Warm milk (to about 110°F/43°C
Pour into large bowl.
Add sugar and stir
Sprinkle yeast over milk mixture and let set until it becomes a bit frothy

Melt butter or margarine and pour into milk mixture.  Check egg and add to milk mixture.  Mix until combined.   Add about 2 cups of the flour and the salt and beat with a spoon or use a mixer (this helps to develop the gluten and makes a nice, soft dough) 
Put two cups of the flour on the counter or a board and make a well in the centre. Pour the mixture from the bowl on top. Knead for about five minutes, adding up to half a cup of flour so the dough is soft, smooth but not sticky.

Turn dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk - about an hour if your house is warm.

Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a bowl.  Line your baking pan. Set on the counter where you will be working.

Using a rolling pin (or a wine bottle :) ) roll out the dough until 1/8" thick.  Using a round cutter or a glass, cut circles from the dough and set to the side.  Roll extra dough out again and repeat until all dough has been cut into circles. 

Dip each circle of dough into the butter and then fold in half.  Place in pan, folded side down.  Repeat with each dough circle, arranging them as in the photo at the very top.  Once they rise, the rolls will fill out the pan and be stuck together to form little loaf-like rolls.

Allow to rise, covered, on counter until doubled in bulk.  Pre-heat oven to 350°F/175°C. When oven is hot, bake the rolls for 15-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and rolls are puffy.

Place on a rack to cool for 5 minutes then turn out from the pan onto a serving platter or rack. 

Enjoy!

K (D) or (P) if margarine and milk substitute are used