Country White Bread

I have been playing with bread of different types over the past couple of months. Some have been wonderful while others have fallen short. Today I wanted to challenge myself to make a loaf without using someone else's recipe. I know...could go either way, right? Well, this one turned out AMAZINGLY well. I classify myself as a "recently-deflowered-yeast virgin." Yes. Me.

Yet, I attempted a yeast recipe today that came from my own damn head; of course it DID rely on the experiences I've had this summer. I started this bread this morning, and by the early afternoon, the loaf was completely baked and cooling on top of the stove. There were neighbor kids who'd recently descended on my home who were walking past the bread with hope gleaming in their eyes. Only one had the guts to ask for a slice before I'd taken one for anyone in my family. Good for him. I like a kid with courage! He waited until the other kids were elsewhere, stole into my kitchen realm, and politely asked for a slice. I left the end piece on the cutting board because most kids loathe the heel of the bread. Fine. He ate the slice I handed over, took the heel, and then sought me out in my home office to ask for another slice.

This is THE loaf. The crust had a bite to it, and there was a hefty crumb to the dough itself. By the end of the day, the bread was gone. Extinct. Butter got ONE slice. My Pack Mule and I shared one piece. Every other slice fed that herd of boys in my yard and home. Very good times!

Country White Bread

Ingredients
8 oz warm water (90 - 1oo degrees), divided
2 1/2 tsp bread machine/fast-rise yeast
2 Tbs honey
2 3/4 C bread flour + scant amount for kneading
2 Tbs dry milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs oil

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine the yeast, honey, and 1/2 C warm water. Allow to sit for 8-10 so the yeast can proof. After that time span, the bowl should look puffy and bubbly. If not, try this again. You must see growth in size and bubbles.
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, remaining water, dry milk, salt, and oil. The mixture will be crumbly and very dry.
3. Add the proofed yeast mixture to the large bowl and combine.
4. Transfer dough to a floured board and knead for 10-15 minutes adding minimal amounts of additional flour to avoid sticking.
5. After kneading, form the dough into a ball, coat it in oil, and put it in a bowl. Let the dough rest for approximately an hour in a draft-free area.
6. After the dough's risen, punch it down and knead again for 5 minutes.
7. Shape the dough into a loaf of sorts and add to a loaf pan. Put the pan in a draft-free location and allow to rise a second time for 30 minutes
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the loaf for 35-45 minutes - until golden brown
9. Allow to rest and cool before cutting. Hot bread from the oven will shred and bunch up easily if cut before being allowed to cool.

Notes:
Yeast: If your yeast doesn't proof, try it again. Your water could have been too hot or too cold. Additionally, your yeast could be bad.
Flour: I chose to use bread flour for this one because I love the consistency of it.
Oil: I used canola. I also poured a scant amount into the bowl and then rolled the dough into before allowing time for the first rise. Nothing is worse than dough that sticks to the bowl when it's rising. Hence, oiling the BOWL.

After the second rise. (See that glimpse of maters behind the bread? They came from MY mater plant. *preening*)

After baking in the oven.

Feedback:
Like I said, the neighbor kids scarfed this bread in record time. The Pack Mule LOVES bread. He would live on bread alone if given the opportunity. And this bread? He was digging it. Butter? The kid. Not the delicious fatty stuff. He took a plain slice and savored it. Not one of the kids asked for butter, jam, peanut butter, or any other condiment. The bread alone was plenty to satisfy. Coming from someone who has been deathly afraid of yeast, this was a VERY simple recipe. I can also attest to the fact that kids love kneading the bread.

Foccacia

I've finally made a true foray into baking with yeast. Until today, I'd consciously avoided recipes requiring me to create that perfect chemistry of yeast, a food source for that persnickety yeast, and a liquid at some sort of "perfect" temperature I never could seem to obtain.

Until TODAY. I made some simple foccacia following directions from Kittencal's Kitchen. http://kittencalskitchen.com/2009/05/10/kittens-olive-foccacia/

I was able to knead the dough easily. It came together so simply, and I actually had my four year old help me knead. He was a happy chip chappy.

The dough only needs to rise ONCE and does so in an hour. I threw mine into the oven when I left to pick up some fresh veggies for a salad. I have a gas stove-top, and the pilot light provided just the right conditions for the required rise. I baked it according to Kittencal's directions.

I chose to use sea salt, olive oil, dried oregano and basil, and freshly grated Parmesan for toppings.

If you live in fear of yeast - try this one. It'll give you confidence!

Variations:
Kittencal's original recipe calls for olives and suggests using onions as well.
I see feta, thinly-sliced onions, and roasted red peppers as a natural grouping.
I also love provolone and pine nuts as a pairing.
I'm going to use the dough to make TWO thin foccacia loaves and will mound a salad of mixed greens that have been dressed with lemon juice and olive oil on top of the hot bread. I love salad and bread together.

Feedback:
My husband and son almost fell over with joy when I placed the finished product on the table. They were both pleased and munched with glee.

Cheesy Olive Bread

I saw the original recipe posted by Ree Drummond at the Pioneer Woman Cooks. You gotta love a woman who feels that butter is a necessary ingredient in almost all recipes. That chick isn't afraid of a few chubs climbing onto her hips. (For real, have you see her? She's a hottie, fer cripe's sake. I say pack on some more. Make us real peeps feel like you're one of US!)

I have tweaked her original recipe to fit my tastes a bit but wanted people to know that the REAL idea stems from all that is Ree.

Cheesy Olive Bread


Ingredients
1 loaf of cheap "Italian" bread (Don't go wasting your money on artisan-quality bread. I spent a buck on a loaf from HellMart and made some amazing-ass bread the other night.)
1 1/2 sticks of salted butter, softened
1/4 C mayo (And we all know I loathe mayo. But wait. You won't taste it. If I couldn't taste it, no one will!)
1/2 small white or yellow onion, grated (Use that old box grater. I do! It creates "onion juice.")
1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I use that box grater. I like freshly-grated for this baby.)
1 can black olives, chopped. (Chop 'em yourself. I hate those pre-sliced suckers.)
1/3 C green olives, chopped

Directions:

1. Slice the bread in half length-wise and place on a cookie sheet. (Please go buy yourself a Silpat. Please? Nothing sticks to that Silpat goodness.)
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter and mayo until combined.
4. Add the olives and onion juice stuff. Combine.
5. Dump in that lovely cheese goodness. At this point, drop the spoon. Use some clean hands to mix this stuff. Please? It's easy and adds some serious love to the dish. Trust me on this.
6. When all ingredients are well-combined, pack the mixture on top of the cut sides of the bread. It'll look like a lot. Even if you think it's too much, use every bit of fatty love that's in the bowl.
7. Slide that cookie sheet into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. I err on the side of longer rather than shorter. (Oy vey. That sounds naughty. But I digress.)
8. You want the bread to be bubbly and the cheesy mixture to be browned.
9. Take out the cookie sheet, and for all that's holy LET THE BREAD REST BEFORE SLICING. Two things will happen if you slice it before waiting 5-7 minutes:
   *The cheesy goodness will slice off the damn bread. Don't ask me how I know this.
   Just listen and know I am the all-knowing where this is concerned.
   *You will pop a piece of the bread into your mouth and scald your tongue, lips, and the
   roof of you mouth. Everything else that enters your mouth for the next day will be RUINED. Again. Trust me.
10. Slide each half IN HALF, lengthwise again. (You'll end up with four long pieces of love.) Slice those pieces into smallish slices. If people take HUGE chunks of this, they will likely fall out from rapture. Or a heart attack. So. Let's go small.
11. Be ready to entertain the masses who will ask for the recipe and admire your cookity cooking genius.

Variations

• Feel free to mix cheeses or use different cheese altogether. Cheese is a food group in my home. As is bread.
• I have never and will never use fat-free or reduced fat mayo in this. As much as I can't stand the texture and smell of that white, jiggly shit, I cannot veer from the full-fat version. If you're gonna take out the fat, you're altering the recipe all-together. And brands? I'll just say one word: Hellman's.
• Red onion? Green onions? Sure. Go for it.

Feedback

I have made this app several times this summer alone and haven't heard one person say "ick." Ever. The only so-so review was from someone who said, "Um. This is RICH, isn't it?"

Uh. Yeah. You're eating at a big girl's house. If you want to eat that celery shit, go elsewhere. Unless you want a stick of that crunchy stuff in a spicy Bloody Mary. Oh, I love a good Bloody Mary. Even Virgin. For real. I don't drink. Much. Really.

So, back to the bread. People will eat this. Trust me. Make it and watch it disappear.