Looking for a bread recipe

[carbonel]

I've been making no-knead bread occasionally for the past year or so, but I'd like to branch out a bit.

I tried making kneaded bread (a cob loaf) for the first time in years, and it turned out more or less the way it should, but it wasn't my kind of bread -- too soft and too dense a crumb (that may have been a proofing error on my part). I prefer bread that has some holes but not huge ones, and that has a bit of chewiness to it.

I'd like something that calls for kneading, since I'd like an alternative to an overnight rise, and doesn't require a sourdough starter. Any recommendations for a non-sourdough kneaded loaf that uses wheat flour? I currently have bread flour, AP flour (lots of this), and WW flour, but no flour from other grains.

Comments

[graydon]

I have bread recipes from a long time ago, but they're deeply buried somewhere in a box of kitchen stuff this kitchen wasn't large enough to unpack.

So, no, alas, I do not.

I remember bread as being incredibly straightforward, something where it was entirely possible to go by the feel of the loaf, but it's been an awfully long time and I probably shouldn't trust it.

[gwyn]

I keep planning to try this recipe I saw on tumblr when my pain lessens a little bit:

https://thebibliosphere.tumblr.com/post/150472721391/i-was-at-our-local-bakery-recently-and-came-across

[carbonel]

Thanks, that looks interesting.

Honey Whole Wheat

[notyourwendy]

3 c. whole wheat flour
3-4 c. white flour
2 pkgs (~4 T) dry yeast
2 1/4 c. hot water
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. shortening (I use softened butter)
1 T. salt

Dissolve yeast in hot water, wait about 5 minutes
Add honey, shortening, salt, and whole wheat flour and mix well.
Add white flour 1 cup at a time until it feels like bread dough. Knead 10 minutes, and rise 1 hour.
Divide into 2 loaf pans, rise 45 minutes, bake 45 minutes at 375

Re: Honey Whole Wheat

[carbonel]

Thanks for the bunches of recipes. It's interesting to see the similarities and differences among them.

Re: Honey Whole Wheat

[notyourwendy]

My recipes are biased towards ones that use 5-6 cups of flour because I know that's what will make me two loaves - one for now and one for the freezer for later. I also tend not to have milk or eggs around - they tend to go bad before I use them up so I don't generally buy either unless I absolutely need them. I have buttermilk powder because I use it for biscuits and it keeps basically forever in the fridge.

I'm too lazy to deal with sponges or overnights or honestly anything more complicated than dough, rise, shape, rise, bake. Fortunately there's a lot out there that meets my requirements.

Simple Bread

[notyourwendy]

This recipe was originally for a bread maker, but it's easy enough to do by hand. I usually do it with 2 c. whole wheat and about 4 c. white bread flour

600 mL water
6 c. flour
3 t. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. yeast

Combine, rise 1 hour, divide into loaf pans, rise another hour, bake 30 min at 350.

Cuban Bread (aka Last Week's Hefty 3 Pound Loaf)

[notyourwendy]

5-6 c. bread or AP flour
2 pkgs dry yeast
1 T. salt
2 T. sugar
2 c. hot water

Combine 4 c. flour with yeast, salt, and sugar. Add water and mix well. Work in remaining flour and knead about 8 minutes. Rise 15 minutes (yes, it really double in volume in 15 minutes). Divide into two rounds or loaf pans (this was my mistake, not dividing) and slash tops.

Place loaves into cold oven with a large pan of water on the shelf below. Heat oven to 400 and bake about 50 minutes.

Buttermilk Bread (aka, This Week's Much More Reasonable Loaves)

[notyourwendy]

5 - 5.5 c. bread or AP flour
3 T. sugar
2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 pkg dry yeast
1 c. water
1 c. buttermilk (or 4 T. buttermilk powder + 1 c. water)
1/3 c. shortening

Combine 2 c. flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and yeast (and buttermilk powder if using it).
Warm water and shortening (and liquid buttermilk if using it). Shortening does not have to fully melt. Add to flour mixture and mix well.
Work in remaining flour and knead. Rise 1 hour.
Divide into loaf pans and rise about 45 minutes.
Bake 40 minutes at 375.

Our Daily Bread Portugese Sweet Bread

[notyourwendy]

This is from a bakery in my college town. I'm too lazy to deal with fussy breads, so this is about as complicated a bread as I'm willing to bake. It's one of my favorite breads.

1.5 c. water
3 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
2 T. yeast
2/3 c. sugar
about 6 c. flour
2 T. nonfat dry milk powder (I use buttermilk powder since it's what I have around)
2 t. salt

Combine water, eggs, butter, yeast, and sugar.
Combine 4. c flour, milk powder, and salt, add to liquid ingredients. Add remaining flour as needed.
Knead and rise until doubled, about an hour.
Divide into two loaves (pans, rounds, whatever) and rise until doubled, about an hour.
Slash tops and bake 1 hour at 375.

[lydy]

This one doesn't call for kneading, at least if one is using a stand mixer and bread hook, but comes out really nice and doesn't require overnight proofing.

https://www.lifeasastrawberry.com/easy-crusty-french-bread/

I like it a lot. You can also shape it like a baguette, instead of a boule.

[carbonel]

Thanks. This one looks a lot like my standard no-knead bread minus the overnight rise. I think it's one of the three I'm going to try first.