MY MOST OFTEN REQUESTED BREAD RECIPE
Source of Recipe
Rusty
List of Ingredients
4 - 5 cups all purpose flour
1 pkg. dry yeast (or 1 1/2 tsp.)
1 cup water
4 TBSP (1/2 stk.) margarine
3 TBSP sugar or equiv.
¾ tsp. salt substitute
1 egg, beaten with a fork or substitute for 1 egg
Recipe
In a mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and yeast, and mix thoroughly. In a saucepan heat the water, margarine, sugar, and salt substitute to 115 - 125 F. Measure the temperature with a thermometer if you can. Pour the heated mixture into the flour mixture and beat until well blended. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Mix in the egg and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 - 12 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add additional flour as necessary to keep the dough from becoming too sticky.
Grease a bowl; add dough, turning to grease all sides. Cover with a damp dishcloth, set in a draft free warm (85 F) place and allow to double in size. Punch down; knead a dozen or so times. Put dough on the kneading surface, cover with the inverted bowl and allow to rest 10 minutes.
Lightly grease a 9x5x2 inch bread pan. Shape dough into a log long enough that the ends will fit snug against the pan ends. Pinch to seal any edges together. Place in pan, sealed edges down, cover with a damp dishcloth and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until done and top is nicely browned. Remove from pan. Smartly tap bottom. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. If not, return to pan, return to oven, and bake for an additional 5 minutes. For a soft crust, brush top with margarine after removing from pan. Recipe may be doubled for 2 loaves.
To make hamburger rolls, after the 10 minute resting period, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, place on an ungreased baking sheet and flatten to about a 3 inch diameter. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover with the dishcloth, return the sheet to the warm place and allow to rise until again doubled in size.
Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for about 25 minutes, until the tops are nicely browned. Remove from the oven. Brush the tops with margarine, then remove to wire racks and cool completely. Makes 8 nice hamburger size buns or rolls.
This same dough, divided into 8 pieces, can be shaped for hot dog size buns or rolls, divided into only 6 pieces and shaped into sub buns, or divided into 16 pieces for small dinner rolls. Bake dinner rolls only about 15 to 18 minutes. Or, add ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese while kneading, divide into 24 pieces, and roll into bread sticks. Bake bread sticks for 12 minutes.
Using the same recipe, I make mine a little different, using a Kitchen Aid mixer with a bread hook and a microwave oven with a temperature probe. With this method, only one rising period is required, making the process even easier and faster.
In my mixer bowl, I put in 2 cups of the flour and the yeast and quickly combine with a few strokes of a spatula. Then, I form a depression in the center. In a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, I add the water, margarine, sugar, and salt substitute. Placing the cup in the microwave, I add the temperature probe and set the microwave to 126 degrees F and push start. The microwave shuts off at the right temperature.
I then stir the liquid to insure that the sugar and salt substitute are dissolved and the margarine is melted, and pour it into the depression in the flour mixture.
Turning the mixer with the dough hook installed on to medium, I thoroughly mix the ingredients together for a couple of minutes, scraping the sides down with the spatula if necessary, then allow it to rest for 10 minutes. After the resting time, I turn the mixer on to medium-low and slowly add the remaining flour, allowing the mixer to run and knead the dough for about 10 to 12 minutes.
If the dough sticks to the bowl, I add a little more flour at a time until it pulls from the bowl cleanly. If the dough seems to leave uncombined flour in the bottom of the bowl, I just add lukewarm water, one teaspoon at a time, until the flour recombines and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl as before.
After the kneading is complete, I simply divide into the number of pieces I want, shape as desired, place on baking sheets or in loaf pans, allow to rise until doubled, and bake. It really takes longer to write down than to do it.
Nicely, if a person can follow the simple recipe instructions, It’s hard to make a mistake in baking these wonderful breads and rolls.
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