Celebrating the Goodness of Breads....

(Photo from the article "All About Making Bread" by Cookalicious.wordpress.com)

Mary's kitchen must be the most delightful of kitchens. From her OnePerfectBite blog, here are the wonderful breads she shared....only one thing, one perfect bite is not enough (believe me!!!!) with all these goodness. I found myself stuck in her kitchen. ;-) Thank you Mary....I had this entitled "Celebrating the Goodness of Bread" inspired by Mary's passion to create the best breads.



Swedish Coffee Ring with Apricots and Almonds
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20spotting

Ingredients:
1 pound dried apricots
2 cups water
1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
1 cup sugar, divided use + additional sugar to taste
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, divided use
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 toasted almond slivers
Glaze (optional)

Directions:
1) Place apricots and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Cover. Let stand for 2 hours.
2) Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Place in bowl of an electric stand mixer; add milk, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, 1 egg, cardamom, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
3) Turn dough onto lightly floured surface: knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place until double, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
4) Bring apricots and water back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until apricots are soft, about 20 minutes. Transfer apricots and any remaining liquid to the bowl of a food processor. Puree. Add orange liqueur, lemon juice and reserved 3/4 cup sugar. Pulse to combine. Add additional sugar to taste. Set aside.
5) Punch down dough. Roll into rectangle, 15 x 9-inches, on a lightly floured surface. Spread with apricot filling to within 1/4-inch of the edges. Roll tightly, lengthwise. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal well. Stretch roll to make even. With sealed edge down, shape into ring on lightly greased cookie sheet. Pinch ends together.
6) With scissors or kitchen shears, make cuts 2/3 of way through the ring at 1-inch intervals. Turn each section on it's side (90 degree turn). Cover loosely with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Let rise until double, about 40 to 50 minutes.
7) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat reserved egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Liberally brush over ring. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
8) To make optional glaze: Combine 1 cup confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

Adapted from Betty Crocker's International Cookbook



Blue Cheese Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 loaf (1 pound) unsliced French bread

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Combine butter, blue cheese, Parmesan cheese chives and garlic powder in a small bowl. Mix well. Cut bread into 1-inch slices but leave slices attached at bottom of loaf. Spread cheese mixture between slices.
3) Wrap loaf in a large piece of heavy-duty foil. Fold foil around bread and seal tightly. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm. Yield: 10 servings.



Zeppole
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Giada De Larentis
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/03/zepolle-for-feast-of-st-joseph.html

Ingredients:
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 stick butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Olive oil, for frying

Directions:
1) Cut open vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside.
2) In a medium saucepan combine butter, salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Take pan off the heat and stir in flour. Return pan to heat and stir continuously until mixture forms a ball, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3) Transfer flour mixture to a medium bowl. Using an electric hand mixer on low speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each egg completely before adding next. Beat until smooth. If not frying immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
4) Meanwhile, pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Using a small ice-cream scoop or 2 small spoons, carefully drop about a tablespoon of the dough into the hot olive oil, frying in batches. Turn zeppole once or twice, cooking until golden and puffed up, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Toss with cinnamon-sugar. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.





Laughing Mouths (Kou Xiao Gao)
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Jacki Passmore
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/01/laughing-mouths-kou-xiao-gao-for-foodie.html

Ingredients:
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
2 to 3 tablespoons water
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Oil for deep frying
3 tablespoons confections' or superfine sugar for dusting

Directions:
1) Combine sugar, egg and 2 tablespoons water in bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Slowly add flour, salt and baking powder. Pulse until a soft dough forms, adding 1 tablespoon reserved water if required.
2) Using a tablespoon measure, break off 18 piecs of dough. Wet hands and form into balls.
3) Heat oil in a wok or deep-sided frying pan over high heat until it reaches 300 degrees F. Reduce heat to medium-high and add balls all at one time. Use a pancake turner to push dough under oil. This will cause them to rise and split. Cook balls until they are a golden brown, about 2-1/2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a skimmer to paper toweling to drain. Sprinkle with sugar and serve. These are best served warm. Yield 18 pieces.





Cake Donuts
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/06/donuts-for-national-donut-day-and.html

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
12 cups vegetable oil
To finish:
Confectioners' sugar
Cinnamon sugar
Melted chocolate

Directions:
1) Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk together 1 cup sugar, buttermilk, butter, and eggs in another bowl, then add to flour and stir until a dough forms (dough will be sticky).
2) Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently 8 times. Flour dough and a rolling pin, then roll out dough into a 12-inch round (about 1/3 inch thick). Cut out as many doughnuts as possible with floured 3-inch doughnut cutter and transfer to lightly floured baking sheets. Gather scraps, reroll, and cut more doughnuts in same manner.
3) Heat oil in a 5-quart heavy pot until thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Working in batches of 3, slide doughnuts into oil and fry. Once each doughnut floats to surface, turn over and fry 50 seconds, then turn again and fry 50 seconds more. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly and dredge in confectioners' sugar, cinnamon sugar or dip and ice with melteded chocolate. Yield: 18 donuts.



French Quarter Beignets
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Paula Deen and others
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 eggs, room temperature slightly beaten
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1/4 cup shortening, melted and cooled to room temperature
Nonstick spray
Oil, for deep-frying
3 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
2) In another bowl, beat eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Whisk egg mixture into yeast mixture.
3) Mix 3 cups of flour into yeast mixture. Add shortening and continue to stir while adding remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
4) Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
5) Place confectioners' sugar in a paper or plastic bag. Set aside.
6) Roll dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until golden color. Drain on paper towels for a few seconds then place in bag with confectioners' sugar and toss to thickly coat. Serve warm. Continue until all beignets have been fried and coated. Yield: 48 donuts.



Plum Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast

Ingredients:
1 cup pitted dried plums, coarsely chopped
3 cups all-purpose flour + flour for kneading
1 cup whole wheat flour
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon honey, divided use
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Directions:
1) Toss plums with 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside. Combine 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, yeast and salt in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add sweet potatoes, milk, 1/4 cup honey and oil. Beat with a paddle attachment until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved 1-1/2 cups flour and mix to form a soft dough.
2) Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Knead plums into dough. Place dough into a bowl coated with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Turn to coat top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3) Punch down and turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 3 potions. Roll each portion into a rope about 15-inches long. Braid ropes, pinching ends to seal. Place braid on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 30 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake bread for 40 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove pan from oven and place on a cooling rack. Mix reserved 1 tablespoon honey with orange juice and brush over exposed surfaces of bread. Yield: 1 large loaf.





Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
Dough
1-1/4 cups warm water
2 (4-1/2 teaspoons) packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup instant, reconstituted warm mashed potatoes, prepared without butter and salt
2 large eggs + 2 egg yolks, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened
6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Berry Topping
4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoon orange juice
Cream Cheese Filling
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Streusel Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
Egg Wash
1 large egg
1 tsp. heavy cream or whole milk
Glaze
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
1) To make the dough: Pour warm water into a medium size bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water; add sugar and salt; stir to combine. Let sit until mixture begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs, soft butter, warm mashed potatoes and 3 cups flour. Beat with a portable mixer until just smooth. Using a wooden spoon, beat in 2 additional cups of flour until just mixed into dough. Add remaining 1-1/2 cups flour, using hands to mix dough until it's smooth and leaves sides of bowl. Brush top with oil or melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in refrigerator until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down. Cover and return to refrigerator for one to three days, punching down once each day. Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours before proceeding to shape.
2) To make berry filling: Combine berries, sugar, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, cornstarch and orange juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue boiling, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and shiny, 1½ to 2 minutes. Scrape into a small bowl, cover and chill thoroughly before using.
3) To make cream cheese filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt in bowl of a mixer at high speed until smooth, 2-4 minutes. Add lemon zest, egg and almond extract. Reduce speed to medium and continue beating, scraping down sides of the bowl at least once, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape mixture into a small bowl and chill thoroughly before using.
4) To make streusel topping: Mix brown and granulated sugars, flour, hazelnuts, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Add butter pieces and toss to coat. Rub butter chunks and dry mixture together between your fingertips until mixture is crumbly. Chill thoroughly before using.
5) When ready to shape coffee cakes: Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours before shaping. Then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Shape each piece into a log about 8 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter. Roll each log evenly into a 40-inch rope about 1 inch in diameter. Flatten each rope into a strip that is 1-1/2 inches wide. Use both hands to twist each strip of dough into a coil. Loosely coil each rope in a spiral pattern, leaving a ¼-inch space between coils. Tuck ends under and pinch to seal. Place each coil on a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover shaped cakes with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, about 45-60 minutes.
6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each cake with egg wash. Spoon half of cheese filling over the center of the top of each cake, leaving a border clear around edge. Layer half of blackberry filling over cheese filling on each cake. Sprinkle streusel topping over each cake. Bake until deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of the cake reads 190 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 20 minutes.
7) To make glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar, milk and almond extract in a bowl. Drizzle over top of finished cakes and let set before serving. Yield: 2 cakes; 16-2o servings.







Over-Night Walnut Coffee Cake
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Epicurean.com
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
Dough
4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
4-1/2 teaspoons (2 pkg.) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs
1 cup cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons melted butter
Filling:
3/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts
Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon hot water

Directions:
1) In large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Cut in butter until it resembles corn meal.
2) In small bowl, combine yeast with 1 tablespoon sugar and warm water; stir to dissolve.
3) In another bowl, combine eggs, milk and vanilla; stir until well combined. Stir in yeast mixture, then add to flour mixture with a wooden spoon mixing until well combined and a rough dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
4) When ready to proceed, cream butter. Gradually beat in gradually beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread 2 tablespoons of mixture in bottom and up sides of two 9 x 5 loaf pans. Reserve remainder for filling. Sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped nuts in bottom of each pan.
6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7) Divide dough in half. On lightly floured board, roll each half to a 10 x 18 inch rectangle. Spread each half with remaining filling, then sprinkle each with 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Cut each half cross wise into 3 equal strips, 6 x 10 inches long. Starting at long edge of each strip, roll up jelly-roll style to form 10-inch long rolls; twist slightly. Braid 3 rolls together; place in pans, tucking ends under.
8) Bake for 50 - 55 minutes. Remove from pans; frost when cool.
9) To make frosting, place powdered sugar, butter, corn syrup and water in a small bowl and combine until smooth. Add additional water as need to make a heavy but pourable icing. Yield: 2 loaves/cakes.





Cinnamon Meringue Coffee Ring
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons milk, divided use
6 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons butter, divided use
1/3 + 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided use
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, divided use
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds, divided use
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Combine yeast and 1-1/2 cups flour in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Set aside.
2) Combine 2/3 cup milk, 6 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat until butter is melted. Add to flour mixture with 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes longer. By hand, stir in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover and let rise until double. Punch down, turn onto a floured surface and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough into an 18 x 10-inch rectangle.
3) Beat reserved egg white until stiff. Fold in reserved 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Spread mixture over dough. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup almonds. Starting from long side, roll dough tightly in jelly roll fashion. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet; bring ends together and seal. Let rise until doubled in size.
4) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 25 minutes, covering with foil if bread browns too quickly. Set aside to cool slightly.
5) Meanwhile, heat reserved 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until browned. Cool. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, reserved 2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix well. Drizzle cake with icing. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup almonds. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.





Panettone
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
Day One Sponge
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
Day Two Bread
3/4 cup soft butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1/2 cup light raisins
1/2 cup dark raisins
1 cup toased almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh candied orange peel, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons candied lemon peel, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1) To make sponge: Combine flour, water and yeast in a medium bowl. Mix with a spoon until smooth. Cover; set aside at room temperature for 15 to 20 hours.
2) To make panettone: Place butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Add in whole egg and two egg yolks; beat until smooth. Stir in sponge (made day before); beat just till smooth. Stir in vanilla and buttermilk, mix well. Stir in 2 cups flour and salt; mix until well combined. Mix in yeast. Let rest for 20 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of reserved flour on work surface. Place dough on floured surface. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup reserved flour; knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding additional flour only as needed. Dough will remain sticky. Spread raisins, almonds and candied peel on work surface; knead mixture into dough. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat all surfaces. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours. Lightly grease two 6 cup molds or souffle dishes. Punch down dough, cut into two equal pieces
and place in molds. Cover and let rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake in center of oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes. Gently remove from pans. Cool on wire racks. Yield: 2 Loaves.

Credit for this recipe must be shared with the folks at Cooking Bread a wonderful site for the very kneady (sorry I couldn't resist).





Norwegian Christmas Bread
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 large eggs, beaten
10 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 cup for kneading
1 tablespoon salt
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup plumped dark raisins
1/2 cup plumped light raisins
1/2 cup candied orange peel
3 tablespoons candied lemon peel

Directions:
1) Place the milk in a large microwave container. Microwave on HIGH temperature for 2 minutes, or until milk bubbles at edges and container is warm. Add butter and cardamom to milk. Set aside.
2) Place 10 cups flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
3) Beat eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer, using paddle attachment. Slowly add milk mixture and beat until mixed.
4) Switch to dough hook attachment. At low speed, add flour and fruit in alternating spoonfuls. Keep mixing until a smooth, elastic mass is formed.
5) Spread 1/2 cup flour on work surface. Turn dough onto flour. Sprinkle top of dough with 1/4 cup. Knead until just smooth. The dough will be slightly tacky. Place in a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in bulk.
6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray four bread pans with nonstick spray. Punch dough down. Let rest 10 minutes. Cut into four pieces, shape into loaves and place in bread pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double.
7) Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a rack. Yield: 4 loaves.



Dresdener Stollen
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
2-3/4 cups unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 scant tablespoon instant yeast
1/2 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dark raisins
3/4 cup white raisins
2 tablespoons candied orange peel, finely chopped
1 tablespoon candied lemon peel, finely chopped
1/2 cup quartered, glaced cherries (mixed red and green)
1/2 cup lightly toasted chopped almonds
1 tube (6 to 7-ounces) almond paste
Confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) Mix salt with flour in a microwavable bowl. Place in microwave oven and heat on HIGH power for 1 minute. Whisk. Add yeast and whisk again to mix. Set aside.
2) Combine milk, butter and sugar in a microwavable bowl. Cook on HIGH power for 1 minute, or until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. When mixture is tepid add egg and whisk to combine.
3) Pour milk mixture into flour and mix well until the dough leaves the sides of bowl and forms a ball. Add candied fruits and nuts working into dough with hands.
4) Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until fruits and nuts are evenly distributed. This is a very stiff dough.
5) Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 to 3 hours.
6) Turn onto a lighly floured board. Flatten and roll into a 14 x 8-inch rectangle.
7) Form almond paste into a log about 13-inches long. Place in the middle of dough, then roll dough around it. Pinch and turn edges under. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough on parchment paper, cover with damp towel and let rise until double.
8) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake in the center of oven for about 35 minutes, or until an even golden brown. Move loaf in parchment paper sling to cooling rack. Brush top with butter. Let cool for 30 minutes. Dust liberally with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 1 loaf.



Muenster Cheese Bread
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
6-1/2 to 7-1/2 cups flour, unsifted
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons salt
1 cup plain yogurt
2-1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup water
6 eggs, room temperature
3/4 pound Muenster cheese, shredded
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:
1) Combine 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Combine yogurt, butter and water in a microwavable bowl. Cook on HIGH power until butter melts, about 1 minute. Cool slightly. Slowly add to dry ingredients; beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 6 eggs, 1/2 cup cheese and 1 cup flour; beat for 2 minutes at high speed. Add as much flour as needed to make a stiff dough (I used a total of 6-1/2 cups flour). Turn onto a floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
2) Place dough into a greased bowl, turning it once to grease top. Cover; let rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; divide into two equal pieces. Pat dough to form round loaves. Place on greased baking sheets; cover, let rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat remaining egg with milk; brush over loaves. Top with remaining cheese. Bake until loaves are golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves



Hungarian Potato Bread with Caraway Seeds
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
2-1/2 cups warm water, divided use
7-1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour + flour for kneading and dusting
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup unseasoned mashed potatoes

Directions:
1) Take off your rings. Place 1/2 cup water in a large bowl; add yeast and 3 tablespoons flour; whisk to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups warm water. Stir in salt and caraway seeds. Add 4 cups all-purpose flour and beat for about 100 strokes with a wooden spoon, or until mixture sheets on spoon. Stir in remainder of flour and mashed potatoes; mix well using a spoon or hands. Turn onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour as needed, for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is really elastic. Shape into a ball. Oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat all surfaces with oil. Let rise until double in bulk, 1 to 2 hours. Punch down and knead for about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf; place in a greased 12-inch ovenproof skillet and let rise for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
2) Move a rack to middle third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush surface of loaf with water; use a razor to cut a 1/2-inch deep cross on the surface of loaf. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until brown and top sounds hollow when thumped. Dust top of bread with flour. Cool on a rack. Yield: 1 large loaf.



Light Rye Sandwich Buns
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 to 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
3 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups scalded milk
2 cups light rye flour
4 to 4-1/2 unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/4 cups water

Directions:
1) Place yeast in a large bowl. Add water and stir to dissolve. Stir in corn syrup and let sit until yeast begins to foam, about 5 minutes. Add caraway seeds, salt, oil, scalded milk and rye flour. Beat well.
2) Add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Let rest for 15 minutes. Turn dough onto a floured board and knead for 10 to 15 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Turn into a greased bowl and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3) Grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Set aside. Preheat 400 degree F.
4) Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup water. Bring remaining 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add dissolved cornstarch and cook until thickened. Set aside.
4) Divide dough into 16 equal-sized pieces. Shape into hamburger or hot dog-style buns, placing 8 buns on each baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Brush tops of buns with glaze; bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Yield: 16 buns.



Swiss-Style Two Grain Bread
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cracked wheat
1/4 cup cracked rye
Cold water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
4 tablespoons dry milk powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
4-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 2 pound bread pan. Set aside.
2) Place cracked wheat and cracked rye in a small saucepan. Cover grains with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat; simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and cool to luke warm.
3) Place 2/3 cup of warm water in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in remaining 1-1/3 cup warm water, milk powder, salt and cracked grains. Gradually mix in whole wheat flour to make a very moist dough. Knead in bowl until it begins to change texture.
4) Transfer dough to prepared pan, cover and let rise in a warm area for about 30 minutes, or until dough rises to about 1/2-inch above top of pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: one 2-pound loaf.



Tunisian Semolina Bread - Khubz Mbassis
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
For the starer or poolish:
1 cup warm water
1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
For the seeds of paradise:
1 tablespoon anise seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon brown sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black caraway seeds
For the bread:
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons seeds of paradise
3 cups semolina flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt

Directions:
1) To make the starter, place warm water, yeast and flour in bowl of an electric mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat at medium speed until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lidded 2 quart container and let sit at room temperature overnight. Starter may be used eight hours later but flavor will improve if it can be refrigerated for a day or two longer.
2) To make seeds of paradise, combine anise, fennel, sesame and caraway seeds in a small lidded jar. Shake well to combine. Set aside.
3) To make bread, sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer. When dissolved add 1/2 cup bread starter. Mix, using paddle attachment until starter is incorporated and the mixture is foamy. Switch mixer to dough hook. Add olive oil, 2 tablespoons seeds of paradise, semolina, all-purpose flour and salt. Knead on medium speed until dough pulls from side of bowl, about 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning ball to coat all surfaces. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let double in size. Punch down and let double in bulk a second time, about 1 hour longer. Punch down and divide into 2 equal portions. Working on a lightly floured board, roll each potion into a 12-inch circle. Transfer each to a baking sheet. Working with 1 circle at a time, brush outer edge with water. At 1-inch intervals, pull up edges of dough and press down firmly, about 1-inch from edge to create a flute. Alternatively, crimp edges as though making pie dough. Repeat with second round. Sprinkle tops with reserved seeds of paradise. Cover lightly and let rise until double in height, about 45 minutes.
4) While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Transfer baking sheets to oven. During first 15 minutes of baking, mist loaves with water 3 or 4 times to create a crisp crust. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until loaves are a rich gold in color. Remove and cool on rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

Recipe adapted from Joyce Goldstein's Mediterranean the Beautiful Cookbook





Lemon and Blueberry Sweet Bread
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 large eggs, divided use
1 tablespoon salt
1 cups dried sweetened blueberries
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1) Place yeast, 1 teaspoons sugar and warm water in a large bowl. Let sit until foamy. Combine butter, warm milk, reserved cup sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Add to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add 3 eggs, lightly beaten. Whisk in salt. Add blueberries. Using your hands, knead in flour, a cup at a time, to make a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball. Place into a greased bowl, turning to coat surface. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in bulk. This is a slow rising bread.
2) Punch down dough and divide into two pieces. If making round loaves shape into balls and place in two greased 9-inch cake pans. If making loaves, shape into loaves and place in two 8-1/2 X 4-1/2 X 2-1/2-inch bread pans. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubles in bulk. Remember this is slow rising bread. While bread is rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat reserved egg; glaze loaves with egg. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until bread is a dark, shining color and sounds hollow when rapped. Cool on racks. Yield: 2 loaves.



Buttermilk Cluster with Blue Poppy Seeds
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tablespoons salt
2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon lukewarm water
2 cups warm buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water
1 to 2 tablespoons seeds (poppy, sesame) or grains (cracked wheat, wheat bran, rolled oats)

Directions:
1) Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine warm water and yeast in a small cup and allow to proof for 10 minutes.
2) Pour yeast, buttermilk, and honey into flour mixture and mix well. If dough is so dry that some of flour won’t stick, add a bit more buttermilk or water. If the dough is too sticky to knead, more like a batter, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until correct consistency is achieved.
3) Knead by machine or hand for approximately 10 minutes. Return dough to bowl, cover, and set aside to rise until dough has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
4) Divide dough into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into a neat ball and place in a 12-inch round dish or a 12-inch spring-form pan close together. Cover again with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside to rise again for 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
5) Uncover rolls and brush gently with egg wash. Sprinkle with seeds or grains, if using. Bake for 30 minutes, or until are firm and spring back when tapped. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm if possible.
Yield: 16 rolls.





Pistachio Coffee Ring
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bread

Ingredients:
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
8 tablespoons softened butter, divided use
2 teaspoons salt
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shelled, salted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
1) Combine yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar and water in a large mixing bowl. Set aside to proof, about 5 minutes. Add milk, 4 tablespoons butter, salt and 1/2 cup granulated sugar to yeast mixture. Add flour, a cup at a time, beating well after each addition. I used 3-1/2 cups flour to mix and 1/2 cup to knead.
2) Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form into a ball, place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3) Melt reserved 4 tablespoons butter. Set aside. Grease a cookie sheet or baking pan. Set aside. Punch dough down and turn onto a floured board. Let relax for about 10 minutes. Roll into a 18 x 12-inch rectangle. Brush surface of dough with butter. Sprinkle with reserved sugar and pistachio nuts. Using long end, roll dough as for a jelly roll, sealing each seam as you roll. Join ends of roll and seal together to form a ring. Transfer ring to baking sheet. Slice 2/3 of the way into ring at 3/4-inch intervals. Twist each slice to right so filling is facing upwards. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush surface of ring with beaten egg. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until nicely brown. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 12 servings.





Torpedo Rolls
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/01/torpedo-rolls-foodie-friday.html

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/3 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (I use 1/3 cup)
1-1/2 cups water
6-1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Extra-virgin olive oil to brush on warm rolls

Directions:
1) In the large bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle yeast over 1 cup of warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy. Add vegetable oil, egg, sugar and remaining 1-1/2 cups water and mix, using dough hook, until well combined. Add flour a cup at a time. Mix on medium-low speed until dough holds together, about 5 minutes. If it does not come together add water a tablespoon at a time until it does. Let dough rest in mixing bowl for 20 minutes to relax. Add salt and cinnamon and mix dough for 1 minute on low speed. Transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 90 minutes.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets or cookie pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
3) Punch dough down. If it's sticky, flour your hands. If making dinner rolls, pinch off and roll golf ball-size pieces of dough. If making sandwich or torpedo rolls, pinch off tennis ball-sized pieces or dough and shape them as you choose. Place rolls on prepared pans, leaving 2-inches of space between them. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit for about 20 minutes, or until rolls feel like soft marshmallows. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown. Remove from oven and brush very lightly with olive oil. Rolls may be served hot or at room temperature. Yield: 16 torpedo or 32 dinner rolls.





Mexican-Style Pan Dulce
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bead

Ingredients:
Rolls:
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons tepid melted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup tepid butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
1) Place warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water. Set aside to soften.
2) Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl until light and combined.
3) Add yeast, tepid butter and eggs to flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Scrape dough into a greased bowl and turn to coat all surfaces.
Cover. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.
4) While dough is rising, make topping by combining flour, sugar, butter, egg, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix until smooth. Set aside.
5) Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. It will still be sticky. Divide dough into 18 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange balls at least 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Press dough down with palm of hand to flatten.
6) Form topping into 18 balls. Flatten and place on top of shaped buns.
7) Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap or kitchen towels. Let rise until double in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
8) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake rolls for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm. Yield: 18 buns.



Coffee Twist - Three Ways
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/yeast%20bead

Ingredients:
Dough:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 large eggs, divided use
4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour + additional flour for dusting if required
Filling I:
3/4 cup seedless blackberry jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Filling II:
3/4 cup peach jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted almonds
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Filling III:
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions:
1) Heat milk, sugar, butter and salt in a small saucepan set over medium heat until butter melts. Let sit for 30 minutes, or until mixture is at room temperature.
2) Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve. Add milk mixture, 2 eggs and 1-1/4 cups flour. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3 cups flour to form a dough.
3) Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding flour only to prevent sticking. Place in a large greased bowl and turn to coat all sides of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
4) Punch dough down. Turn onto a very lightly floured surface; cover and let rest 15 minutes.
5) Coat a 15 x 10-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
6) Roll dough into a 14-inch square. Spread with jam of choice, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Top with nuts of choice.
7) Roll dough as for jelly roll, pinching seam to close. Transfer, very carefully, to prepared baking sheet. Reshape as necessary to retain 14-inch shape. Cut roll in half lengthwise. With cut side facing up and starting in the middle, work towards top of dough, crossing strips back and forth keeping cut sides facing up. Pinch ends together and tuck under to seal. Repeat procedure with bottom half of loaf. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
8) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat reserved egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush top of loaf with glaze and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
9) Bake for 30 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield 1 loaf (about 12 servings).





Onion-Parmesan Focaccia with Tomatoes
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/08/onion-parmesan-focaccia-with-tomatoes.html

Ingredients:
Dough
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil + oil for bowl and baking sheet
1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 to 5 cups unbleached white flour
Topping
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups chopped onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
5-oz. grated Parmesan cheese
4 to 5 fresh plum tomatoes, sliced

Directions:
Dough
Mix yeast and water in bowl of an electric stand mixer until yeast dissolves. Add olive oil, salt and flour. Using a dough hook, knead dough for 15 minutes. Form into a ball and transfer to an oiled bowl, turning to coat all surfaces of dough. Cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 2 hours. Using fingers, spread dough to edges of an oiled baking sheet. Mine was a 9 x 13-inch rectangle. Pinch edges to form a crust. Cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
Topping
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions, oregano and basil and saute until onions are very soft. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Finish
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread onion mixture over dough. Sprinkle with 3/4 of cheese. Top with tomato slices and remainder of cheese. Bake on center oven rack for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Yield: 12 servings.

Recipe courtesy of the North American Olive Oil Association.





Whole Wheat Olive Flat Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite and Judy Francini
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/08/whole-wheat-olive-flat-bread-focaccia.html

Ingredients:
2-1/4 teaspoons dried yeast
2-1/2 cups water, divided use
2-1/2 cup unbleached flour
2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup black olives + olives for garnish, patted dry
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary + rosemary for garnish
Olive oil
Sea salt or other coarse salt for garnish

Directions:
1) Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup water.
2) Mix unbleached and whole wheat flour in a large bowl. Whisk in salt. Add dissolved yeast. Stir in 1-1/2 to 2 cups reserved water, adding enough to form a firm dough.
3) Turn dough onto a lightly floured board; knead for a few minutes, adding flour if dough is very sticky. Let rest 10 minutes. Resume kneading until a smooth dough is formed.
4) Place in a greased bowl; cover and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour. Turn onto lightly floured board and knead in olives and rosemary. Roll out dough and press into a 9 x 12-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until double in height, about 45 minutes.
5) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush dough with olive oil. Lightly pat olives and rosemary into surface of dough. Sprinkle with sea salt. If desired, make indentations in dough with finger tips. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm. Yield: 1 (9 x 12 X 2-inch) flat bread.



Lemon Cheese Buns
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/03/lemon-cheese-buns.html

Ingredients:
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 eggs
4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Filling *
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add sugar, butter, salt, lemon peel, eggs and 2 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
2) Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3) Punch dough down. Divide in half; shape each half into 12 balls. Place 3-inches apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Flatten each ball to a 3-inch circle. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
5) In a small bowl, beat all filling ingredients until smooth. Make a depression in center of each roll; add filling. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to cool on a wire rack. Yield: 2 dozen.



Homemade English Muffins
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Julia Child
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/03/homemade-english-muffins-julia-child.html

Ingredients:
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes softened in 1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold milk
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt dissolved in 3 tablespoons warm water
2 to 3 tablespoons softened butter or nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
1) Place potatoes and milk in a large mixing bowl. Beat to combine. Stir in dissolved yeast. Add flour and beat until a thick smooth batter forms, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until batter has risen and large bubbles appear on the surface, about 1-1/2 hours. Batter must be bubbly before proceeding.
2) Stir batter down. Add salted water and beat vigorously for about a minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until bubbles appear on surface of batter, about 1 hour.
3) Brush insides of 3-inch rings with butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Butter or spray surface of griddle or frying pan and set over moderate heat. When drops of water dance on surface, scoop batter into rings. Batter should be about 3/8-inch thick to produce a muffin twice that size.
4) Cook muffins slowly on one side until bubbles which form near bottom pierce through top surface and top changes to a dryish gray color, about 6 to 8 minutes depending on the heat. Turn muffins, remove rings and let cook until they are a spotty token brown, about 1 minute. Remove to a rack to completely cool. Yield 10 to 12 3-inch muffins.



Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead)
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/10/bread-of-dead-pan-de-muerto.html

Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup very warm water
2 eggs, divided use
2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 teaspoon anise seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar

Directions:
1) Bring milk to boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in butter, 1/4 cup sugar and salt.
2) In large bowl, mix yeast with warm water until dissolved and let stand 5 minutes. Add the milk mixture.
3) Separate yolk and white of one egg, reserving white for glaze. Add yolk and 1 whole egg to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, blend until a dough ball is formed.
4) Flour a pastry board or work surface. Knead dough until smooth. Return to large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place for 90 minutes.
5) Grease a baking sheet. Punch dough down. Knead again on floured surface. Divide it into fourths and set one piece aside. Roll remaining 3 pieces into "ropes."
On greased baking sheet, pinch 3 rope ends together and braid. Finish by pinching ends together on opposite side to form a circle. Use remaining dough to form bones. Place them on the baking sheet.
6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover bread with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix anise seed, cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar together. In another bowl, beat egg white lightly.
7) Brush top of bread and bones with egg white, sprinkling only the loaf with sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool. Yield: 1 loaf.



Refrigerator Potato Rolls
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2008/11/refrigerator-potato-rolls.html

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup instant, reconstituted warm mashed potatoes, prepared without butter and salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened
6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Glaze: melted butter or egg wash (1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water)
Poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
1) Pour warm water into a medium size bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water; add sugar and salt; stir to combine. Let sit until mixture begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
2) Add eggs, soft butter, warm mashed potatoes and 3 cups flour. Beat with a portable mixer until just smooth. Using a wooden spoon, beat in 2 additional cups of flour until just mixed into dough. Add remaining 1-1/2 cups flour, using hands to mix dough until it's smooth and leaves the sides of bowl. Brush top with oil or melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in refrigerator until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down. Cover and return to refrigerator for one to three days, punching down once each day.
3) Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours before serving. Punch down and shape rolls on a lightly floured board - clover leaf, fan-tans and pan rolls are the easiest to do, but you can use any shape you wish. Cover rolls with a towel; let rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Brush with butter or egg wash and seeds. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Serve warm if possible. Yield: 36 rolls.



Sun-Dried Tomato Rolls
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/04/buttery-sun-dried-tomato-rolls.html

Ingredients:
2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup warm milk + milk for glazing
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

Directions:
1) Combine flour, yeast, salt in a 2-quart mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add butter, milk and eggs and mix with a spoon until a dough forms.
2) Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for about 5 minutes. Alternately, use an electric mixer with a dough hook and mix until dough climbs hook.
3) Place in a greased bowl. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
4) Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
5) Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead in sun-dried tomatoes. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place on cookie sheet. Cover lightly and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
6) Brush rolls with milk. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on a rack. Yield: 8 rolls.



Four Farls Soda Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/03/four-farls-curiosity-from-northern.html

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 cups buttermilk

Directions:
1) Preheat a heavy based flat griddle, skillet or frying pan over medium to low heat.
2) Whisk flour,salt and baking soda together in a medium pan. Make a well shape in center of flour mixture and pour in buttermilk.
3) Quickly mix ingredients to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead to form a ball. Pat into an 8-inch circle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 4 pieces with a floured knife.
4) Sprinkle some flour over base of a hot pan and cook farls for 10 to 15 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Be careful not to overcook. Serve warm. Yield: 4 servings.



Chocolate-Hazelnut Track Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Taste of Home magazine
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/05/chocolate-hazelnut-track-bread-blue.html

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
Topping:
1/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Batter will be thick.
3) Spoon half of batter into prepared loaf pan. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle two-thirds of topping over batter. Top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining topping; press down lightly.
4) Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).



Spoon Bread with Leeks and Gruyere Cheese
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, adapted from Savoring America
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped leeks (white and tender green of 3 leeks)
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
2 scallions (white and tender green), chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 1-1/2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add leeks and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add milk, water,salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in cornmeal and return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to stir until mixture thickens and pulls away from sides of pan. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
3) In bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs until thick and pale lemon yellow in color, about 5 minutes. Stir 1/4 cup of cornmeal mixture into eggs. Then fold egg mixture into remaining cornmeal mixture, stirring constantly to prevent eggs from scrambling. Fold in cheese and scallions.
4) Scrape mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve at once directly from casserole. Yield: 6-8 servings.





Apple Onion Bread with Cheddar Cheese
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/07/apple-onion-bread-with-cheddar-cheese_30.html

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 large apple, diced
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 (16-oz.) package hot roll mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup hot water

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a small skillet set over medium heat. Add apple and onion and saute until tender. Set aside.
2) Place contents of roll mix in a large bowl. Open yeast package and whisk into flour. Stir in cheese, red pepper and caraway seeds; mix well. Add egg, water and apple-onion mixture; mix with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl.
3) Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface; knead for 5 minutes.
4) Return dough to bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 5 minutes.
5) Grease a 6 to 8 cup bread pan. Place dough in pan; cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 30 minutes.
6) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
7) Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when thumped. Yield: 1 loaf.





Whole Wheat Bread
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
6 cups warm water
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salt
5 pounds stone ground whole wheat flour + flour for kneading
1 cup sunflower seed kernels
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:
1) Take off your rings.
2) Combine yeast, sugar and water in a very large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add oil, salt, 1/2 the flour, sunflower seeds and coconut flakes; beat with a wooden spoon for 100 strokes. Add remaining flour, and, working with hands, mix to form a very stiff dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, using more flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking to work surface. Place dough, smooth-side down in a large bowl that has been coated with oil. Cover, place in a warm place and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled. Punch down to original size and let rise again until double in bulk. Turn onto work surface and punch down. Divide dough into six equal pieces (1-1/2 pounds each). Form into loaves and place in generously oiled bread pans. Cover, and let rise again until dough reaches top of pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. during final rise.
3) Bake in the center of oven for 50 to 60 minutes, rotating loaves from front to back at the half-hour mark. Brush tops lightly with butter; remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Yield: 6 (1-1/2 pound) loaves.



Seeded Potato Bread
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

Ingredients:
1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
2-1/2 cups warm water, divided use
4 cups + 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour + flour for kneading and dusting
1-1/2 tablespoons salt
1-1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 cups stone-ground whole wheat flour
1 cup rye flour
1 cup unseasoned mashed potatoes (instant potatoes without milk & butter O.K.)

Directions:
1) Take off your rings. Place 1/2 cup water in a large bowl; add yeast and 3 tablespoons flour; whisk to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups warm water. Stir in salt and caraway seeds. Add remaining 4 cups all-purpose flour and beat for about 100 strokes with a wooden spoon, or until mixture sheets on spoon. Stir in whole wheat flour, rye flour and mashed potatoes; mix well using a spoon or hands. Turn onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour as needed, for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is really elastic. Shape into a ball. Oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat all surfaces with oil. Let rise until double in bulk, 1 to 2 hours. Punch down and knead for about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf; place in a greased 12-inch ovenproof skillet and let rise for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
2) Move a rack to middle third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush surface of loaf with water; use a razor to cut a 1/2-inch deep cross on the surface of loaf. Bake for 1 hour, or until brown and top sounds hollow when thumped. Dust top of bread with flour. Cool on a rack. Yield: 1 large loaf.



Swedish Limpa Bread - No Knead Recipe
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

Ingredients:
3 cups lukewarm water
1-1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (1-1/2 packets)
1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon ground anise seed
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 cup rye flour
5-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Cornmeal
Cornstarch wash (for each loaf: 1/4 teaspoon ground anise seed, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, plus 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar mixed together for sprinkling on the top crust)

Directions:
1) To mix and store the dough, add yeast, salt, honey, spices, orange zest with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or lidded (not airtight) container.
2) Mix in remaining dry ingredients using a spoon, food processor with dough attachment or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
3) Cover; let rest until dough rises and collapses back on itself, about 2 hours.
4) The dough can be used at this point, but it will be VERY loose and hard to shape. Alternatively, refrigerate for up to 7 days.
5) When ready to proceed, dust top with flour, punch down and divide dough into 4 pieces. Dust again with flour; quickly shape into balls by stretching the surface of dough around the bottom on all four sides. Cover 2 cookie sheets with corn meal. Place bread on cookie sheets. Let rest for 40 minutes.
6) Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place an empty broiler pan on the floor of the oven. Position racks to divide oven into thirds.
7) Prepare cornstarch wash (see below). Paint surface of loaves with wash. Use a razor to slash a cross on top of each loaf. Sprinkle with the additional anise, cardamom and sugar (I omitted the sugar).
8) Pour 1 cup hot water into broiler pan. Place 1 cookie sheet on each oven rack. Close door; no peeking! Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and firm. Cool completely before slicing. Yield: 4 one pound loaves.



Challah
from The New York Times Bread and Soup Cookbook
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20
Makes two loaves

Ingredients:
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups flour, unsifted
3 TB sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 package dry active yeast
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
pinch powdered saffron
1 cup warm water (120-130'F)
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp cold water
1/2 tsp poppy seeds

Directions:
Combine 1 1/4 cups of flour, the sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in the softened butter. Stir the saffron into the warm water until it dissolves. Add a little at a time to the flour mixture and blend thoroughly. Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer and medium speed, scraping the bowl occasionally. Separate the yolk and white of one egg. Blend the single egg white and the other 3 whole eggs into the batter. Reserve the single egg yolk. Stir 1/2 cup of flour into the batter and beat at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Blend in enough additional flour to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured board about 8 to 10 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning it once to grease the top. Cover and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft free place until double in bulk (approximately one hour).

Flour a pastry board lightly and set the dough on it. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Divide each portion into 2 pieces, using 1/3 of the dough for one piece, and 2/3 of the dough for the other. Divide the large piece into 3 equal portions. Roll each of these into 12 inch ropes. Braid the ropes together tightly, using your fingers to press the dough together at the ends. Divide the smaller piece into 3 equal portions. Roll each of these into 10 inch ropes and braid tightly. Place the smaller braid on top of the larger one and seal the ends. Repeat this process to form the second loaf.

Place both braided loaves on a greased baking sheet. Mix the reserved single egg yolk with the 1 tsp of cold water and brush the top of the loaves with the mixture. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, and let the loaves rise until double in bulk in a warm draft free place (approximately one hour). Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on wire racks.



Rye Bread with Guinness Stout and Fennel Seeds
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
24-ounces stout beer (i.e. Guinness), room temperature
3 ounces warm water
2 cups rye flour
5-1/2 cups unbleached flour + 1/2 cup flour for kneading
4 teaspoons table salt
1 tablespoon fennel seeds

Directions:
1) Combine beer and water in a large bowl. Add yeast and stir until completely dissolved.
2) Add rye flour and 3 cups of white flour; whisk until thick batter forms. Cover and let rest until mixture begins to bubble, about 2 to 4 hours.
3) Stir in reserved 2-1/2 cups flour, salt and fennel seeds. Turn batter onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead roughly. Dough will remain sticky and loose despite your best efforts. I've found it best to repeatedly fold and throw it onto the work surface. I use about 1/2 cup additional flour for kneading. At this point you want to incorporate as much air as possible in the dough. The mass will begin to resemble a dough as you knead, but it will be very, very loose.
4) Return dough to bowl, cover and rest for another 45 minutes or so.
5) Turn dough onto work surface and divide into 3 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
6) Lay dishtowels onto your work surface and lightly flour them. Re-shape dough balls into loaves and place on dishtowels to rise. I used Italian bread pans to hold my loaves because the dough was so loose I feared I'd have pita bread if it was not constrained. Let rise until double in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
7) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
8) Diagonally slash loaves with a razor blade.
9) Mist sides of oven with water from a spray bottle.
10) Slide loaves or pans into oven. Reduce heat to 425 degrees F after 5 minutes of cooking. Bake for another 25 minutes or until bottom of loaves sound hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 3 loaves.
Cook's Note: This dough is very loose. I used Italian bread pans to contain the dough mass. Towel lined bread baskets can also be used.



Cinnamon Rolls
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

Ingredients:
Bread dough
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 package dry active yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
3 1/4 - 3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Filling
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup raisins , golden or dark (optional)
1/2 cup chopped nuts of choice (optional)
Icing
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar , sifted
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. For the dough: Heat milk and butter in small saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Cool to lukewarm (about 110 degrees).
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle yeast over warm water in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle. Beat in sugar and eggs and mix at low speed to blend. Add salt, lukewarm milk mixture, 2 cups of flour; mix at medium speed until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Switch to dough hook attachment. Add 1 1/4 cups flour, and knead at medium-low speed, adding additional flour sparingly if dough sticks to sides of bowl, until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes.
3. Turn dough onto work surface. Squeeze dough with a clean dry hand. If dough is sticky, knead in up to 1/2 additional cup flour to form a smooth, soft, elastic dough. Transfer dough to a very lightly oiled large plastic container or bowl. Cover top of container with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Ideal rising temperature is 75 degrees.) After rise, punch down center of dough once (can be refrigerated, covered, up to 18 hours). Making sure not to fold or misshape dough, turn it onto unfloured work surface; let dough rest, to relax, about 10 minutes.
4. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
5. Roll dough with rolling pin into an evenly shaped 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Brush dough liberally with milk and sprinkle an even layer of cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2 -inch border along one of the long sides. Sprinkle 1/2 cup raisins and/or 1/2 cup chopped nuts over cinnamon mixture. Roll, beginning with the long side of the rectangle. Use both hands to pinch dough with fingertips as you go, sealing edges firmly to form a seam. Cut into 12 even pieces using dental floss (or serrated knife with cutting board) and arrange in prepared pan.
6. Cover loosely with plastic and allow to rise until double in size (rolls will touch), about one hour. When rolls are almost fully risen, adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Bake until golden brown and thermometer inserted in center roll registers 185 to 190 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Invert rolls onto wire rack. Cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
8. For the icing: Whisk sugar, milk, and vanilla in small bowl until smooth. Reinvert rolls and place rack over piece of parchment or wax paper. Drizzle icing over rolls with spoon. Cut or pull apart to separate, and serve. Yield: 12 rolls.



Hot Cross Buns
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

Ingredients:
1 cup warm milk (105°–115°F.)
2 (1/4-ounce) packages (5 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick + 2 tablespoons (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup dried currants
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh orange zest
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
3 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
1 uncooked pastry crust

Directions:
1) In a small bowl stir together milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Let mixture stand 5 minutes, or until foamy.
2) Into a large bowl sift together flour, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Cut butter into bits and with your fingertips or a pastry blender blend into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Lightly beat 1 whole egg with egg yolk. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in yeast and egg mixtures, currants, raisins, and zests. Stir mixture until a dough is formed. Transfer dough to a floured surface and with floured hands knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer dough to an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
3) Butter 2 large baking sheets.
4) On a floured surface with floured hands knead dough briefly and form into two 12-inch-long logs. Cut each log crosswise into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Let buns rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
5) Preheat oven to 400°F.
6) While buns are rising, lightly beat remaining egg with superfine sugar to make an egg glaze.
7) On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out pastry dough into a 20- by 6-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). With a sharp knife cut rectangle crosswise into 1/8-inch- wide strips.
8) Brush buns with egg glaze and arrange 2 pastry strips over center of each bun to form a cross. Trim ends of pastry strips flush with bottoms of buns. Bake buns in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer buns to a rack to cool slightly. Buns may be made 1 week ahead and frozen, wrapped in foil and put in a sealable plastic bag. Thaw buns and reheat before serving. Serve buns warm or at room temperature. Yield: 24 rolls.

Recipe courtesy of The Gourmet Cookbook



Garlic Herb Rolls
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

Ingredients:
12 large garlic cloves, peeled
1-1/2 cups milk + milk for glazing
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons dried, crushed Italian herb seasoning
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Coarse sea salt

Directions:
1) Place garlic cloves and milk in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Place in a blender jar and pulse to puree garlic. Set aside.
2) Place flour, salt, yeast and herbs in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
3) Add milk, oil and egg to dry ingredients. Mix with hands or a wooden spoon to form a dough.
4) Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and smooth, about 3 minutes.
5) Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover, let rise in a warm place until double in volume, about 1 hour.
6) Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
7) Turn dough onto a work surface. Knead gently for a minute or two. Form into 8 rolls. Place on prepared baking. Lightly score top of rolls with a knife. Cover and let rise for 15 to 30 minutes. Brush rolls with reserved milk. Sprinkle with sea salt.
8) Bake until rolls are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool. Yield: 8 rolls.



Kaiser Rolls
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

Ingredients:
3 1/2-4 cups (1 lb.) bread or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon malt powder
1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) water
1 tablespoon shortening, butter, or oil
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 to 1/2 cup poppy seeds

Directions:
1) Combine 3 cups flour, yeast, salt, sugar, cinnamon and malt powder in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir in water, eggs and shortening. Mix for 5 to 7 minutes, adding flour only as necessary to form a tacky but not terribly wet dough. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double in volume, about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise another hour before shaping. 2) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cover the surface of a cookie sheet with poppy seeds. Set aside. To shape rolls, divide dough into 8 smaller pieces. Working on a lightly floured surface roll pieces of dough into balls and cover them with a damp kitchen towel; let sit for 5 minutes. Flatten into disks. Let rest another 5 minutes. Fold sides to center. Seal. Place them face down on prepared cookie sheet. This will keep seals from splitting while they rise. Cover with towel and let rise for 1 hour. Flip rolls upright in pan. Place in oven. Spray sides of oven with water to create steam. Bake until a deep golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove to rack to cool. Yield: 8 rolls.

Recipe adapted from The Fresh Loaf



Cougnou
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

Ingredients:
8 cups all-purpose flour + flour for kneading
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
8 ounces (2 sticks) softened butter
1-1/4 cups warm milk
2 teaspoons salt
6 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup + 2 tablespoons coarse sugar crystals (the original recipe called for 2 cups)
Glaze:
3 egg yolks
3 teaspoons milk

Directions:
1) Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in flour. Pour warm milk into well. Add yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes. Mix. Add eggs, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Beat the mixture with a spoon (you can use your electric mixer if you wish). Gradually add butter. Turn dough onto a floured board and knead until dough no longer sticks to work surface. Place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow to rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Turn onto work surface. Knead in raisins and 1 cup coarse sugar crystals. Divide dough into six balls. Lightly grease or spray 2 cookie sheets. Connect three balls, representing head, body and legs, on each sheet. Allow to rise until doubled in size.
2) Preheat oven to 430 degrees F. Combine egg yolks with 3 teaspoons milk. Brush loaves with mixture. Sprinkle with reserved 2 tablespoons sugar crystals. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Yield: 2 loaves.
Cook's Note: If you are unable to find sugar crystals, coarsely chop sugar cubes to desired size.





Zucchini Cornbread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

Ingredients:
6 cups grated zucchini
2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt, divided use
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dried basil)

Directions:
1) Place zucchini in a a colander. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Place a plate and a heavy can on top of zucchini to weigh it down. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Rinse and squeeze dry. Set aside.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan. Line bottom with parchment or waxed paper; grease. Set aside.
3) In a large bowl, whisk or sift together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and reserved 1 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, beat eggs, milk and basil together. Add to flour mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in drained zucchini. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
4) Bake on lower shelf of oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan. Invert onto a serving platter. Remove paper, slice and serve. This is best served warm. Yield: 16 servings.



Okanagan Apple Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread?updated-max=2009-10-05T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light or golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peeled, grated apple
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 1-pound loaf pan. Set aside.
2) Sift all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and whole wheat flour together. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients, alternating with grated apples and buttermilk, to egg mixture. Fold in toasted nuts. Scrape into loaf pan.
3) Bake in lower third of oven for 1 hour. or until a cake taster inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes. Turn on a wire rack to cool. Yield: 1 loaf.





Irish Barmbrack
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, divided use
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup currants
3/4 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup candied lemon peel
Glaze
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
1) Scald the milk or heat it on HIGH power for 1 minute in a microwave oven. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes to soften.
2) In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 cups sifted flour, sugar, salt and allspice. Whisk to combine. Add yeast, milk and butter. Beat with paddle attachment for 2 minutes at medium speed. Cover and let sit in a warm spot for 30 minutes. When it has doubled in size, add 1 cup of reserved flour and beat with electric mixer on low speed until flour is well blended, about 1 minute. Repeat with the last cup of flour.
3) Turn onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 8 minutes, gradually working in currants, raisins and lemon peel. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and allow to rise until double in bulk, about 90 minutes. Punch dough down. If you wish to add trinkets to dough, add them now. Shape the dough into a round loaf and set it on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise again until double in bulk, about 90 minutes.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake loaf for 45 to 50 minutes. Combine sugar with water and brush over loaf. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 1 loaf.



The Lighthouse Keeper's Rhubarb Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from The Little Traverse Light
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups finely diced rhubarb
Topping:
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 2 8x4-inch loaf pans.
2) Combine brown sugar and oil in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Add egg, buttermilk, salt, baking soda, vanilla and flour. Blend until moist.
3) Fold in diced rhubarb. Turn batter into prepared loaf pans.
4) For topping, combine walnuts, cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle over batter.
5) Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto racks and cool before slicing. Yield: 2 loaves.



St. Lucia Buns
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1-1/3 cups milk
1 teaspoon saffron threads, chopped fine and soaked in a few drops of water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, divided use
4 cups unbleached flour + flour for kneading
Raisins for garnish

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add milk and saffron and heat until just until warm. Pour into bowl of an electric stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast over milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add sugar, salt, 1 egg and 2 cups flour. Beat with paddle attachment until smooth and well combine, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add final 2 cups of flour. Using dough hook, beat until mixture is smooth and begins to climb beater. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until perfectly smooth. This dough has a wonderful velvety texture to it. Place in a greased bowl, turn once to coat all surfaces, and let rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
2) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Punch dough down, roll into a cylinder 36 inches long. Cut 18 2-inch pieces from cylinder. Roll each piece into a 10-inch rope. Form each piece into an S, spiraling ends to form a figure eight. Transfer pieces to to prepared baking sheet. Let rise, covered, until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Brush buns with reserved egg. Tuck raisins into spirals at each end of figure eight. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Yield: 18 buns.



Chinese Donuts Sticks - You Tiao or Oil-Fried Ghosts
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Jacki Passmore
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups self-rising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 to 8 tablespoons lukewarm water
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions:
1) Combine flour, baking powder,salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Make a well in center of mixture and add 6 tablespoons of water, stirring to mix with a spoon until a soft dough forms. If necessary, add additional water, a tablespoon at a time, to form dough. Knead lightly in bowl until soft dough forms, about 30 seconds. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes to relax gluten in flour.
2) Lightly flour a work surface. Turn dough onto surface and knead for about 30 seconds. Roll dough into a strip that is 16 x 4-inches in size. Cut crosswise into 20 3/4-inch strips. Pair and stack strips. Press each pair down the center with a chopstick to seal. Lightly stretch dough, working from center to ends, until each strip is about 10-inches long. Cover lightly with plastic wrap.
3) Using a high sided saute pan or a wok, pour in oil to a depth of 2-1/2 inches. Set over high heat and bring oil to a temperature of 350 degrees F. Place three to four strips of dough into pan and fry, turning often, until they turn golden brown, about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on layers of paper toweling. Continue procedure until all dough strips are cooked. Serve at room temperature. Yield: 10 donut strips.



Lemon Poppyseed Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons poppy seed
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup lemon yogurt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
Optional glaze: 2 tablespoons limoncello or 3 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom only of 8x4-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) Combine flour, poppy seed, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
3) Combine sugar and butter in bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add yogurt, eggs, lemon peel and vanilla; mix well. Reduce speed to low. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beating well after each addition, just until moistened.
4) Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove pan to a cooling rack. If desired, brush top of loaf with limoncello or lemon glaze. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely before serving. Bread ages well and benefits from overnight storage. Yield: 1 loaf or 12 servings.



Focaccia
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil, divided use
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup sliced oil-packed roasted peppers or 8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Combine flour and salt in work bowl of food processor. Stir in yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil. Process until ingredients form a ball. Process 1 minute more. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead about 2 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in oiled bowl; turn once to oil dough surface. Cover with clean kitchen towel. Let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
2) Punch dough down. Let rest 5 minutes. Press dough into oiled 10-inch cake pan, deep-dish pizza pan or springform pan. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Press peppers or sun-dried tomatoes over dough dough,staying about 1 inch from edge. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and let rise in warm place 15 minutes.
3. While dough completes final rise, preheat oven to425 degrees F. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Cook's Note: If mixing dough by hand, combine flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil until ball forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Proceed as directed.



Crumpets
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by James Beard
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup boiling water
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
8 to 10 buttered flan rings or tuna cans with tops and bottoms removed

Directions:
1) Combine milk and boiling water in a large bowl. Cool until lukewarm. Add yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until bubbly. Mix salt with flour. Add to yeast mixture and beat with a spoon for several minutes. Let batter rise until doubled in bulk and slightly bubbly. Beat dissolved soda into batter. Let rise again until doubled in bulk.
2) Heat a griddle or large frying pan over medium-hot heat. Position buttered rings in pan. Spoon batter into rings to a depth of about 1/2-inch. Cook until dry and bubbly on top. Remove rings, turn crumpets and brown lightly on the other side. Transfer to a rack to cool. Toast and butter to serve. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.



Shrove Tuesday Buns
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Kathy Cutler
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
Buns
3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Active dry yeast
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter
1 egg
Filling
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
3/4 cup confectioners" sugar + additional sugar for dusting
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Directions:
1) Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, yeast and cardamom in a mixing bowl. Whisk well.
2) Place milk and butter in a small saucepan and heat until butter is melted. Let cool to 120 degrees.
3) Add milk to flour mixture. Mix well. Add egg and about 1 cup of remaining flour to make a soft dough.
4) Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
5) Punch dough down. Shape dough into a 12-inch rope. Cut rope into 12 1-inch pieces.
Form pieces into round buns. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place buns on baking sheet. Lightly cover and let rise until double, about 30 minutes.
6) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
7) Bake buns for until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
8) Slice top off each bun. Reserve tops. Scoop out center of rolls, leaving a shell about 1/4-inch thick, with a fork or grapefruit spoon.
9) Place crumbs, nuts and confectioners' sugar in bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles corn meal. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add light cream and vanilla. Mix well.
10) Spoon filling into buns. Top each with a heaping spoonful of whipped cream. Put tops back on and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 12 Buns.



(Almost) Irish Soda Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Ina Garten
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread
Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1-3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup dried currants

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2) Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter and mix on low speed until butter is mixed into the flour.
3) Lightly beat buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. Set mixer to low speed and slowly add buttermilk mixture to flour. Toss currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into dough.
4) Dump wet dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into top of bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean and loaf has a hollow sound when tapped. Serve warm or at room temperature.Yield: 1 loaf.



Ciambellone - Italian Easter Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Kitchen Guy at Chef's Line
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
4 cups flour
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 egg for egg wash
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a large baking sheet or a 9-inch tube pan. Set aside.
2) Mound flour on a board. Create a well in center of mound. Using your fingers, begin alternating liquid and other dry ingredients into well, mixing until all ingredients are combined. Knead, adding additional flour if needed, to form a smooth dough.
3) Divide into one or two parts and shape into fat rings. Beat additional egg with a teaspoon of water. Brush top of ring with egg wash. Place on baking sheet or into tube pan. Bake 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 1 or 2 coils.
Flower Pot Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Recipezaar
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread
Directions for seasoning Terra Cotta Flower Pots:
1) Take two (6-inch) new terra cotta flower pots. Wash thoroughly, drain dry and grease them inside and outside, with shortening, butter or oil. Make sure to coat the rims as well
2) Heat pots in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes. Remove. Let cool. Repeat process two or three more times to create a non-stick surface on flower pots. Be careful not to burn yourself.



Flower Pot Bread

Ingredients:
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons sugar, divided use
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 teaspoon water or milk
Optional Extras
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoons mixed seeds
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Directions:
1) Grease inside and rim of 2 (6-inch) flower pots with shortening, oil or butter. Set aside.
2) Combine water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle dry yeast over water. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
3) Combine flour, salt and reserved 2 teaspoons sugar in a large bowl. Add any extras you want to use. Add yeast mixture and oil. Mix to form a smooth dough. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth and no longer sticky, about 10 minutes.
4) Cut dough into 6 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Place 3 balls in the bottom of each flower pot. Place on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5) Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush top of loaves with egg wash. sprinkle with seeds if desired. Bake loaves in middle of oven for 30 minutes, or until bread is a rich golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove bread from oven. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pots and continue cooling on wire racks until bread is at room temperature. Bread can be served in flower pots or decoratively wrapped. Yield: 2 loaves.



Chocolate Babka
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Trissalicios and Australian Gourmet Traveller
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided use
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 cup softened butter, divided use
1 cup coarsely chopped, toasted hazelnuts
1 bar (4-oz.) dark or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
For glaze:
Eggwash
Coarse sugar

Directions:
1) Combine milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour and mix on low speed to combine. Add whole eggs and yolk, reserved sugar and salt and mix to combine. Turn mixer to low speed. Gradually add reserved flour. When combined, add 2/3 cup butter, a little at a time, beating until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Turn soft dough into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double in bulk, about 1-1/2 hour.
2) Place hazelnuts in a food processor with reserved 1/4 cup butter. Process until a paste is formed. Set aside.
3) Grease 2 (3-1/2 x 8-inch) loaf pans. Line bottom with parchment paper and grease again. Punch dough down and divide into two pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll dough on a lightly floured surface to an 8 x 14-inch rectangle. Working from long side nearest you, spread half the hazelnut paste over dough to within 1-1/2 inches of all sides. Scatter with half of chopped chocolate. Roll into a cylinder, brush ends with eggwash and join ends to form a loop, then twist into a figure eight and place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover pans with plastic wrap and let rise until loaves reach top of pans, about 1 hour.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush loaves with eggwash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes before turning onto cooling racks. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 2 loaves.





Fry Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tablespoons lard, melted (butter may be substituted)
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup room temperature milk
4 cups oil for deep frying

Directions:
1) Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
2) Combine water, milk and lard or butter in a large measuring cup.
3) Slowly add liquids to flour and mix just until dough forms a ball. Knead in the bowl, about 10 times, to form a smooth ball that is not sticky. A small amount of flour may be added if needed. Cover dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
4) Heat oil in a deep fryer or a high-sided pan. If using an electric pan set thermostat to 350 degrees F.
5) Divided dough into 8 approximately equal pieces. Pat on a floured board or with floured hands to form circles about 5 to 6-inches in diameter. Place dough, a piece at a time, into hot oil and cook for 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all dough is used. Yield: 8 pieces.



Parker House Rolls
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search/label/bread

Ingredients:
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar, divided use
1/2 cup warm water
1-1/2 cups scalded milk, cooled to room temperature
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup melted butter, divided use
6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1) Combine yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar and water in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Let sit until frothy, about 5 minutes. Add milk, reserved 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter to yeast. Add 1-1/2 cups flour and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. With mixer at low speed, add 4 cups of flour, a cup at a time, beating until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let double in volume, about 1 hour.
2) Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured board. Let rest for 5 minutes. Roll dough into a sheet 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch rounds. Crease each round in the middle with the back of a knife. Brush exposed surfaces with reserved butter. Fold dough over and press lightly to seal. Place rolls 2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover lightly and allow to rise again until nearly double in volume,
about 35 minutes.
3) Meanwhile preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake until rolls are golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on racks. Yield: 36 rolls.



Popovers
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Pam Anderson
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/02/popovers-and-strawberry-butter-pink.html

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups instant blend flour (i.e. Wondra)
1 teaspoon slt
1-1/2 cups skim milk
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
1) Adjust an oven rack to lower middle position. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan or cups of 2 popover pans with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Mix eggs, milk and butter in a 1-quart measuring cup. Beat egg mixture into flour mixture until batter is smooth. Return batter to measuring cup. Return batter to 1-quart measure and pour into prepared cups, filling each three-fourths full.
3) Bake, without opening oven door, until popovers are crisp and golden, about 35 minutes. Twist gently to loosen from pan, then cool. Yield: 8 to 12 servings.



Strawberry Butter
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons strawberry puree or preserves

Directions:
Beat butter and cheese in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and strawberry puree and beat to combine. Transfer to a 1-cup ramekin. Cover with clear plastic wrap and refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving. Yield: 1 cup.



Strawberry Tea Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Taste of Home magazine
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/05/strawberry-tea-bread-sweet-cheeks.html

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted, divided use

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well.
3) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. Batter will be thick. Fold in strawberries and 1/2 cup nuts.
4) Scrape into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top with reserved 1/4 cup walnuts. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf.



Three Savory Quick Breads the French Way
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/03/three-savory-quick-breads-french-way.html

Years ago a girl's rite of passage included the making toll house cookies and a quick bread or two. Since then I've made a ton of cookies, but quick breads, for whatever reason, fell victim to benign neglect. There was an occasional pumpkin or cranberry bread but most other recipes were tucked away for a someday that never came. Then came a challenge - a quick bread challenge. Now, if I tell you I know why folks climb mountains - they're there and the climbers aren't - you'll understand how I feel about a healthy challenge. I pulled six recipes from my files, put on an apron and went at it in a big way. Today's breads are French, sassy and come to the table with lots of attitude. They're gutsy and delicious, but - and it's a big but - I don't know when you'd actually serve them. I've been told they should be cubed and served on toothpicks as an appetizer or h'orderves. Maybe. The problem is, while quick, they're competing with other finger foods that are easier to prepare. That's my prejudice. I won't make them again, but I recommend that you give them a try. They are really very good and if you're looking for something with a wow factor these breads just might do the trick.



Walnut Bread

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
3) Place milk and egg in a large bowl. Add sugar. Whisk to combine. Stir in flour mixture and beat with a wooden spoon until ingredients are combined. Mix in walnuts. Turn into prepared pan.
4) Bake in center of oven until puffed and golden, about 45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees; continue baking until cooked through, about 15 minutes longer.
5) Remove from oven. Let sit for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to age 24 hours before serving. Yield: 1 loaf.

Recipe adapted from the French Farm House Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis



Olive Bread

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 large roasted red pepper, coarsely chopped (from a jar is fine)
1 cup pitted Greek-style black olives, coarsely chopped
4 cups (loosely packed) then minced basil leaves
6 large eggs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Liberally grease and flour a 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2-inch loaf pan.
2) Sift flour, salt and baking powder together onto a piece of waxed paper. Set aside.
3) Place eggs in a large bowl; whisk. Add oil, basil and garlic; whisk until combined. Stir in flour; whisk until just combined. Add pepper and cheese. Fold in olives and roasted peppers. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake in center of oven until golden, about 45 minutes. Remove and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf.

Recipe courtesy of Susan Herrmann Loomis



Herb Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup minced fresh thyme leaves

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease and flour a 1 quart bread pan. Set aside.
2) Place flour, baking powder salt, eggs, yogurt and mustard in bowl of a food processor. Blend thoroughly. Add cheese and herbs and process to blend.
3) Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in center of oven until firm and golden brown. Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes. Turn onto a rack to cool to room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf.

Recipe courtesy of Patricia Wells



Yeasted Walnut Bread from Southern Burgundy
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Jane Grigson from James Beard's Beard on Bread
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/10/yeasted-walnut-bread-from-southern.html

Ingredients:
5 cups all purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 packages active dry yeast or 4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cups walnut oil or olive oil or 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted but cool
1/2 to 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped

Directions:
1) Sift flour, salt, and sugar into a warm bowl. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm milk, and pour it into middle of the flour, together with walnut oil (or butter) and remainder of milk. Knead well until dough is firm and blended into a smooth, springy ball, about 10 minutes.
2) Leave in a warm place to rise for 2 hours. Punch down dough, mix in walnuts and onions, shape into four rounds, and leave on a greased baking tray to rise for 45 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped underneath. Yield: 4 small loaves.



Chocolate Bread
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/05/chocolate-bread.html

Ingredients:
4 cups unbleached flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups warm water

Directions:
1) Place flour, cocoa, salt and yeast if a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine ingredients.
2) Pour in warm water and oil. Mix with a wooden spoon to form a dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. An electric mixer with a dough hook can also be used. If using an electric mixer, mix at medium speed until dough leaves sides of bowl and begins to climb the hook.
3) Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat both sides. Cover, let rise until double in volume, about 1 hour.
4) Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a loaf. Place in a lightly greased 2-quart bread pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
5) While dough completes final rise, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake risen loaf for 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 1 loaf.





Black Bread
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of James Beard
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/01/black-bread.html

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup cold water
3/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon instant coffee
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water + additional water as needed to form dough
2 cups dark rye flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached flour + additional flour for kneading
1 egg white beaten with 2 tablespoons flour

Directions:
1) Add cornmeal to cold water and mix in a bowl. Pour mixture into saucepan containing boiling water. Stir until thick and bubbling. Add butter, salt, sugar, caraway seeds, cocoa and instant coffee. Stir well. Remove from heat.
2) Place yeast in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup warm water; stir to dissolve. Add flours, adding more warm water as required tp produce a thick, sticky dough. Turn onto a floured board. Knead, adding more flour if required, to form a firm but elastic dough. Form into a ball and place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat dough on all side. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and knead on a lightly floured surface for 2 to 3 minutes. Divide dough into 2 portions and shape into two free-form loaves. Place on baking sheets covered with cornmeal. Allow to rise until almost doubled in bulk. Brush bread with beaten egg-white. Bake at 375 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow. Transfer to cooling racks. Yield: 2 loaves.





Old World Rye
A World of Breads by Dolores Casella, 1966
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/12/old-world-rye-bread-recipes-to-rival.html

Ingredients:
2 cups rye flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tablespoons yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons caraway seed
2 tablespoons butter
2-1/2 cups white flour or whole wheat flour

Directions:
1) Combine rye flour and cocoa. Do not sift.
2) Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
3) Mix molasses, 1 cup warm water, salt, and caraway seed in large mixing bowl. Add rye/cocoa mix, proofed yeast, butter and 1 cup white flour or whole wheat flour. Beat until the dough is smooth.
4) Spread remaining flour on a breadboard and kneed it into dough. Add more flour if necessary to make a firm dough that is smooth and elastic. Place in buttered bowl and cover. Allow to rise until double (about 2 hours).
5) Punch dough down, shape into a round loaf and place on a buttered cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise about 50 minutes.
6) Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes. Yield: 1 loaf.
Cook's Note: I added 1 cup or raisins and 1 cup walnuts to the dough before kneading.



ENGLISH MUFFINS
http://www.parade.com/food/recipes/parade/english-muffins.html
Bring out your inner-baker with this easy-to-follow, six-step recipe for homemade English muffins.
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup water, warmed to 110°F
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cornmeal, or as needed
Oil or solid vegetable shortening, as needed

1. Place the yeast and warm water in the bowl of a mixer and stir to completely dissolve. Let the yeast proof until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, butter, sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix ingredients together on low speed using the dough hook until all ingredients are blended, about 2 minutes.

2. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough is smooth, another 5 minutes.

3. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Fold the dough gently over on itself in three or four places and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

4. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into rounds and place on sheet pans that have been heavily dusted with cornmeal. Turn each muffin over to coat both sides with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until slightly risen, about 30 minutes.

5. Preheat a griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with oil or shortening. Cook the English muffins until lightly brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the muffins over and cook until golden brown, another 5 minutes.

6. Split the English muffins by pulling them apart with a table fork. Toast them just before serving. Serve very hot.

Nutrition analysis per one-ounce serving: 120 calories, 3g protein, 18g carbohydrate, 3.5g fat, 200mg sodium, 5mg cholesterol, less than 1g fiber

This recipe and more can be found in The Culinary Institute of America’s "Breakfast and Brunch Buffets," available now. Photo" CIA/Ben Fink

Dill Bread
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/02/for-beaming-bewitching-breads/Makes one 9×5-inch loaf
Ingredients:
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm (105 to 115°F) water
3 cups bread flour (I replaced 1/2 cup of this flour with whole wheat)
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried dill or dill seeds
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
1 tablespoon wheat germ, toasted
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup large-curd cottage cheese
1 large egg
Optional, for top of bread:
1 egg, lightly beaten, or 1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt or a few dill seeds
Method:
Combine yeast and water in a small bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about five minutes.
Combine flour, onions, dill, sugar or honey, wheat germ and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Add the yeast along with the cottage cheese and egg. Mix by hand or on low speed until the dough comes together, addition additional flour or warm water if needed. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (75 to 80 degrees) until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Grease a 9×5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan. Punch Gently press the dough down, form into a loaf and place seam side down in the pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. If desired, brush the top of loaf with the egg or melted butter, and then sprinkle with the additional salt or dill seeds. (I highly recommend the butter/salt combination.)
Bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 35 to 40 minutes. (My bread read just about 200°F on a thermometer when I took it out.) Remove the loaf from the pan to a rack and let cool completely.

Peter Reinhart’s Bagels
Adapted from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice
Hoo boy, there are a lot of notes for this one, so you might want to skim ahead to the end first. Otherwise, these are utterly glorious as-is, chewy with a crispy and tough exterior and a soft, flavorful interior. I have it on good authority that these are as good as, if not better, than the Old School variety.
Yield: 12 extremely large, 16 regularly large or 24 miniature bagels
Sponge
1 teaspoon instant yeast
4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour (see note below)
2 1/2 cups water, room temperature
Dough
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
3 3/4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons malt powder or 1 tablespoon dark or light malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar (see note below)
To Finish
1 tablespoon baking soda
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, kosher salt, rehydrated dried minced garlic or onions (Deb note: this was what I chose, and found the taste very authentic), or chopped onions that have been tossed in oil (optional)
Method:
1. Day one: To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Add the water, whisking or stirring only until it forms a smooth, sticky batter (like pancake batter). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly. It should swell to nearly double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop.
2. To make the dough, in the same mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), add the additional yeast to the sponge and stir. Then add 3 cups of the flour and all of the salt and malt. Stir (or mix on low speed with the dough hook) until the ingredients for a ball, slowly working in the remaining 3/4 cup flour to stiffen the dough.
3. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for at least 10 minutes (or for 6 minutes by machine). The dough should be firm, stiffer than French bread dough, but still pliable and smooth. There should be no raw flour – all ingredients should be hydrated. The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77 to 71 degrees F. If the dough seems to dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading. If the dough seems tacky or sticky, add more flour to achieve the stiffness required. The kneaded dough should feel satiny and pliable but not be tacky.
4. Immediately divide the dough into 4 1/2 ounce pieces for standard bagels, or smaller if desired (Deb note: I used 2.25 ounce pieces, and yes, I weighed them because I wanted them to bake evenly). Form the pieces into rolls.
5. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes.
6. Line 2 sheet pans with baking parchment and mist lightly with spray oil. Proceed with one of the following shaping methods:
Method 1: Poke a hole in a ball of bagel dough and gently rotate your thumb around the inside of the hole to widen it to approximately 2 1/2 inches in diameter (half of this for a mini-bagel). The dough should be as evenly stretched as possible (try to avoid thick and thin spots.)
Method 2: Roll out the dough into an 8-inch long rope. (This may require rolling part of the way and resting if the pieces are too elastic and snap back, in which case, allow them to rest for 3 minutes and then extend them again to bring to full length. Wrap the dough around the palm and back of your hand, between the thumb and forefinger, overlapping the ends by several inches. Press the overlapping ends on the counter with the palm of your hand, rocking back and forth to seal.
7. Place each of the shaped pieces 2 inches apart on the pans (Deb note: I got away with 1-inch space for the minis). Mist the bagels very lightly with the spray oil and slip each pan into a food-grade plastic bag, or cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
8. Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator by using the “float test”. Fill a small bowl with cool or room-temperature water. The bagels are ready to be retarded when they float within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water. Take one bagel and test it. If it floats, immediately return the tester bagel to the pan, pat it dry, cover the pan, and place it in the refrigerator overnight (it can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days). If the bagel does not float. Return it to the pan and continue to proof the dough at room temperature, checking back every 10 to 20 minutes or so until a tester floats. The time needed to accomplish the float will vary, depending on the ambient temperature and the stiffness of the dough.
9. The following day (or when you are ready to bake the bagels), preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with the two racks set in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (the wider the pot the better), and add the baking soda (and optionally, a few tablespoons of barley syrup, see Note at the end). Have a slotted spoon or skimmer nearby.
10. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the water, boiling only as many as comfortably fit (they should float within 10 seconds). After 1 minutes flip them over rand boil for another minute. If you like very chewy bagels, you can extend the boiling to 2 minutes per side (Deb note: I used the 2 minute option). While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment-lined sheet pans with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you decide to replace the paper, be sure to spray the new paper lightly with spray oil to prevent the bagels from sticking to the surface.) If you want to top (see note below) the bagels, do so as soon as they come out of the water. You can use any of the suggestions in the ingredients list or a combination.
11. When all the bagels have been boiled, place the pans on the 2 middle shelves in the oven. Bake for approximately 5 minutes, then rotate the pans, switching shelves and giving the pans a 180-degree rotation. (If you are baking only 1 pan, keep it on the center shelf but still rotate 180 degrees.) After the rotation, lower the oven setting to 450 degrees F and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until the bagels turn light golden brown. You may bake them darker if you prefer. (Deb note: I actually baked them quite a bit longer, often almost five extra minutes. I judge by color, not internal temperature, in this case. I did not lower the oven temperature because I had multiple batches to bake.)
12. Remove the pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving.
Cinnamon Raisin Bagels: For cinnamon raisin bagels, increase the yeast in the final dough to 1 teaspoon, and add 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon and 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar to the final dough. Rinse 2 cups of loosely packed raisins with warm water to wash off surface sugar, acid, and natural wild yeast. Add the raisins during the final 2 minutes of mixing. Proceed as directed, but do not top the bagels with any garnishes. When they come out of the oven and are still hot, you can brush the tops with melted butter and dip them in cinnamon sugar to create a cinnamon-sugar crust, if desired.
Notes:

• In his introduction to bagels, Reinhart mentions two ingredients that are not exactly ordinary, but completely essential to the bagel texture and flavor. The first is barley malt powder or syrup, more for that typical bagel shop flavor than anything else, and something that was readily available at Whole Foods and a bunch of other stores. Sadly, I cannot tell you if this ingredient is as essential as he said because I woke up with a startle at 7 a.m. the next morning, “Oh my god I forgot to add the barley syrup!” Don’t you hate it when that happens? Later, I read a recipe that suggested you add the barley syrup to the boiling water bath, and I did so in my later batches, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to get the flavor in somewhere. I ended up feeling that these bagels had a slightly darker, and more stereotypically-bagel color than the earlier batches, so I am adding this as an optional step.
• The second is high gluten flour, a step above the extra gluten in bread flour. (Though he says regular bread flour will work in a jam, I’m used to getting top-notch bagels, and was convinced I’d be able to tell the difference.) This can be ordered online or available in a specialty store (though I couldn’t come up with one in NYC that had it). Or, you can beg your local bagel shop for some of theirs, and given that the other two options would take time and energy, I turned to our beloved Murray’s on 8th Avenue. They came through, and then some, and I am now the proud own of some ten pounds of super-high gluten flour, and a sinking feeling that I’ll be making bagels again or some very tough cookies (bah!) this winter. The crazy, it keeps coming.
• I had difficulties getting my seeds and onion bits to stick to the top of the bagels. Though the recipe does not call for an egg wash, I would definitely use one next time to get them to stick, after the boiling and before the baking.
• These pictures were taken with a film camera! Our camera had a mishap (we’ll call it) last Friday and was out for repair when I made these bagels. Instead, I used Alex’s old manual Canon Rebel, replete with my macro lens and our Speedlite flash. How cool is it that everything works together? On Saturday, my dad was kind enough to lend us his Rebel XTi until ours came out of the shop, which is supposed to be today. (Pictures taken with his camera can be seen in the previous post.) Hooray for SantaDad, and camera repair shops that work quickly!
• Although Alex may have been the cause of the camera’s injury, he deserves a hearty round of applause for typing this entire recipe for us. 1,999 words!

Fougasse Provençale
Adapted from Nick Malgieri at The Institute of Culinary Education
http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/09/doughy-delights/Fougasse, or ladder bread, is typical in southern France. Herbes de Provence include marjoram, oregano, thyme, tarragon and savory. It is almost possible to purchase a ready-mixed version containing lavender and fennel, giving the bread an almost perfumed quality.
2 envelopes yeast
1/2 cup warm water at 110°F
8 ounces bacon
2 cups water, divided
1 tablespoon herbes de provence
4 3/4 – 5 3/4 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt

Rustic White Bread
Adapted from Nick Malgieri at The Institute of Culinary Education
From Nick: This bread reminds me of the rough country bread found throughout France and Italy. I like to shape it into a thick baguette (long loaf) to get the most crust. I also sprinkle the loaves heavily with flour after they are formed – this keeps them from crusting during the rising and also gives the baked loves an appetizing appearance.
2 cups warm tap water, about 110 degrees
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
5 1/4 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup flour for dusting the loaves
Cornmeal for the pans
2 small cookie sheets or a large (at least 11×17-inch) jelly roll pan
1. To make the dough, in a 3-quart mixing bowl place water and sprinkle yeast on surface, allowing it to stand for two minutes before whisking. Add the smaller amount of flour and salt stiffing with a rubber spatula until it forms a ball. Knead the dough by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, adding more flour if dough is too soft.
2. To mix the dough in the food processor, place the smaller amount of flour and salt in work bowl fitted with metal blade, adding water and yeast. Pulse repeatedly until dough forms a ball (if dough will not form a ball, add remaining flour a tablespoon at a time, and pulse until ball forms. Let dough rest 5 minutes, then let machine run continuously for 20 seconds.
3. To mix dough in a heavy-duty mixer, place smaller amount of flour and salt in bowl of mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add water and yeast and mix on low speed to form a smooth, elastic and slightly sticky dough, about 5 minutes. Incorporate the remaining flour a tablespoon at time if the dough is too soft.
4. Place dough in an oiled bowl (you may need to use a scraper) and turn dough over so top is oiled. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise at room temperature until doubled. If you wish to interrupt the process, let the dough begin to rise, then punch it down, cover it tightly and refrigerate. When you are ready to proceed, bring back to room temperature until it begins rising again.
5. To shape loaves, scrape risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it to deflate it. Divide dough in half and shape one piece at a time. Press dough into a square, then roll it up tightly. Rotate cylinder of dough 90 degrees and roll up again from short end. Arrange dough seam side down, cover with plastic or a towel and let it rest of 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining piece of dough.
6. Dust pan with cornmeal. Roll each piece of dough under palms of your hands to elongate it. Work from middle of loaf outward, pointing the ends slightly. Place loaves seam side down on cookie sheets and dust each loaf heavily with flour, using about 1/3 cup in all. Cover with plastic or a towel and allow to rise until doubled.
7. About 30 minutes before you intend to bake the loaves, preheat oven to 500 degrees and set racks at the middle and lowest levels. Set a pan on the lowest rack to absorb some of the excess bottom heat and keep the bottom of the loaves from burning.
8. Holding a razor blade or the point of a very sharp knife at a 30-degree angle to the top of each loaf, make 3 to 4 diagonal slashes in each loaf. Immediately place loaves in oven and lower temperature 450 degrees.
9. After loaves have baked for 20 minutes and are completely risen, lower temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking about 20 to 30 minutes longer, until bread reaches an internal temperature of about 220 degrees. Remove loaves from oven and cool on a rack.

White Batter Bread
From the ICE’s Techniques of Bread Baking 1
http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/09/the-other-side-of-atkins/2 cups warm milk, about 110 degrees
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 envelope; some argue it’s actually 2 1/4 tsp. If you have more time, use the lesser amount) active dry yeast
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted or vegetable oil
1. Whisk yeast into warm milk and set aside while preparing other ingredients. (About 5 minutes does the trick.)
2. Whisk yeast into salt, sugar and butter.
3. Beat in flour to make a smooth batter, you’ll want to do this for a few minutes.
4. Pour into buttered loaf pan and let rise, covered with a towel or plastic, until doubled.
5. When it’s almost doubled, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and set a rack at the middle level.
6. When it’s completely risen, place in oven and bake about 30 minutes, until it’s golden brown and firm, and the internal temperature is about 210 degrees.
7. Unmold the loaf and let it cool completely on a rack.

Chocolate Orange Bread
From Techniques of Bread Baking 1 at the ICE
http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/09/the-other-side-of-atkins/Though this sounds more like cake than bread, it is not too sweet and make a perfect breakfast or brunch bread.
1/2 cup warm water, about 110 degrees
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (remember to reserve some, adding it only if you need)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, about 1 ounce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
One 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4-inch loaf pan, buttered
1. Place warm water in a small bowl and whisk in yeast
2. To mix dough by hand, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, orange zest and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Rub in butter until no piece of butter remain visible. Add milk, egg and yeast mixture and stir to form a rough dough. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface (you may need the help of a scraper) and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
3. Place dough in a buttered bowl and turn to coast all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
4. Turn risen dough from bowl out onto a floured work surface. Press down with palms of hands to deflate. To form loaf, stretch dough into a rough rectangle, then fold in short ends until dough is approximately the length of the pan. Then fold far long edge down to the middle. Fold over the remaining long edge and compress to form a tight cylinder. Place the loaf in the pan, seam side down. Cover the pan with plastic wrap (deb note: you’ll want to quickly spray or oil the top of it so it doesn’t stick to the plastic when it rises) and allow dough to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
5. When the loaf is rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees and set a rack at the middle level.
6. When the loaf is completely risen, place in oven and immediately lower temperature to 350 degrees. Bake about 30 to 40 minutes, until well risen and firm to the tough. The internal temperature of the bread will be about 210 degrees when it’s done. (deb note: might be as low as 190, as this has an egg and butter in it). Unmold the loaf to a rack to cool.


Irish Mum's Brown Bread
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000151.html
(Photo by flickr.com)
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat bread flour
1 cup unbleached white bread flour (Heidi: I used King Arthur brand)
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4+ cups buttermilk
2 ounces butter (preferably Kerrygold)
1 egg
Method:
1. Melt the butter over gentle heat.
2. In a medium-sized bowl lightly beat the egg and then gradually add the buttermilk all the while stirring to incorporate the egg. Beat in the butter.
3. In another bowl sift and mix the dry ingredients as best you can (not really a prob if you can't find the coarse flour), and then stir in the buttermilk mixture. If you are using a baking tin the mixture should be on the wetter side - (heidi: like a thick brownie mix, something you could pour into the tin, not scoopable by hand really). If your dough is too dry, mix in small splashes of buttermilk until it is the right consistency.
4. Cook at 400F for 50 minutes on the middle rack. You want to hear a sort of hollow sound when you knock on the bottom of the tin. Resist the urge to take the bread out too soon, or the middle of the bread won't get cooked through.
Makes 1 loaf.

 

 

Perfect French Bread Recipe
http://steamykitchen.com/75-baking-the-perfect-loaf-of-french-bread.html
Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients:
4 cups bread flour
2 tsp active quick rising dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
Method:
1. Put 1/4 cup of bread flour on your clean counter top and reserve. Place remaining 3 3/4 cups bread flour in your mixer bowl. Spoon the yeast on one side of the bowl, and the salt on the other side. Pour in the warm water and with your regular mixer paddle, mix on low speed until the dough comes together in a mass. Switch to the dough hook. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Dough should clear the sides but stick to the bottom. If it is too sticky, add 1 T of flour at a time. If too dry, add 1 T of water to dough to adjust. After 2 minutes, let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
2. Turn the mixer on again and mix for 3 minutes. Take the dough out and place on the counter. Remember that 1/4 cup of flour that we reserved? We’ll use it now. As you knead the dough by hand, incorporate more flour as you need. You might not need it all. Knead by hand until the dough is very satiny, smooth, tight and formed into a nice, compact ball. Place this dough in a large lightly oiled bowl (I use Pam spray). Turn dough over so that all sides have a thin coating of oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm place for 1 1/2 hours. Dough should almost double in size. Punch dough down and form back into a ball. Poke your finger on the surface – the dough should give into the pressure and slowly creep back up.
3. About 1 hour into the rest stage, preheat your oven to 450F (convection 425F). Place your pizza stone, inverted baking sheet or covered cast iron pot into the oven to heat up.
4. Ok, here’s the fun part. Cut the dough into half – you’ll shape one half at a time (keep the other piece under wraps) Pick up the dough – stretch it out until it forms a big rectangle. On your countertop dusted with flour, fold over the ends. Now do a little “karate chop” lengthwise down the middle of the bread and stretch out the long ends again. Fold over in half. The karate chop helps get the middle tucked inside. Pinch all sides shut. This is important – you want to make sure that all ends including the short ends are pinched tightly to create a seal. This allows the bread to rise & expand up and out evenly. If the bread looks a little lopsided, you can try to fix it by letting it rest 5 minutes and gently stretching it out again. Just don’t knead the dough again – you’ll pop all the beautiful gas that took 1.5 hours to create!
5. Turn the bread over so that its seam side down. Cover the loaf with a damp kitchen towel. Repeat with the other dough halve. Leave the loaves to rest on your well-floured pizza peel or cutting board for 30 minutes. After resting, take a sharp paring knife and make 3-4 shallow, diagonal slashes on the surface of the loaf. This allows the steam in the bread to escape so that it expands evenly during the baking process. When you are ready to bake, remove your baking vessel. Carefully slide the gorgeous loaf into or onto your baking vessel. I like baking one loaf at a time. The most important equipment to have is an instant read thermometer to measure temperature of the bread.
If you are using pizza stone or inverted baking sheet: You can probably fit both loaves on it at the same time if you wish. -> Get a 1/2 cup of water ready next to the stove. Open the stove, put your bread in the oven and throw the water on the oven floor. Immediately close the oven door. This creates your steam. -> Bake 20-25 minutes. Check temperature of the bread – internal should be 190-210F. Remove and let cool before cutting into it.
If you are using a long cast-iron pot or covered baker: -> Before closing the lid on your pot/baker, put 1/4 cup of water directly in the pot. Cover immediately. Put pot in oven. -> Bake 10 minutes. Remove lid of pot. Bake another 14 minutes. Check temperature of the bread – internal should be 190-210F. Remove and let cool before cutting into it. Repeat with other loaf. (For convection ovens- bake 8 min covered, 10-12 min uncovered. Check temperature of bread) To re-crisp the crust, put in 375F oven for 5 minutes. Eat one loaf, share the other loaf with a friend!

Secrets to a Perfect Loaf of French Bread in 3 Hours

Usually, my stand-by recipe is the No Knead Bread (because its so damn easy) but it does require you to mix the dough at least 12 hours prior. When I only have a three hours, this is my recipe which is based on trial-and-error from baking over 40 loaves in the past 8 months. The techniques are a combination of things I learned from Pamela Anderson (no not arm candy, the chef Pam Anderson!), the original No Knead Recipe published in the NY Times and Rose Levy Beranbaum (author of the Bread Bible)

Secret #1: Knead dough with dough hook for 2 minutes. Let it rest for 7 and then knead again for another 3 minutes. If you are doing this by hand, then your formula is 6 min-7 min-7 min. Letting the dough rest at this stage allows the gluten to relax, redistribute, and get all cozy. It results ultimately a smoother, well-mixed dough. After the brief rest, you’ll feel a difference in the dough. Its more supple and soft.

Secret #2: Pinch! When you form the dough into a loaf (see photo below) pinch all ends tightly to create a seal. Basically, you are creating surface tension so that the gas from the yeast (or as Alton Brown describes “When the yeast burps”) the dough expands up and out evenly. If I don’t create this surface tension, the dough in the oven will just go “blah” like Al Bundy on the couch. Something called gravity makes the dough expand down and flat.

Secret #3: Use a pizza stone, cast iron dutch oven or my favorite Pampered Chef Covered Baker. Just make sure that your loaf will fit into the vessel. Stone or cast iron retains heat and radiates the heat of the oven evenly. If you don’t have one, don’t worry, just use a good quality, thick baking sheet inverted.

Secret #4: Steam = thin, crunchy, beautiful crust. In the No Knead recipe, there is a high proportion of water to flour. Because the NK dough rests for multiple hours, lots of water in the recipe works. In this 3 hour french bread recipe, you can’t do that. To make steam (a.k.a. crust) – you have to do one of 2 things, depending on the baking vessel.

-> Pizza stone or baking sheet: Once you put the bread in the oven, throw 1/2 cup of water on the oven floor (electric oven) and immediately close the door. No, it won’t harm the oven. It’s a technique that professional bakers recommend for home ovens (professional ovens have a built in steamers). Once the water hits the hot oven floor, it creates steam, which creates the crust.

-> Covered baker or dutch oven: You’ll need less water – about 1/4 cup. Once you put the loaf into the very hot pot, throw in the water and over the lid immediately. Put the pot directly in the oven. Because you’ve pre-heated the oven AND the pot for 1 hour, the trapped water in the pot will create steam. If you are shy about throwing water in, grab a pie pan or loaf pan, preheat it along with whatever you are baking on, and throw the water in that instead of the oven floor. Basically, cold water in hot pan + hot oven = steam. I have an electric oven (heating element is on the top of oven). Some bakers throw ice cubes in, but I prefer water.

Secret #5: Timing and temperature:
Have an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature of the bread should be 190-210F.
All ovens are different and I’m sure our loaves will be different shapes.
The timing in the recipe below is just a guide for you – this is what works in my oven and how I shape my loaves.
Please make sure that you check the internal temp of your bread to gauge doneness.


Photos by links as provided.