1 hour bread

For many bread is a staple of their diet that they don't think much about.

Where does your bread come from? Have you turned the package over to see? Do you have any idea? 

I recently turned a loaf over and it simply said that it was distributed by Walmart listing a town in Arkansas. Surely that bread did not bump down the road from Arkansas?  But where did it come from? Maybe it really does not matter to most, but it is something to think about.

 I have a wonderful 1950s cookbook.  In the bread section it tells the tale of people buying bread.  It touts the smell and enjoyment of fresh bread baking.  Yum!   I am not here to take pot shots at anyone who buys there bread.  I buy bread part of the time.

I had a moment of encouragement tonight.  My little son asked me if I would bake bread tomorrow.  Yay!  Success!  He is the most picky eater in the family.  (You know, the child that insists everything be the same each time it is made.  Never tries anything new...)   Soon I'll share the 1/2 wheat recipe that I have made FOREVER.  But for today here is the one I've been making lately.  It is SO FAST!  It really beats out the excuse about not having the time.
You can use whole wheat flour also, but add 1 1/2 cups of applesauce for the 6 loaf batch, 1 cup for the 4 loaf batch, and 1/2 cup for the 2 loaf batch in PLACE of the equal amount of water in the recipe.  (So, for the 6 loaf batch you'd dump 1 1/2 cup applesauce into your big glass measuring cup and fill it the rest of the way to the 6 cup mark with water.)

If life is REALLY crazy measure the dry ingredients into the mixer the night before.  Then in the morning measure your wet ingredients on top and go!   This has helped me get a jump on the morning when time is really short.


Traits- Very soft with a fine crumb resembling some store bought home style breads. Crust is enhanced by using shortening to grease the tins.  This a bread that appeals to children and husbands who are slow to warm to home made bread.  It is not a rugged farm style bread.  Substituting some milk for part of the water in the recipe  and using brown sugar would add much needed flavor.  You decide.



Bread in a hurry - About an hour start to finish, really!  A great place for beginners to start.
6 loaves-
15 1/4 cups Bread Flour                                              
3/4 cups sugar                                                    
1 1/2 Tbsp Salt                                                                                      
4 Tbsp Saf Yeast                                                                            
4 tbsp Liquid Lecithin            
6 cups warm tap water (not over 115 degrees)

Worried that 6 loaves will not fit in your standard sized oven?  They will and the results will be a success.  These loaves rose a bit too much and were huge with the additional oven spring. 
 

4 loaves-
10 1/2 cups Bread Flour                                           
1/2 cups sugar                                                 
1 Tbsp Salt                                                                               
3 Tbsp Saf Yeast                                                                        
3 tbsp Liquid Lecithin           
4 cups warm tap water (not over 115 degrees)    

(Preheat the oven to 350)      If you are feeling really artistic- Here is a beautiful Loaf shaping Demo. 
First choose your batch size.  The first amount is for a Large Bosch bowl and makes 6 loaves.  The second amount is 4 loaves and the last 2 loaves. The last would likely fit a small kitchen aid.

Add the warm water and lecithin to the bowl.  I recommend you eyeball the lecithin and just pour it in.  If you measure it you will have a souvenir from your bread making experience on your dishcloth.  It is incredibly sticky and will guck your fingers and dishcloth.  If your dough is not sticky add more water.  (Weighing flour is the only consistent way to measure flour.  That is why bakers go to the trouble to do it.)  You will have variation in your flour measurements from day to day.  Don't let it freak you out.  It is really not rocket science and you are not jinxed if it turns out differently sometimes.  This dough should be TOO sticky.  (Don't let anyone talk you into flouring the counter either.)

Drop the yeast and other ingredients into your bowl and go.  Mix the dough for 5 minutes.  The dough should be very sticky.  Spray the counter with cooking spray or rub it with a little bit of oil.  Turn the bread out onto the counter an divide it up into equal loaves.  With your oiled/cooking spray coated hands shape the  dough into a nice little loaf.  Not too fussy.  It will be pretty after is raises.  Spray your pans or coat them with shortening.  Pans oiled with vegetable oil will not release your bread.  So, either use cooking spray or shortening.
To prevent the dough from drying our during the rise period there are a few choices.  Spray your loves with cooking spray or drop the loaf upside down into your shortening coated pan and then turn it over.  Or you can cover your bread with a clean damp tea towel.  (I prefer the shortening.  I love the crust!  After the bread has been bagged the crust softens, but right out of the oven Mmmmm!)
Raise your bread about 25 minutes until double in bulk.  Don't over raise your bread or it will fall flat on top during baking.
Bake your bread at 350 for 25 minutes.

I'd love to hear from you.  Questions?  How did it go?