Some Bread Please

I have been thinking of making some bread for a while now.This is my first attempt at making bread at home.I read a lot of things regarding bread making in the net , but at the end it all said to make it in bread machine.I felt so dissappointed as I don’t have a bread machine.
However ,the cook rather the baker in me was calling out loud , go for it and bake it in oven .So I went to check the manufracturer’s manual for oven setting etc, and tried to figure out the exact temperature for bread baking.It had all the information about cake, veg,meat baking temperatures, but not bread.
So, I followed my instinct and baked the bread for the first time.I am not a daring baker or an expert in baking.A kind of novice who is trying out her luck in baking breads.It came out well to my surprise and now this recipe is a keeper recipe. Whenever I do not want the store-brought bread , I know how to do it in home with my simple hands and a trust-worthy oven.Now to the Recipe-

Now to the Recipe

Basic Bread recipe
1 1/8 cups warm water/milk
3-4 tbs of honey
¼ tsp of salt
1 1/2 cups of bread flour+1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour(we call atta that )
2-3 tbs of butter
1 ½ tsp of active dry yeast
Warm about ½ cup of water …do not make it hot ..dissolve about 1 and ½ tsp of dry active yeast and about pinch of sugar.Let it sit there for 10-15 mints .By this time a foam is formed say about 1-2 cm .

Meanwhile yeast is preparing itself , mix in 1 1/2 cups of bread flour and 1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.
Mix in ¼ tsp of salt to it and also ¼ tsp of gram masala for a nice flavour.
Mix in well and now scoop out the flour approx 1 cup to be used later while kneading.
Now mix in yeast solution, warm milk, melted butter and honey very well.Now while working with the dough add in left over flour mixture and warm milk gently.Knead the dough for 5-7 mints.
Now place the dough in a warm environment. Start the oven at 70 Deg C and heat it just 1 mints.Turn off the oven.Now place the dough in this oven in a bowl , covered with damp cloth for 1 hr.
If you donot want to keep it in preheated oven ..then increase the time for rising the flour, roughly double the time.
Take out the dough and start kneading it again.Grease your hands with some oil and start kneading the dough , sprinkling some more flour while working on the flour.
Prepare the loaf pan/bread pan with some oil and then transfer the dough to it. It just turn out that the dough was more and my loaf pan small , so I took some of the dough from it baked some wheat Buns later,will be sharing with you my Burger recipe later.
TIP- you may use this left over dough to make hot naans.
Now again cover it with damp cloth and let it sit there for 1hr.
Bake the dough at 180 deg C /350 deg F for 25-27 mints.Take out and let it cool.Cut into slices or eat as you please…..
~~How to refridgerate the bread and reuse it later~~
Just wrap them in plastic bags and refridgerate.When you are ready to eat , take out and reheat it in a moderate 350 Deg F/175 Deg C OR toast them in toaster.Serve with honey and butter.

Just to add a Note ---It may help you while choosing the yeast.
Fresh yeast-compressed/cake yeast is active yeast.It has a nice quality of rising the flour and hence gives excellent result for baked goodies.It remains fresh for only 1-2 weeks.Fresh yeast is available in the frozen section of supermarkets also.Proofing is needed but with out salt or sugar.
Instant/Rapid rise yeast –this is now very commonly used.It doesn’t need water to rehydrate it.Just add in according to the recipe/package direction to the dough .The rising time is saved also.This may include ascorbic acid , a dough conditioner of sort.Can be stored well, once open , refridgerate the left-over yeast.
Active dry yeast-This is the most common form that is available .This generally needs proofing and rehydrating.The yeast remains dormant here.Usually the packets/tsp from the jar ,need to get dissolved in some warm water(110deg F)and ½ tsp of sugar, before being used up.This can be stored for many months and in cold area.Do not use after expiration date and rather check it before you purchase it.
Usually a packet of active dry yeast has 2 ½ tsp of yeast or .25 ounce.
Proofing-the time for rehydrating the yeast .Dissolve required quantity of yeast specified in a recipe in some warm water ,add sugar also to feed the yeast.We call this in Hindi “Khamira”. In making Naan, Bhature ,khamira is needed to rise the dough, I remember my ma used to add some yogurt or buttermilk to rise the naan dough.She used to knead maida/all purpose flour in the morning with some yogurt(doi), ghee and salt.She then let it sit that dough for 4-6 hrs covered with a damp cloth.And in the evening we used to have fresh chole with some oil fried bature.Yum…
Rising- the time needed for proper rising /doubling of bread dough.Usually it takes 2-3 hrs for proper rise if you are using active dry yeast.If you using instant/rapid rise yeast or fresh yeast ,then the rising time may vary or may take less.I am not sure about the exact time though.
Now to the link of the week---

Shobha Dey (http://shobhaade.blogspot.com/)

Happy Cooking Friends