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No Excuse Bread




Source of Recipe


Mother's In the Kitchen La Leche League Coobook(1971)


Recipe Introduction


You can use this recipe to make bread bowls for soups and stews, too.


List of Ingredients




2 pkgs yeast
2 t salt
1/3 C oil or softened butter or margarine
1/3 C honey or sugar
2/3 C dry powdered milk (opt)
2 eggs
1 C wheat germ (opt)
2 C warm water
7 C unsifted flour, unbleached or wheat germ is best


Recipe



Bake 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Whole Wheat Variation:
Replace honey in all or part with molasses
Use half whole wheat and half white flour

Bake 35-40 minutes ate 375 degrees F.

Have all ingredients at room temperature or slightly warmer. Put first 8 ingredients and 3 C of flour in large mixing bowl. Beat 5-10 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer. Remove beaters. By hand stir in another 2 C flour, but there's no need to make it smooth.

Sprinkle 1 C flour in a circle about 10" in diameter on the kneading surface. Turn out the dough on this flour. Oil your hands and begin kneading in flour using finger tips only, until dough stiffens up and isn't so sticky.

Knead 5-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding additional flour if necessary.

Cover with plastic wrap and folded towel. Let rest 20 minutes. Punch down by kneading a few strokes. Divide into 2 equal portions. On oiled surface, with oiled rolling pin, roll out each portion into approximately an 8x12" rectangle. (If you have never rolled yeast dough, it seems like trying to roll foam rubber, but keep at it.) Roll up toward your, jellyroll fashion from small end, sealing well.

Place seam side down in greased (not oiled) bread pans; brush with oil.
Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate anywhere from 2-24 hours.

About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven and remove dough fromrefrigerator. Uncover, puncture with an oiled toothpick any air bubbles that have developed. Bake as directed.

Using this method, it almost takes longer to read the directions than actually to make the bread.

For Bread Bowls

Use oven proof bowls and grease WELL while bread dough is resting for 20 minutes. Punch down by kneading a few strokes. Divide into 6 balls. Flatten between your hands and stretch to fit over each bowl. Brush with oil. Use tall glasses on each corner of a cookie sheet and place bowls on greased cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. About 10 minutes before baking, remove from refrigerator, preheat oven, poke any bubbles with an oiled toothpick and flatten the bottom of the bowls. Bake, checking after about 20 minutes. Sometimes they bake faster than others, depends on the bowl. Let cool for a couple of minutes and tap to loosen from bowl. Set aside to cool.

You can add 1 tablespoon rosemary to the dough or a tablespoon of Italian herbs or 2 t cinnamon to the dough when you are kneading it. You can also carefully roll the bowl covered with dough in sesame seeds just before baking.