Bread Stalker

A few months ago, I became a follower of The Spiced Life. Laura shares stories of her life as a backdrop to some very appealing recipes, but it is her bread recipes that I stalk, and I've tried two of them with great success.

When I first bit into Maple Oatmeal Bread it immediately became one of the finest breads on the planet. The dough rises cooperatively high. The texture is tender, plumped with whole oats. The taste is slightly sweet and the fragrance hints of syrup--it makes my kitchen smell like pancakes. The recipe lists maple syrup as the signature ingredient, but maple syrup is more expensive than gold here in Oklahoma, so I substitute Griffin's Waffle Syrup. I would like to try this recipe with real maple syrup to see how it affects the flavor. I made a loaf of bread and rolls.


Buttermilk Cheddar Bread is the bread I made yesterday, and it was perfect for roast beef sandwiches. With one and one-half cups of cheese and one and one-fourth cups of buttermilk, the tanginess is what makes this bread special. The flecks of cheese in the dough baked into an attractive dark brown crust that is irresistibly cheddary.

My substitutions were honey for the sugar and a three-cheese blend instead of sharp cheddar. I used King Arthur Flour's SAF Gold Instant Yeast for the first time. The yeast, designed to give a "long, strong, steady rise", did just that, yielding a nicely textured loaf, which sliced easily and held up well to sandwich ingredients.

Here are the recipes with my modifications:

MAPLE OAT BREAD
I made a loaf and about one dozen rolls

2-1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
3/4 cup pancake syrup
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 cups unbleached flour

In large mixing bowl pour boiling water over oats. Let sit 30 minutes. Add syrup, salt, and butter, and stir. Cool to lukewarm, add dry yeast and whole wheat flour. Beat on medium speed two minutes, until well combined.

Add flour slowly until dough forms a rough, shaggy mass. Let sit 20 minutes then switch to dough hook and add flour until dough clears sides of bowl or until smooth and elastic. Transfer dough to large oiled bowl and cover; let rise one hour or until doubled.

Grease a 9" x 5" pan. Divide dough in half and shape each half into loaf. Place in bread pans, cover, and let rise 45 minutes or until dough has risen above edges of pan. When dough is close to risen, preheat oven to 350 degrees.


BUTTERMILK CHEESE BREAD
Makes one 9" X 5" loaf

3-1/2 - 4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons yeast
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup hot water (120 to 130 degrees)
1-1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1 tablespoon salted butter

In mixing bowl whisk 1 cup unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, baking powder, and salt. Mix hot water, honey, and buttermilk, add to flour, and beat 3 minutes until smooth. Scrape down the sides of bowl and stir in cheese. Add remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough forms a rough mass; switch to dough hook and mix until dough clears the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Shape dough into loaf and place in prepared pan. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375, then place pan on low shelf to keep bread from browning too quickly. Loaves are done when deep brown and pull away from sides of pan, about 40 minutes.

When bread is done, brush with melted butter. After 5 minutes loosen sides and turn onto wire rack to cool.