Friday, September 19, 2014

THE BREAD: MY MOST FAVORITE BREAD RECIPE

This is my favorite bread recipe.  I love it for a number of reasons.  It's pretty much no-fail.  Every time I've made it it turns out.  That's probably my highest priority with bread recipes-reliability.  It also uses potato flakes.  As an Idaho native, it just make me happy.  We have a thing for potatoes up there.  

I wouldn't say it's an overly-healthy recipe, that's the main downside.  Upgrading to organic flours and using raw honey definitely help.  I have intentions to one day attempt and modify this to use with other flours and see if I can do a gluten-free version...I'm sure you'll hear about it on here if I do.

Also...I'm trying to learn Lightroom.  I have a standard edit I use in photoshop and these pics obviously aren't it.  I'm loving the filmy-ness that we've got going on here with these but I'm still not where I'd like with Lightroom.  If you'd like to track my progress/see where I'm at with my Lightroom education you can follow my pinterest board as I'm looking up tutorials and finding answers to my questions.

Anyway, THE BREAD:


I am in love with this cooking spray.  We switched to using coconut oil for just about everything around here a while back and this is just the cherry on the cake!  I've used crisco, standard cooking spray, olive oil and this is the first time my bread has effortlessly fallen right out of my bread pans with out any problems!!  I ♥ Trader Joes.


Be sure to coat the corners the most!  That's where bread likes to stick and not come out!


Add 2 Tbsp yeast to 1 1/4 C warm water (like babies bath water).  You want that nice comforting warm environment that yeast loves to grow in.


Let it expand a bubble a little bit.


And then add 1/2 C honey.  I am in love with this honey!  It's local, raw and so SO delicious.  If you're local to StG check out www.ichowlocal.com/.  It's an amazing resource for local and organic produce in our area!


Add 1 cup milk and stir.  I usually turn it on "stir" on my kitchenaid as I'm adding these ingredients.  I also use a bread hook instead of the standard mixing attachment.  Before I had a kitchenaid I made this using a regular ol' bowl and wooden spoon and that worked great!


And 1/3 C olive oil.


And 1/2 C potato flakes OR 1/2 C mashed potato.  I often have potatoes on hand so I'll just quickly peel and boil one to mash up and add in.


Then 2 C wheat flour.


Mix that for a little longer until it's really starting to look doughy.


2 tsp salt.


And finally 3 C bread flour.  I keep hearing all of this amazing stuff about King Arthur Flour.  So I tried it.  It's really good.  This bread was particularly flavorful and I think that had something to do with it.


Mix it all up but not too much and turn it out onto a floured surface.


MY FAVORITE PART!!  Knead away until your dough is smooth, not too sticky and oh so doughy.


Split your dough into 2 balls and let rest while you clean up and get your dishes to the sink to soak.


Pat balls out into loaves-rolling into a log, pinching the seams and tucking the ends under.


Lay seam down in already sprayed glass pans.


Put a mug of water in your microwave and microwave for 2 minutes.  Place the 2 loaf pans in the microwave with the now warm mug of water to rise for 20-30 minutes. (DO NOT MICROWAVE YOUR DOUGH-MICROWAVE THE WATER BEFORE AND THEN JUST PUT THE LOAVES IN THERE TO RISE)


Before and then after 25 minutes.


Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 F.


Immediately remove from pans and allow to cool.


Smother with Irish butter!!


And homemade jam or jelly!


THE BREAD

1 1/4 C warm water
2 Tbsp instant yeast
1 C milk (prepared dried milk works too)
1/2 C honey
1/3 C olive oil
1/2 C mashed potato or potato flakes
2 C whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
3 C bread flour

PREHEAT your oven to 350 F.

GREASE two glass loaf pans with coconut oil spray.

MIX warm water and yeast.  Wait for it to expand a bubble a bit and then add honey, milk and olive oil while mixing.  Add mashed potatoes (or flakes), whole wheat flour, salt and bread flour.  Mix until a dough starts to form.

KNEAD dough on a floured surface adding extra flour as needed.  Cut in half and form each into a smooth ball and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Pat balls out into loaves by rolling into a log, pinching seams and tucking them under.  Lay them seam-side down into greased pans.

HEAT a mug of water in microwave for 2 minutes.  Place loaf pans in microwave with warm mug to rise for 20-30 minutes.

BAKE for 35-40 minutes in preheated oven at 350 F.  Immediately remove bread from pans and allow to cool.  Serve with butter and home made jam!

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