One of these secrets to making bread is shared by both my wife and my in-laws’ mother. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in awe, but up until now, I’ve never actually had the chance to bake decent bread for myself.
On the other hand, I picked up a useful tip that I’ve resolved to put into practice for the subsequent iterations of my Amish Bread recipe.
Before beginning the baking process, the yeast needs to be activated by being rehydrated in a mixture of sugar and a small amount of warm water.
Ingredients:
1/2 milliliter or so of salt
1 and one-fourth grams of sugar
2 cups of all-purpose or white flour
140 milliliters of hot water
1 tablespoon of active yeast at room temperature (1 tablespoon of active dry yeast for me)
1 teaspoon and a tablespoon of oil
Instructions:
Put the yeast and sugar into the warm water, and then wait for it to foam (if using active dry yeast). Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, then stir in the oil. This step is only necessary if you are using fresh yeast.
Put the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl to mix together. Stir well. Put the yeast that has been dissolved and the oil in the middle.
After incorporating the flour in stages, knead the dough for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until it becomes soft (if the dough is sticky, add a little flour, if it is too dry, add a little liquid).
Allow to expand to twice its size while covered in a fresh cloth (about 1 hour).
Create 5 or 6 balls of dough, each of which is the same weight (for me 65 gr). Form the balls into spheres and then stretch them out.
Arrange them in a single layer next to one another on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
I did this step now, but you can also do it after the dough has doubled in size. I cut the dough lengthwise at this point.
Allow the dough to rise for a second time while covered with a tea towel (about 40-45 minutes).
Set the temperature in the oven to 200 degrees C. (400 F). Apply some water to the top of the bread and brush it (I brushed the surface with egg yolk and a little milk).
If you did not do so before the bread had risen, cut a slit lengthwise through the loaf of bread.
Bake for approximately thirty minutes, or until the top has a golden brown color.
Take the food out of the oven and set it on a rack so that it can cool down.
Ingredients
- 1/2 milliliter or so of salt
- 1 and one-fourth grams of sugar
- 2 cups of all-purpose or white flour
- 140 milliliters of hot water
- 1 tablespoon of active yeast at room temperature (1 tablespoon of active dry yeast for me)
- 1 teaspoon and a tablespoon of oil
Instructions
Put the yeast and sugar into the warm water, and then wait for it to foam (if using active dry yeast). Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, then stir in the oil. This step is only necessary if you are using fresh yeast.
Put the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl to mix together. Stir well. Put the yeast that has been dissolved and the oil in the middle.
After incorporating the flour in stages, knead the dough for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until it becomes soft (if the dough is sticky, add a little flour, if it is too dry, add a little liquid).
Allow to expand to twice its size while covered in a fresh cloth (about 1 hour).
Create 5 or 6 balls of dough, each of which is the same weight (for me 65 gr). Form the balls into spheres and then stretch them out.
Arrange them in a single layer next to one another on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
I did this step now, but you can also do it after the dough has doubled in size. I cut the dough lengthwise at this point.
Allow the dough to rise for a second time while covered with a tea towel (about 40-45 minutes).
Set the temperature in the oven to 200 degrees C. (400 F). Apply some water to the top of the bread and brush it (I brushed the surface with egg yolk and a little milk).
If you did not do so before the bread had risen, cut a slit lengthwise through the loaf of bread.
Bake for approximately thirty minutes, or until the top has a golden brown color.
Take the food out of the oven and set it on a rack so that it can cool down.