This is so far, the best thing I have baked, since I started baking. Baking the last two weeks is what some call their bucket list. One of the things you always wanted to do. Yes, something that I could have done anytime. There are things in every ones life like that. Things you just haven't done, for what ever reason. This beautiful thing with the icing melting off the picture is a "Stollen" I believe, it is from Germany. I've been seeing them in the check out at the grocer, and since I'm baking I thought I would give it a try. I stared baking to make my own pizzas, and have loved the aroma of fresh bread. I did start with a bread that sounded easy enough. It didn't rise the way I hoped, but it tasted really good. Not discouraged, I went to your basic, all round french bread, or recipe for bread sticks.
This is good, but here again they are not rising enough. Don't get me wrong if it was easy we would all make bread at home. Actually it is hard work. A friend who bakes told never let the salt met the yeast. Then I watch a video of baking bread , and he pours the salt right on top the the yeast, in the bowl. He said the yeast is dead, right, OK.
Now, this has rose up nice, but when the egg wash went on top it fell some. This is looking so good though. Just looking at the picture, I wish I had made one today, for supper. For this Master Dough, it makes two loafs. 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, the reason for the difference is temperature, moisture in the air, time of day, a lot of things. 3 tablespoons of sugar, sugar speeds up the action of the yeast. Next the yeast 2 envelopes, I bought a jar of yeast. I know I'm going to be making bread often. I also know I'll be messing up. With the jar of yeast it is 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast to make one packet. Now 2 teaspoons of salt, just on the safe side I'm not going to let them touch any ways. The yeast has to be kept in the refrigerator when not in use. I put it in the bowl first, while I get the rest stuff together. That lets it get to room temperature.
That was it for the dry ingredients. In a small pot on the stove put 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, 1/2 a stick, 1 1/2 cup of water, and 1/2 of milk. Warm this to 120 - 130 degrees. On every bread this is the same. It is important to the yeast, below 120 is not good, and above 130 is to hot. The water is important or they would not tell me this on every bread. Also this french bread looks good and even taste good, but when the melted butter was painted on top it fell. When it came out of the oven it is heavy.
With this recipe you just but 2 1/2cups of flour in the bowl, add the warm butter, milk, and water and mix with a mixer at low speed. Then after it is mixed for about 2 minutes, add 1/2 cup flour and mix on high speed for 2 minutes. With a wooden spoon add the remaining flour to make soft dough. Smooth and elastic about 8 - 10 minutes, cover and let rest 10 minutes.
After the 10 minutes, split dough into two pieces. Take one piece split it into 3 pieces. Roll out each piece into ropes and braid on a greased cookie sheet, pinching the ends together. The other one roll out into a long rope, and with a knife cut off 16 small pieces. Roll these up into individual bread sticks twisting and pinching the ends to a greased cookie sheet. Into the oven at 400 for 10 - 20 minutes. The braided loaf bake about 25 minutes, or until done.
The next bread is the Harvest Stuffing Bread, and yes it taste like Dressing at Christmas. Once again when I put the egg wash on top it fell. This is a hardy bread full of flavor, and just like in the video it is great for making sandwiches. I tried slicing it at an angle to make the slices bigger. I ended up eating it like cornbread, but once again it has kind of heavy. Even though I'm not getting these breads just right, they still taste good. I'm eating them, nothing in back yard for the birds yet. This bread is so good I have baked it twice. It fell both times, the second was in a loaf pan so it was a little taller, but still heave.
This one has 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tbs sugar,1 envelope yeast, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbs minced onions, 1 tbs parsley flakes, 1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning. Here I used just 1/2 tsp sage. Even with Christmas Dressing go lite on the sage. Most important, go lite on the sage. Wish someone had told my Grandmother that.
That is it for the dry ingredients. Warm up 1 1/4 cup of water and 1 tbs butter, 120 to 130, cooking at 375 for 35 minutes.
This is the main reason I want to make yeast breads. Home made pizza better than Pizza Hut, or Papa John. I have been making pizza's, with french bread from the grocer. French bread makes a good pizza, but I want the real thing, and I did it. The pizza you see here was great. Question, are you supposed to put the pepperoni, onions, and olives on top of the cheese or under it? I went to Wal-mart just to buy a large pizza pan cookie sheet. Got 2 of them.
If it is your dream to make pizza's at home like mine, then just follow these easy steps. Remember practice makes better. We need 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 envelope yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup water, and instead of butter, 1 tablespoons of EVOO. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Put a small pot on the stove with the water and EVOO. Heat it between 120 and 130 degrees. Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl. With mixer on low add warm water and EVOO, mix for 2 minutes. Then with a wooden spoon stir in the rest of flour a little at a time until smooth and elastic. About 8 to 10 minutes. Cover and let sit and rest for 10 minutes.
Unless you know how to stretch dough and throw it in the air like they do at the pizzeria. Then let me warn you that rolling out a circle and place on a greased baking sheet is not easy. What I did is lay down wax paper with some XVOO on it. I Rolled it out on that, lay ed the pizza pan on top, and flipped it over. Then just pill ed the wax paper off. Poke some fork holes in the dough, and put in an oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Take it out, put my topping on, lowered the temperature to 375 and baked for 20 minutes. It was the best pizza ever.
As always share this Blog with your friends. If you were hoping for the recipe for the German Stollen. Guess what? You have to read it in my next Blog. Charles Kenneth's Corner is a collection of stories about family, art, and such. Lots of good food recipes for young people just starting out. Some recipes of bread as I'm learning the ins and outs of baking. Don't be afraid to try something new, even if you mess up you tried. If you have never fail or messed up. You are not living. Yeast was $5.00 and all-purpose flour was less than $2.00. So far I was able eat it myself. If not the birds and squirrels won't mind. O, you just might have fun while you are doing it.
