by James Beard
For yeast to become activated—that is, to release the gas that causes dough to rise—it must have something to feed on. Give it a little sugar and the yeast cells are encouraged to go to work; thus when a sweetener is called for in a bread recipe, it is not serving simply as a flavor. Granulated sugar is most often used, but molasses, brown sugar, and honey are also common sweeteners. Salt, on the other hand, is used to slow the action of yeast, as well as to bring out the flavor of the bread.
Sourdough and salt-rising starters are homemade leavening agents, both very unpredictable. You can get better results if you use yeast as well, and your bread will be lighter and have more flavor—but that is something you can decide for yourself. Baking powder is another leavening agent; baking powder breads are extremely popular, and include many of the fruit and vegetable breads, such as zucchini bread and banana bread. Baking soda is still another leavening agent, and is often used in breads containing fruit, to counteract the acid. It is also used along with yeast in recipes like English crumpets, to sweeten the batter. You will encounter all of these leavening agents during the course of this book.
Like other aspects of breadmaking, the time required for the rising of dough is extremely variable, depending on such factors as warmth of the room, the temperature and humidity of the day, the character of the yeast, the flour, and the kneading. I feel that to give definite rising times for each recipe only tends to make the beginner more nervous, particularly if it takes a longer or a shorter time than I specify. So, instead, I have indicated how much the dough should grow in bulk, and illustrations will aid you.
The Electric Mixer
Some heavy-duty electric mixers, such as the Kitchen Aid and the Robot Coupe, come equipped with a dough hook that transforms them into kneading machines. They are quick, they save muscle, and they are efficient. You can use an electric mixer from the very start, first, after the yeast is dissolved, to stir in the flour and the liquids, and then, with the aid of the dough hook, to do the kneading. After the first rising, the bread is punched down and returned to the mixer, which does the additional kneading. Naturally, the dough hook will do a faster, more thorough job than you can do by hand. It is best to consult the recipe book that accompanies your mixer for suggested kneading times, although the experienced breadmaker can soon judge for himself, and if there is a little less or a little more kneading done than required, it does not matter.
I have used the electric mixer a great deal, but never for the entire kneading procedure. I rather enjoy taking the dough from the mixer and finishing it off by hand. It seems to me that it gives the bread a better texture, but this may be my imagination. I have many friends who would not dream of kneading by hand any longer now that they have a dough hook. The choice is up to you. If you enjoy the relaxing exercise of kneading and breaking down the mixture into a smooth, elastic dough, then the machine will never make up for that pleasure. It is, however, a great innovation and an undeniable time saver.
If the dough hook is operated according to the manufacturer’s instructions, it can be used to prepare any of the yeast breads, as well as some of the baking-powder breads, in this book.
Bread Pans
The sizes of the bread pans given with the recipes are recommendations and are not to be followed slavishly if good sense tells you otherwise. Since the process of breadmaking is filled with variables, as I have said repeatedly, you could well end up with too much or too little dough for the pans I have suggested. Therefore it is perhaps best to choose a pan after you have shaped a loaf, calculating how high the dough will be when it has doubled in bulk and allowing for a little extra rising during baking. Generally speaking, if you fill a loaf pan two-thirds full you will have a nicely arched loaf; if it is half full the loaf will be somewhat flatter in appearance.
Also, it is likely that many of you will not have access to the specialty shops that carry every shape and size bread pan, and you may well have to be content with the standard meat loaf pans found in most supermarkets. These, made of aluminum or of glass, are approximately 9¾ × 5¾ × 2¾ or 8½ × 4½ × 2½ You may find a couple of sizes in foil pans, too. Naturally you will have to adjust for these limitations, making one loaf where two might be called for, or two instead of one. With a little experimenting you will quickly be able to work out any pan problems.
Greasing Bowls and Pans
You will note that practically every recipe for yeast bread calls for a buttered bowl in which the dough will be left to rise. This needs only a light buttering with a tablespoon or so—just enough to coat the dough with a thin film of fat when it is turned in the bowl, which is done to prevent it from drying out and developing a crust as it rises. I have specified using butter throughout the book, because that is my preference in most recipes. However, you can substitute margarine, oil, or any type of fat, even bacon fat. Beef drippings, goose fat, or chicken fat are also used for certain breads.
Pans can be buttered as lavishly or as sparingly as you like, as long as the inside surface is thoroughly coated. The average bread pan will take about 1 to 1½ tablespoons of butter. Again, you can use margarine, oil, any fat of your choice. Some people think that more fat makes a better loaf. That remains to be proved.
Cookie sheets are sometimes buttered (use approximately two tablespoons of fat); in other instances, a recipe will indicate that the sheet is merely sprinkled with cornmeal, some of which adheres to the loaf when baked. Teflon pans are not buttered.
Tiles
Several recipes in this book prescribe the use of tiles in the oven for baking bread, particularly when a definite crustiness is desired. The tiles I use are unglazed, brick-colored “quarry tiles” (check your telephone book for tile companies). I find that six tiles, each 5½ inches square, will line an oven rack neatly. The purpose of the tile is to produce a steady, evenly diffused heat, which is different from that radiated by the ordinary gas or electric oven. On the rack below, I generally install a pan of boiling water to create steam during the baking—it is the same technique used in baking French bread—which contributes to the crustiness of the bread. Most loaves baked in this way—rye, pumpernickel, “French-style,” ordinary white—are done in loaf pans or on a baking sheet in the usual way, but free-form loaves can be baked directly on the hot tiles sprinkled with cornmeal. Furthermore, there’s no reason why you can’t use tiles all the time, even when you are baking in a pan. When a loaf is just about done, remove it and tap it on the bottom to check (it will be done when it sounds hollow). Then place it directly on the preheated tiles for a final few minutes of baking, which will give a more interesting flavor and crust to the bread.
Cooling and Storing Bread
When you take bread from the oven, remove it from the pan, set it on a rack, and let it cool slowly, preferably in a draft-free place. When it is thoroughly cool place it in a plastic bag or plastic wrap, and refrigerate or store at room temperature. It will last from 2 to 7 days, depending on the character of the bread. If it is extremely moist watch carefully in case it should start to mold, although it very seldom does. If some mold has formed it can be cut away and the bread used without hesitation. Naturally, bread will keep better under refrigeration.
Freezing Bread
Bread—every type of bread—freezes very successfully, and will keep several months if well wrapped. Before a loaf is frozen it should be thoroughly cooled, then wrapped tightly in plastic and placed in a plastic bag or wrapped in foil and sealed with binding tape. After it has been labeled and dated, it is ready for the freezer.
To thaw, leave at room temperature or wrap in aluminum foil and heat through—20 to 40 minutes—in a 350° oven. Bread can also be reconstituted in a microwave oven if it is not overheated. (Since the microwave heats food from the inside out, there is a risk of toughening the bread while the outer appearance remains the same.)
Bread Knives
Bread knives are almost as important as a good oven or good baking pans. The wrong knife can tear bread, especiall
y if the bread is fresh or very soft. Fortunately, in the last few years we have had on the market a great variety of good knives with serrated edges, such as the one shown in the drawing. The long-bladed slicing knife intended for meats is also an exceedingly good bread knife, as it will cut through difficult crusts as well as slice thinly. Then there is a kitchen knife with a special type of serrated blade designed just for bread. One of the few attractive features of an electric carving knife is the fact that it cuts huge pumpernickel or rye loaves into paper-thin slices that you cannot get by hand; it is also very good for very crisp crusts. Very sharp slicing knives and French knives will slice bread efficiently too, but they do not have the easy sawing action serrated edges provide. When you are slicing crusty breads (this goes for French bread and sandwich bread), it is much better to slice from the side of the loaf than from the top. It is also easier to guide your knife when slicing from the side.
It goes without saying that your knives should always be very sharp. A serrated knife can be sharpened on a steel—but only the flat side.
Bread and Butter
Good bread and good butter go together. They are one of the perfect marriages in gastronomy, and they never fail to cheer me. I enjoy soft sweet butter spread on paper-thin slices of fresh bread to go with my tea, or on slices of beautiful sweet bread or hot brioche bread. For a special treat I relish the taste of bread and butter with a slice of raw onion, or a hearty, crusty slice of Italian or French bread with butter and a bit of cheese. Also, I find thin brown bread—rye, pumpernickel, or any of the dark breads—and butter wonderfully agreeable with oysters and other such seafood.
Then there are bread and butter sandwiches. The bread can be white, whole wheat, rye, or any kind you like, but it must be sliced very, very thin and spread very thickly with sweet butter. The sandwiches, which should be cool, not warm and runny, can be cut into fingers, diamonds, or triangles. I like them in rather hearty fingers to pack and carry on picnics. They are superb with seafood and delicious with cold chicken, cold turkey, or any cold meat—a much happier choice than rolls. They are also nice to serve with salad, when it is a separate course.
Then, of course, there is the moment when that warm bread comes from the oven and the aroma envelops you; you just have to sit down with a big slab of fresh bread and butter and a glass of wine.
Toast
It seems to me that one seldom finds toast that is really toasted. Usually it is a flabby piece of warmed bread with a slight color to it. My thoughts go back a long way to the days when I first lived in England and one would still use a toasting fork in front of the fire to toast bread, crumpets, and muffins for tea. Never, never, never has toast smelled or tasted as good, save when it has been done over a toast rack on a stove or over coals. Our electric toasters are extremely efficient, but people do not use them correctly. Bread is not toasted when it takes on color; it must have a change of texture as well. So don’t be afraid of darker toast, and put it in a rack afterward so that it crisps instead of sogs. Nothing is as revolting as the plate of toast one usually receives in a restaurant or a hotel; this comes buttered and wrapped in a napkin, and while it may have been crisp when it came from the toaster, it has, in the meantime, steamed to a most unpleasant texture. On the other hand, English toast is often kept too long in a rack, so it becomes cold, although crisp. I am not sure which is the greater crime, particularly when a perfect piece of toast made from good bread is one of the most delicious of foods—and one that any fool can make.
And whatever happened to that delectable dish, milk toast? I used to have it for lunch when I was a child, and it was a comfort when I didn’t feel too well. Lovely crisp, buttered toast with hot milk poured over it—a delicious meal indeed. And if you wanted to glamorize it you added cream instead of milk, and more little dabs of butter. Sometimes you even added salt and pepper to make it tastier. Try it with toasted Buttermilk White Bread or Mrs. Elizabeth Ovenstad’s Bread, using plenty of butter and hot milk or hot cream. Nothing could be simpler or more satisfying.
Stale Bread
Stale bread can be very useful, so it is foolish to waste it. In fact, a sandwich of rather stale bread with thickly sliced onions is delicious. Otherwise, stale bread can be turned into Melba toast, croutons, or bread crumbs. For Melba toast, slice the bread as thin as you can and dry it out in a 250° oven until just barely colored; store in airtight tins or jars. For croutons, cut the bread into dice or crumbs, place on a baking sheet, and proceed as for Melba toast; pack in plastic bags. It is a boon to have both plain and toasted bread crumbs on hand, and they can be kept in tins or jars at the back of the refrigerator. It is simple enough to make them by using a hand grater, but it is even easier to do them in a blender. In the latter case, cut the bread into small dice and blend only a little at a time, which is actually faster than loading the blender jar and waiting for all the dice to sift down.
Choosing the Right Bread
It is strange how few people, in planning a menu, ever consider what bread goes with what dish, yet I think this is as important as choosing any other item on a menu. Here are some of my recommendations (and you’ll find my recipes for each type of bread in the index.)
BREAKFAST BREADS
For simple bread and butter with tea or coffee and preserves:
Buttermilk White Bread
William Melville Childs’ Health Bread
Swedish Limpa
Irish Whole-Wheat Soda Bread
Pumpernickel
Basic White Bread
SWEETENED BREADS, TOASTED, REHEATED, OR AS IS
Monkey Bread
Sally Lunn
Kugelhopf
Egg Twists
Persimmon Bread
Sour-Cream Coffee Cake
Doughnuts
Maple Bars
Filled Doughnuts
FOR TOASTING
Basic White Bread
English Muffin Bread
Challah
Italian Feather Bread
Brioche Bread
Oatmeal Bread
Whole-Meal Bread with Potatoes
Any of the Rye Breads
Cinnamon Bread
Raisin and Nut Bread
Portuguese Sweet Bread
TOAST AS A FOUNDATION FOR FINNAN HADDIE, CREAMED CODFISH, SCRAMBLED EGGS, AND OTHER SAVORY DISHES
English Muffin Bread
Basic White Bread
Rye Bread
Pumpernickel
Oatmeal Bread
Griddle Cakes
Yeast Buckwheat Cakes
Yeast Pancakes
BREADS FOR LUNCHEON WITH HORS D’OEUVRES, SALADS, COLD MEATS, AND OTHER COLD DISHES
Rolls
Baking Powder Biscuits
Soda Bread
Raw Apple Bread
Thinly sliced Pumpernickel
Rye
Pizza Caccia Nanza
Pita, especially with filling
FILLED BREADS AS A COURSE FOR LUNCH OR LATE SUPPER
Lahma bi Ajeen
Pizza Loaf
Pissaladière
WITH HOT DISHES
Baking Powder Biscuits
Parker House Rolls
Jane Grigson’s Walnut Bread
Cornmeal Bread
Anadama Bread
Myrtle Allen’s Brown Bread
Sally Lunn
Helen Evans Brown’s Corn Chili Bread
Bread Sticks
SANDWICH BREADS
For sweet sandwiches
Carl Gohs’ Zucchini Bread
Banana Nut Bread
Pistachio Bread
For savory sandwiches
Brioche Bread
Finnish Sour Rye Bread
Bavarian Rye Bread
Whole-Meal Bread with Potatoes
BREADS FOR AFTERNOON TEA OR COFFEE
These breads should be cut very thin, buttered with sweet butter, and arranged on a nice serving dish.
White Free-Form Loaf
&n
bsp; Sour-Cream Bread
Mrs. Elizabeth Ovenstad’s Bread
Maryetta’s Oatmeal Bread
Water-Proofed Bread
Italian Holiday Bread
Raisin and Nut Bread
Norwegian Flatbread
Pistachio Bread
Swedish Limpa
Carl Gohs’ Zucchini Bread
Persimmon Bread
Gingerbread
Quick Cranberry Bread
Lefse
HOT BREADS
Girdle Scones
Crumpets
Potato Scones
Baking Powder Biscuits (tiny ones)
DINNER BREADS
With first courses. With oysters, clams, smoked salmon, smoked sturgeon, and other dishes—thinly sliced and buttered or made into very thin bread-and-butter sandwiches.
Bavarian Rye Bread
Myrtle Allen’s Brown Bread
Pumpernickel
Norwegian Whole-Wheat Bread
Verterkake
With soup
Melba Toast made from George
Lang’s Potato Bread, Buttermilk White Bread, or Cornmeal Bread
Bread Sticks
Thinly sliced and toasted English Muffin Bread
Main-course breads
Alvin Kerr’s Zephyr Buns
Parker House Rolls
Helen Evans Brown’s Corn Chili Bread
Gingerbread
Irish Whole-Wheat Soda Bread