Here are a few changes you may want to make to the basic
White Bread recipe.
Brown Bread. Use Whole Wheat Flour; or 1/2 white, 1/2 brown for a
medium loaf.
Make it faster. We want you to try the "leave it on the
counter until you see something growing" method FIRST. This way we
know you are going to get something edible.
To speed up the first step take the liquids and heat in the microwave for
about 2 minutes. Add sugar, salt, oil and mix with a wooden or plastic
spoon until dissolved completely. Add yeast and cover. You
should be able to add the flour after about 10 minutes and it produces
approximately the same results. By warming (but not boiling) the
liquid, then stirring in the other ingredients we can be sure that the
liquid is warm and not hot. This allows the yeast to flourish
immediately not organically.
To speed up the rising make sure that the bread is in a warm, moist
place. A gas oven is ideal; simply put a metal pot with some water and
leave the bread in the cool oven. The pilot light will keep it at a
nice 80 degrees and speed up the process. If you are cooking a meal
while making bread the heat of the kitchen itself will keep it at a
desirable temperature. If it's under 70 degrees in the room the yeast
will grow, but very slowly.
Toppings: You can easily add sesame seeds, oats or whatever to the
top your loaf. Simply brush with shortening (not salted butter, it
will burn and discolor the loaf) and sprinkle topping immediately.
Replace in over for another 2 minutes and remove. If you are adding
toppings you pretty much need a cooling rack since by tipping it out on it's
side you often loose most of the topping itself since it has not completely
cooled.
Cinnamon/Raisin Bread
Work 1 cup of dry raisins or currents directly into the bread dough after
the 1st rising. Don't be shy, use ALOT of raisins if you want to be able to see them
within the loaf. Add 1 tablespoon cinnamon and some brown sugar directly to the batter to flavor the bread.
If you REALLY like cinnamon add a layer of cinnamon mixed with some brown
sugar when rolling as jelly roll. This will color the dough as
illustrated.
Cheese Bread
Many recipes will call for "grated cheese". We find that when you
use grated cheese since it is finely chopped when it is heated it disappears
into the bread itself. It gives the crust a nice flavor and texture
but does not add much to the loaf.
Add little cubes of cheese to the dough before the 2nd rising to get
those nice explosions of cheese that we all love in your loafs and save the
grated cheese as a topping.