by James Beard
3 cups warm water, flat beer, buttermilk, or potato water
1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons salt
¼ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
3½ to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Four days ahead of breadmaking, prepare the “starter”: Combine 1 cup of rye flour with 1 cup liquid, cover loosely, and set in a warm place. Stir once or twice each day, adding more liquid if the mixture becomes too dry. It should bubble and give off a strong odor.
When ready to prepare the dough, put the starter in a large mixing bowl, add 2 more cups of whatever liquid was used, and stir. Dissolve the yeast and salt in ¼ cup warm water, and also stir in. Then beat in the remaining rye flour and up to 4 cups of the white flour, 1 cup at a time, to make a somewhat soft, biscuit-like dough firm enough to hold its shape. It should not be too sticky. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and velvety, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Divide the dough into two equal parts and shape into balls. Place in two buttered bowls, turning to coat the dough with the butter. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours. Turn out on a floured board and shape into round loaves or into doughnut shapes. Place on a buttered baking sheet, cover, and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes. Bake in a preheated 400° oven about 45 minutes, or until the loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped with the knuckles. Ten minutes before the loaves are done, brush the tops with the egg wash. Cool, covered with towels to prevent the crust from hardening.
Dark Herb Bread
This makes a loaf quite firm in texture, with a delicious herby, peppery flavor that lasts. The garlic here is subtle and does not go stale, as sometimes happens in garlic bread. It is a fine loaf for sandwiches, makes fairly good toast, and is excellent sliced thin and buttered. It will keep for a week at a time.
[1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves]
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1½ to 2 cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
3 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup rye meal
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 small cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon rosemary
Combine the yeast, sugar, and ½ cup of the warm water in a mixing bowl and allow to proof. Mix whole-wheat flour, rye meal, and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the yeast mixture and 1 cup of warm water. Mix, adding additional water if necessary, to make a firm, slightly sticky dough. Grind the garlic, parsley, and rosemary to a paste, using a mortar and pestle. (You will have about 1 tablespoon of paste.) Work this into the dough, then turn the dough out on a floured board and knead until smooth and rather elastic, about 10 to 15 minutes, adding as much of the remaining ½ cup flour as you require. Form into a ball, place in a well-oiled bowl, and turn to coat with the oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1½ to 2 hours.
Punch the dough down and knead again for about 5 minutes, then shape into two loaves to fit well-buttered 8 × 4 × 2-inch bread tins, or make one loaf for a 10 × 5 × 3-inch tin. Cover and allow the dough to rise again until it is above the rim of the loaf tin. Slash the loaves lengthwise (or crosswise) about ½ inch deep with a knife or razor blade. Bake in a preheated oven at 400° for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°, and continue baking for about 30 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when rapped on top and bottom. (You may have to turn the loaves out of the pan and place them back on the baking rack for a few minutes to give additional color.) Cool on racks before slicing.
NOTE
To prevent any risk of the garlic tasting a little rancid if you are keeping the loaf over a day or so, do not mix it in the bread with the herbs. Instead, cut it in very thin slices and insert into the loaf just before you put it in the oven. Then withdraw the garlic after the loaf has been baked.
VARIATION
• This herb loaf can be made using 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole-wheat cereal. After the first rising, punch down the dough and shape into an oval or round loaf. Place on a board or cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal and let rise to double its bulk. Just before popping it into the oven, lift carefully and invert on the baking sheet. Proceed to bake.
Pronto Pumpernickel
This was a recent winner in a breadmaking contest. It makes a delicious, moist, round loaf resembling the Middle European rye breads. It is easy to prepare, has great merit, and keeps well, too.
[1 loaf]
1 package (13¾ ounces) hot-roll mix
2 eggs, separated
¼ cup molasses
¾ cup warm water
¾ cup unsifted rye flour
1½ teaspoons caraway seed
“Prepare a hot-roll mix as directed on package, using 1 whole egg and an egg yolk, reserving the white for a glaze. Stir molasses into warm water. Then stir in the rye flour, the prepared mix, and the caraway seed. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 45 minutes. Then punch down. Turn out on a floured board and shape into a ball. Put on a buttered baking sheet, cover, and let rise again about 45 minutes. Brush lightly with beaten egg white, and sprinkle with more caraway seed. Bake in a preheated 375° oven 35 to 40 minutes.”
NOTE
If preferred, shape the bread into a loaf and put in a buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan, let rise, and bake as directed. Also, glaze and seed on round or loaf can be omitted.
Pumpernickel Bread I
This is an extremely interesting bread, but since it is practical to make only in large quantity, I recommend it solely to those of you who have large kitchens and large bowls. Besides this, the dough is very sticky and takes a lot of deft working to get it to the baking stage. So if you have any reservations about the challenge, I urge that you try another pumpernickel. However, this recipe can be made into a nicely workable dough, and the baked loaf has great flavor and quality.
[2 large loaves]
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
1½ cups cold water
¾ cup cornmeal, or more if needed
1½ cups boiling water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 cups mashed potatoes
4 cups rye flour
4 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
Melted butter
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the ½ cup warm water and let proof 4 or 5 minutes. Stir the cold water into ¾ cup of the cornmeal, add the boiling water, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, butter, and caraway seeds and let cool until lukewarm. Add the potatoes and yeast mixture, and then stir in the flours, 1 cup at a time, mixing well; the dough will be very sticky. Turn out on a floured board and knead for about 15 minutes, adding enough flour and cornmeal to produce a firm, evenly textured dough. (The dough will remain quite sticky and will not become very elastic, so don’t be alarmed if you require more than ½ cup each of flour and cornmeal for kneading.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and brush with melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise, in a warm, draft-free spot, until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down, let rest for 2 or 3 minutes, then knead again for a good 5 minutes. Let rest again, then shape into two or three loaves. Butter 10 × 4 × 3-inch or 12-inch pans, and fit the dough into them. Cover and let it rise again until doubled in bulk. Bake at 425° for about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° and continue
to bake for about 40 to 50 minutes more. The loaves will get a dark crust and sound hollow when tapped on the top and bottom with the knuckles.
Rub the crusts well with butter or brush with melted butter when the bread comes out of the oven. Cool thoroughly on racks before slicing.
Pumpernickel Bread II
A good, gutsy bread with a rather dense texture, this is not the easiest bread to put together, but that is generally true of breads using a great deal of rye flour. It’s worth the work. This pumpernickel is more Scandinavian than the preceding recipe, which has a Slavic accent.
[1 loaf]
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, raw if you prefer
1¼ cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons oil or butter
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, more if necessary
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 cups rye flour
½ cup cornmeal
Combine the yeast, sugar, and ¼ cup warm water in a large mixing bowl, and let proof for 5 minutes. Add the molasses, the oil or butter, and salt and mix well. Add the remaining cup of water. Mix the flours and cornmeal together, and add, a cup at a time, to the yeast mixture, beating it in until you have a fairly stiff but workable dough; it will be quite sticky, heavy, and difficult to blend. Turn out on a floured board and knead, adding more flour as necessary, until the dough becomes smooth and fairly elastic. It will take at least 10 minutes of kneading and possibly longer until the dough is only slightly sticky. (It will not be completely resilient, and it is apt to remain extremely heavy.) Shape into a ball, put into a buttered bowl, and turn to coat on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, a good 2 to 2½ hours.
Punch the dough down and shape into a loaf that will fit a well-buttered 8 × 4 × 2-inch tin. Cover and let rise to the top of the pan, another 2 to 3 hours—so be patient. Bake in a preheated 375° oven 35 to 45 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on top and bottom. Cool thoroughly on a rack before slicing.
Anadama Bread
There are many recipes for this famous American loaf. No two people agree on what the original was, but it is practically certain that it contained cornmeal and molasses. I have had interesting Anadama breads made with graham flour, white flour, and cornmeal. It can also be made with brown sugar or raw sugar instead of molasses.
[1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves]
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1¼ cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup molasses
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup yellow cornmeal
4½ cups all-purpose flour, approximately
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in ¼ cup warm water in a large bowl and let proof for 5 minutes. Combine the remaining water, butter, molasses, and salt in a saucepan, and heat to lukewarm. Stir into the yeast mixture. Add the cornmeal and mix well. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and beat vigorously; the dough will be sticky and hard to work. Turn out on a lightly floured board. Using a baker’s scraper or large spatula, scrape under the flour on the board and fold the dough over to incorporate the flour. Repeat this process until you can knead with your hands, using only enough additional flour to make a smooth dough that is springy to touch; the stickiness will not be completely eliminated. Shape into a ball, put in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat the surface with the fat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down. Shape into one loaf, to fit a 10-inch loaf pan, or divide into two pieces and shape to fit two 8 × 4 × 2-inch loaf tins. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350° and bake for about 35 minutes more, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped with the knuckles on top and bottom. Cool on racks.
Bavarian Rye Bread
This quite unusual bread is from a very old German recipe. Originally the dough was prepared at home and put into an airtight wooden keg for 18 to 24 hours. Then it was formed into loaves and rushed to the local baker’s oven. I have worked out a version that can be done from start to finish in your own kitchen. It makes a delicious loaf of bread—sturdy, close textured, and highly distinctive in flavor. It slices very thin and is excellent with cheese, cold meats, and sausages.
[1 loaf]
1 package active dry yeast
1 heaping tablespoon salt
1½ cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately), or enough to make a heavy, pastelike dough
3¾ cups rye flour
Combine the yeast, salt, and water in a mixing bowl. Add the flour, cup by cup, stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate as much of it as you can. Turn out on a floured board, and knead enough to blend the ingredients. You will have a very heavy dough with little or no life, so shape it as best you can into a ball and place in a small, well-buttered bowl, turning to coat the surface with butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to seal, and then cover with foil. Let rest in a semi-warm area for 16 to 18 hours.
Uncover. You will note that little or nothing has happened to the dough. Punch it down anyway, and knead it on a lightly floured board for a minute or two. (You’ll find it easier to handle than the original mass.) Butter an 8 × 4 × 2-inch loaf tin and shape the dough to fit it. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk.
Bake in a preheated 375° oven 45 to 50 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on top and bottom. The finished loaf will be about 2½ inches high.
Black Bread
There are numerous varieties of what is known as “black bread.” I tried out recipes for a great many in the course of this book and finally settled on this one, which is not as dark as the commercial ones but has a flavor that I think is extraordinarily good and a very nice texture. It is rather fun to make, too, and even if you don’t achieve the perfect look that one finds in the professional loaves of this kind, the recipe works very well. Thinly sliced it is a delicious bread with seafood, and it makes extremely good sandwiches. It will hold well if wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator. It has the advantage over many other black breads of not being too sweet.
[2 free-form or regular loaves]
¾ cup cornmeal
¾ cup cold water
¾ cup boiling water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon brown sugar
1½ teaspoons caraway seeds
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon instant coffee
2 packages active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
2 cups rye (dark) flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Additional flour for kneading
1 egg white beaten with 2 tablespoons water
Add the cornmeal to the cold water and mix well. Pour into boiling water and stir until thickened. When it is thickened and bubbly, stir in the butter, salt, sugar, caraway seeds, cocoa, and instant coffee.
Dissolve the yeast in warm water, add to the mixture, and stir well. Blend in the flours, adding more liquid if necessary, and stir until you have a fairly sticky dough. Turn out on a floured board and knead, adding more flour if necessary, to make a firm, elastic dough. Form into a ball and place in a well-buttered bowl, turning to coat with butter on all sides. Put in a warm, draft-free spot to rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down the dough and knead for two or three minutes. Form into two balls, and either shape into free-form loaves or roll and fit into two bread pans 8 × 4 × 2 inches. Allow to rise until almost doubled in bulk. Brush the bread with the beaten egg white and cold water and bake at 375° for 50 to 60 minutes or until the bread taps hollow. If you
have doubts about whether it is done, let it bake longer. This loaf is better a little overdone than underdone.
NOTE
If the bread is to be baked in round free-form loaves, arrange on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and place a flan ring or other guard around the dough to prevent its spreading too much; or let the loaves rise in 8-inch pie tins or skillets and then turn out onto the baking sheet or directly onto oven tiles just before baking.
Maryetta’s Oatmeal Bread
This is as good an oatmeal bread as I have ever eaten, and it makes wonderful toast. The recipe yields a great deal more than the previous one, so it is good if you have a large family or want to give a loaf away as a gift.
It is essential to leave the dough uncovered during the two risings.
[3 loaves]
4 cups boiling water
3 cups rolled oats
7½ to 8 cups all-purpose flour, approximately, preferably unbleached
2 packages active dry yeast
2 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons salad oil
½ cup molasses
Pour the boiling water over the oatmeal in a large bowl and leave to cool. Then stir in 2 cups of flour and the yeast. Place in a warm, draft-free spot and allow to rise, uncovered, until doubled in bulk. Punch down and work in the salt, salad oil, molasses, and enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out on a floured board and knead, adding extra flour if necessary, to make a smooth, pliable, firm dough—about 10 minutes, but you cannot knead too much. Divide the dough into three equal pieces, and form into loaves to fit three buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf tins. Allow to rise again, uncovered, until doubled in bulk. Bake in a preheated 350° oven 40 to 60 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when removed from the tins and rapped on top and bottom. Cool on racks before slicing.