Alan Dumonceaux is the chair of the Baking Program at NAIT. With many of us having more time at home, here are his easiest bread recipes for us to try.
Bread Flour: 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour: 3 Cups Water: 326 ml Eggs: 3 Large Eggs Room Temperature Unsalted Butter: 4 Tablespoons Sugar: 2 Tablespoons plus 2 Teaspoons Salt: 2 Teaspoons Instant Yeast: 2 3/4 Teaspoons Yield: Two loaves @ 650 grams each or 1 loaf and 13 buns @ 50 grams each.
Mixing Method: Stand Mixer
STEPS
1. Place room-temperature (21°C) water and eggs in mixing bowl, then sprinkle instant yeast into water. Note: If using active dry yeast, take 1/2 cup or 125 ml of warm water (40°C) from the formula and stir yeast into water and leave it for 10 minutes. Then continue with step one.
2. Add butter, sugar, salt and flours into mixing bowl.
3. With a dough hook, mix on low speed for six minutes.
4. Turn speed up to medium-high speed and mix for 8-10 minutes. Every couple of minutes stop the mixer, lower the bowl and turn dough over in mixing bowl. This ensures consistent dough development.
5. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, round into a smooth dough ball, place the dough into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rest for one hour.
6. After one hour give the dough a four-way stretch and fold and place the dough back in the bowl, cover and let rest for one hour.
7. Dust counter lightly with flour, place dough on top of flour and divide in half — approx. two 650-gram portions.
8. Round the loaf into a ball, place on a lightly floured counter, lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
9. Flatten the dough, with a stiff flat hand, ensuring to degas all the excess carbon dioxide, then tightly roll up into a loaf, and place the seam side down into a greased loaf pan.
10. Allow to rise for two to three hours at room temperature. Ensure the dough is always covered with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
11. When the dough is one inch above the edge of the pan, preheat the oven to 425°F.
12. Once the oven has come to the temperature, place loaf in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
13. Immediately remove the loaf from loaf pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack, allowing it to cool evenly on all sides. If you leave it in the loaf pan or on the counter, the loaf will sweat.
14. Do not cut the loaf for a minimum of one hour after baking. The loaf needs to cool to allow for proper slicing and flavour development.
BUTTERMILK BREAD
Bread Flour: 4 1/2 Cups Buttermilk: 1 3/4 Cups Instant Yeast: 2 3/4 Teaspoons Salt: 2 Teaspoons Egg: 1 Large Egg Sugar: 5 Tablespoons plus 2 Teaspoons Butter: 5 Tablespoons Yield: Two loaves @ 650 grams each or one loaf and 13 buns @ 50 grams each.
Mixing Method: Stand Mixer
STEPS
1. Place buttermilk and eggs in mixing bowl, then sprinkle instant yeast into water. (Note: If using active dry yeast, take 1/2 cup or 125 ml of warm water (40°C) from the formula and stir yeast into water and leave it for 10 minutes. Then, continue with step one.)
2. Add butter, sugar, salt and flour into mixing bowl.
3. With a dough hook, mix on low speed for six minutes.
4. Turn speed up to medium high speed and mix for 8-10 minutes. Every couple of minutes stop the mixer, lower the bowl and turn dough over in mixing bowl, this ensures consistent dough development.
5. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, round into a smooth dough ball, place the dough into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap — Saran Wrap or similar. Allow it to rest for one hour.
6. After one hour, give the dough a four- way stretch and fold and place the dough back in the bowl, cover and let rest for another hour.
7. Dust counter lightly with flour, place dough on top and divide in half, approximately two 650-gram portions.
8. Round the loaf into a ball, place on a lightly floured counter, lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
9. Flatten the dough, with a stiff flat hand, ensuring to degas all the excess carbon dioxide gas, then tightly roll up into a loaf, and place the seam side down into a loaf pan.
10. Allow to rise for three hours at room temperature. Ensure the dough is always covered with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
11. When the dough is one inch to one and a half inches above the edge of the pan, preheat the oven to 375°F
12. Once the oven has come to the temperature, place loaf in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
13. Immediately remove the loaf from loaf pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack, allowing it to cool evenly on all sides. If you leave it in the loaf pan or on the counter, the loaf will sweat.
14. Do not cut the loaf for a minimum of one hour after baking. The loaf needs to cool to allow for proper slicing and flavour development.
