Sundays Are For Baking Bread - Part Three

If you have read my blog, in the past, you know I have a sourdough starter which requires that you use it or lose it. The instructions say that you must use and feed it once a week. I'll admit that I have gone two weeks and perhaps a bit longer before figuring out how to incorporate it into our eating regime. This week I decided to try my hand at english muffins. I have a good friend - I'll call her "Stacy"- who found out what I was making and chided me by saying that I could easily purchase a half dozen muffins for $2.00. While this is true that comment came from a girl that once told me that boxed mashed potatoes were superior to homemade! Her secret - add garlic, so I'll let you be the judge.

I understand that english muffins are inexpensive, but I was curious about how they were made. English Muffins are cooked on a griddle - just like pancakes! These were really fun to make and they freeze really well too. Thank you King Arthur Flour for the following recipe.

Sourdough English Muffins

Makes 24

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 cups warm water, 105 degrees to 110 degrees F

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 cup sourdough starter

7 to 8 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose flour

1/2 cup non-fat dry milk

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sour salt (citric acid), optional

Approximately 2 tablespoons cornmeal or semolina

Instructions:

• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Stir in and dissolve the yeast, and then mix in the sourdough starter and 1 cup of flour. Let this sit for a few minutes, until the mixture begins to bubble.
• Add the dry milk, butter, salt, sour salt (if you're using it; it's a nice flavor-booster) and a second cup of flour, and beat well. Add 5 to 6 cups of flour, one cup at a time, to form a dough that holds together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it's smooth and springy, but slightly on the slack side about 8 minutes. Add flour only as necessary to prevent sticking. Clean out and grease your bowl and place the dough in the greased bowl, turning it so that a thin film of oil coats all sides. Cover the dough with a damp towel, let it stand until it has doubled in size, 1 to 1-1/2 hour.
• When the dough has risen, punch it down, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, cover it and let it sit for a few minutes (to relax the gluten). Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece out separately to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 3-inch rounds.

My cutter is a vintage tuna can with the top and bottom cut out. This can is about 20 years old. Cans that are made today are seamless on the bottom, so you can't cut the bottom out.

• Re-roll and cut any remaining scraps. Place the rounds, evenly spaced, onto cornmeal or semolina sprinkled baking sheets (12 to 13 rounds per sheet), sprinkle them with additional cornmeal or semolina, cover with a damp towel, and let them rise until light and puffy, about 1 hour.

This picture shows the muffins at the beginning of the rising process.

• Carefully transfer the rounds (as many at a time that will fit without crowding) right-side up to a large electric griddle preheated to 350 degree F. Cook them 2 minutes on each side, then 6 additional minutes on each side. Be gentle during these first few flips so the muffins don't deflate! Cook six minutes more on each side, then up to an additional 4 minutes on each side, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of a muffin registers 190 degrees F. Remove them from the griddle and cool on a wire rack.

Look how tall they get!

I replaced three cups of the white flour with whole wheat with no noticeable problems.

As for my friend "Stacy" I gave her a couple of muffins to compare to the Aunt Millie's brand she buys at Marsh Grocery. No word yet on what she thinks, but I hope she liked them. Life is good-enjoy!

Sundays Are For Baking Bread - Part Two

One of the first things I purchased from King Arthur Flour Company was a sourdough starter. They send it to you in a small plastic container which you immediately have to adopt, Brangelina style, or it will die.  You not only have to feed it once a week you have to also bake some recipe that uses a part of it or throw a part of it away.  You also have the option of giving some to a friend - just make sure it's a friend you can loose.   Sourdough starter is a lot of work, so if you get some know it is a commitment. I tried several times, over the course of my life, to start my own starter, but it never worked out for me.  I never had the right container, it would spoil or I would spill it in the refrigerator.  King Arthur has a wonderful crock that you can purchase that will hold the starter and that's what I did.  It not only works but looks great too.

I lifted this bread recipe directly form the King Arthur website.

Rustic Sourdough Bread

1 cup "fed" sourdough starter

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

5 cups King Arthur Unbleched All-Purpose Flour

• Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.
• Allow the dough to rise, in a covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes
• Gently divide the dough in half; it'll deflate somewhat
• Gently shape the dough into two oval loves, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Spray the loves with lukewarm water.
• Make two fairly deep horizontal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife (I use a razor blade) wielded firmly, works well here.
• Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it's a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Notice my bread looks a little dark. I added 1/4 cup of ground flax seed for a quarter cup of the flour. Since there are only two of us I usually cut this recipe in half. Life is good - Enjoy!

Sundays Are For Baking Bread

I like getting up on Sunday mornings and baking a loaf of bread. I like the smell, I like the feel of the dough and I really like eating the results.  I also like to watch Mike, my husband, carry it to work in his lunch bag.  I recently discovered the King Arthur Flour Company.  They have everything when it comes to baking. Their website will teach you to bake, give you recipes, let you ask questions and shop for all kinds of things including flour, speciality pans, tools and gifts.  On my first web order they gave me a box mix for Lemon Seed Poppy Muffins!  These folks are hip with their own blog and twitter account. The company is 100% employee owned and empowered. They give away 5% of their profits to over 250 non-profit groups each year. What is not to like about this company - I say give them your baking business.

Today's bread recipe was lifted from the back of a King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat flour bag.

Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread

1-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast OR 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

1-1/3 cups lukewarm water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey, molasses, or maple syrup (My friend and fellow bread maker, Ann McKenzie just gave me a pint of maple syrup, so today 1/4 cup is in my bread)

3-1/2 cups King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 cup nonfat dried milk

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder (only if you like - see note)

Mixing:  In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl.  Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine programmed for "dough" or "manual.") Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Shaping:  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 30 to 60 minutes, or until it's crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan.  A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Baking:  Bake the bread in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 40 minutes tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes.  Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan an thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190 degrees F at the center of the loaf). Let it cool on a rack before slicing. Store in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield 1 loaf.

Note:  Diastatic Malt Powder has active enzymes that helps yeast grow fully and efficiently throughout the fermentation period, resulting in better texture, more flavor and improved shelf life. It can be purchased at King Arthur Flour.

This bread is perfect for sandwiches.  You can toast it or grill it or just slice and eat this moist, fine-grained and nutty tasting bread. Life is good - enjoy!