Favorite homemade breads- rustic, hand-made!!!

[browneye]

Calling all bread makers! I have really begun to enjoy baking bread again, by hand, not the bread machine kind!!
I am looking for your favorite hand-"hewn" bread recipes, especially, funky, rustic, flavorful, innovative, etc. It's okay if they're mixed up in a machine or mixer, just wanted to do the bread in the oven after the mix.... or knead by hand, whatever works!
I am not looking for quick breads at this point, just old-fashioned yeast breads, or rolls, or whatever you've got that's really great!
After I made the Rosemary-rye-raisin bread from October, I just can't stop making bread!!!
Also, if you have any great bread cookbook recommendations- non bread machine, I'd love those too!!


:D

[tracey67]

browneye, I highly recommend any of the bread books by Beth Hensperger. Her books are what first inspired me to make my own bread. Unfortunately, the two that I own (and really love) are both listed as out of print on Amazon. HOWEVER, it does look like some people are selling their used copies because they say they have a couple for sale.

The two books in particular are: Bread and Baking Bread: Old and New Traditions

These books are LOADED with pictures (I think almost every recipe includes a picture somewhere in the book) and she includes wonderful introductions geared towards anyone who might be feeling a little nervous about making their first loaf (which you're not, but they still serve as a nice little nudge of encouragement).

In addition to this, the recipes are wonderful. They run the gamut from your basic white or whole wheat loaf to really exotic loaves. Everything I've ever made from these books has been wonderful. Oh -- and I saw that she does have a couple of bread machine books and some quick bread books, but the two volumes I mentioned focus only on hand-made (but you can mix in a mixer) bread, and only one includes a small section on quick breads -- the rest are all yeast breads.

tracey

[Svadhisthana]

I recommend "Amy's Bread" by Amy Scherber and Toy Kim Dupree and Nanacy Silverton's "Breads from the Le Brea Bakery"
They both have a wide range of breads. Also Bernard Claytons books (can't think of titles right now) are wonderful. The Silverton book has a recipe for a starter using organic grapes and no yeast that requires two weeks before you can use it but, It's worth it. Have fun and don't forget to share your experiences.





p.s. You can find pictures as well as notes from a "home chef" that used the le brea starter at http://pages.zdnet.com/kwarendorf/playwithyourfood/index.html

[tracey67]

Svadhisthana - that link is great -- is this your site? Are you the person in the N.O. picture? Those breads looks absolutely wonderful -- don't tell me that they were produced in the EasyBake kitchen? VERY impressive!!


browneye -- Not that I'm getting commission on this book or anything, but I wanted to post a few titles to give you a better feel for the types of recipes in the Hensperger books. This is just a sampling:

Buttermilk Honey Bread
Bran-Molasses Sunflower Bread
Black Russian Bread
Fennel-Orange Rye Bread
Olive Baguettes
Red Pepper-Semolina Bread
Cashew-Date Bread
Maple-Oatmeal Sticky Buns
this is all from Bread. It also includes four chapters of quick breads: muffins, biscuits, quick loaves and coffee cakes.

From Baking Bread...

Farmhouse White Bread with Cardamom
Lemon Whole Wheat Egg Bread with Nasturtium Butter
Pecan Wheat-Berry Bread
Dakota Bread with Ancient Grains
Polenta-Millet Sunflower Bread
Whole-Wheat Ricotta Rolls with Toasted Quinoa
Raspberry Braid
Whole-Wheat Maple Blueberry Bread
Orange Cinnamon Swirl
Chocolate Breakfast Rolls
Hungarian Sweet Cheese Bread
Pumpernickel Bagels


tracey

[Mamasue]

Tracey and browneye.....www.half.com has copies of this book for sale. :D :D :D.....I just bought one!

[beckms]

i just started baking my own breads and crusts, and now i think I will never by a bread machine. The second bread that I made was Searcher's Herbed Peasant Bread, and it was soooooooo goooooooood! Here's the link to the thread with that recipe:

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13758&highlight=herbed+peasant+bread

When I make this again, I will add even more dill and scallions. This bread is really tasty toasted and buttered.

[Beth]

I have Bernard Clayton's Complete Book of Breads -- a great and voluminous bread book. I have 12 bread books I can see from the computer, and if I had to keep only one, that is probab;y the one I would choose. But my sourdough cinnamon rolls, honey wheat and a few other favorites come from other books, so I'm keeping them too. :D

[lsdesign]

I am a bread neophyte who has just used CL recipes. The two I have made the most often with little trouble and give the most bang for time spent are the Ciabbata and the one from earlier this year, I think, the bread with the wild rice. Now since I am working two days a week in a restaurant/bakery I usually get a few loaves to take home as "day old". This has dampened my bread making a bit because theirs are SO good and SO free.

[KValley]

Paula,

I am so glad you posted this thread. As a novice manual bread maker (finally ditched the machine this summer!), I am getting hooked after my own Raisin Rosemary Bread baking experience.

Tracey- I've just placed an order for Bread on half.com (thanks for the tip, Sue :)) and beckms, I just printed out the recipe from Searcher for Hay Day's peasant bread.

happy bread making, everyone- and keep those recipes coming!

Julie

[Terrytx]

I agree with KValley, the Raisin Rosemary is excellent and also the Asiago-Pepper Bread and the Country Rye Bread.

[browneye]

Thanks everyone! I am going down to half-price books tomorrow, and hope to find one of the recommended books there!

Terry TX: where can I find Country Rye Bread?
Is that a CL?

I agree that the Raisin Rosemary is Excellent!!!!! Very fun to make.

I can't wait until tomorrow!!!!
:D

[kima]

Hi Browneye!!
I found the recipe for Country Rye Bread in the Cooking Light Complete Book. [/b] Do you have that book? It is on page 108. Hope that helps. If you make it let us know how it is (that's an order!!):D

Just looked at the recipe a little closer- it requires a bread machine- I don't have one so won't be making it!

[JJeannette]

Kima, any bread machine recipe can be made by hand. Just find a regular recipe of the same type and follow those mixing and shaping directions. It's all much the same---start with your liquid ingredients and add in your dry ones. The biggest difference is that your yeast goes into your wet ingredients (usually) instead of the dry. Normally the handmade recipes will call for a bit more flour also. Take a chance and have some fun. Hand kneading a batch of bread dough is great stress relief!:D

[Laura B]

I am also a big Beth Hensperger fan! I have three of her books: The Bread Bible , Beth's Basic Bread Book , and The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook . I do not make bread a whole lot, but what I have made from these books has all turned out very well. I baked my first ever loaf of bread from Beth's Basic Bread Book and it turned out wonderfully. There is a delicious cinnamon swirl bread in there.

So, I am really just trying to say that if a book has Beth Hensperger's name on it, it is a good book that you can rely on!

[Terrytx]

here is the recipe for Country Rye-


* Exported from MasterCook *

Country Rye Bread**

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breads

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cups rye flour
1 cup water
1 tablespoon caraway seed
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Follow
manufacturer's instructions for placing all ingredients into bread pan;
select bake cycle, and start bread machine.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 slice). 214 cal, 4.2g fat, 5.1g pro,
39.2g carb, 0mg chol, 294mg sod.

Source:
"Cooking Light Complete Cookbook"

[kima]

Hi JJeanette! Just wanted to thank you for the instructions for converting a machine recipe- I bake alot of bread, have for years and I love the kneading process. I use to make 8 loaves of wholewheat bread at one time- talk about alot of kneading!!
Now I bake bread about every two weeks, less in the summer. I would like to return to making all our bread again- maybe when I re retire!! Thanks again for the helpful advice.

[kima]

Here is a recipe for a grainery Bread my family really enjoys.


Grainery Bread

1/2c. rye flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rye flakes
1 cup wheat flakes
1/2 sunflower seeds
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup butter
3 cups boiling water
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Combine rye flour, whole wheat flour, rye flakes, wheat flakes, sunflower seeds, salt, honey, molasses, butter and boiling water in a large bowl. Let cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve the one teaspoon sugar in the lukewarm water; stir in yeast. Let stand 10 mins. and stir again. Stir into lukewarm grain mixture.

Add enough all-purpose flour to make the dough firm but not stiff. Turn onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, working in additional flour as needed.

Place in a greased bowl , turning to grease all surfaces. Cover and let rise, in warm place, until doubled in bulk (about 1- 11/2 hours).

Punch dough down and turn out on lightly floured board. Shape into 3 or 4 loaves (depending on pan size). Put into greased loaf pans, cover and let rise in warm place, until doubled in bulk, about 45 mins.
Bake at 375 deg.F for 25 mins. Reduce oven temperature to 350 deg. F and bake for an additional 25-30 mins.

Remove from pans and cool on rack.

I usually make 3 loaves and use 8x4" pans. The dough is quite sticky so don't be afraid to add more flour just make sure it is not dry- better to had less than too much.
This really is a great recipe. It won first prize in a contest put on by our local paper (not enetered by me though). Enjoy!!

[JA]

I came to this BB to ask a question, and I could hardly believe it when I saw this thread!
I made my first (non bread machine) bread today, the Low Fat Italina-Style bread from the June CL, and love it. I want to make more, but there's just two of us, and I'm afraid this bread will go bad. How do you freeze it?

[JJeannette]

Freezing bread isn't difficult. Either wrap it tightly in a couple of layers of plastic wrap or put it in a freezer type plastic bag. The main point is to keep out moisture. Place it in your freezer somewhere it won't get squashed(no such place in mine). When you want to use it, take out and let thaw at room temp.

[JA]

Thanks for the quick response!
Do you freeze it after it's all cooked? Just pop it in?

[Leslie w]

I love the CL's Lo Fat Italian Bread. Make it all the time because it's great the next day when I grill it for bruchetta. It's also good toasting bread. Sometimes I add wheat germ to it. I freeze the 2nd loaf after it's baked. The other CL italian bread I like is the Rosemary Herb Bread which I believe made its first appearance in the Aug 98 issue but I may be wrong. I could probably hunt down the recipe but I know it's been posted here before.

[beckms]

Leslie w--

the ROsemary Herb Bread is in the Recipe Finder at CL.com, and it looks really good.

I don't have a bread machine, so I'll be kneading by hand...does this bread go through the regular rise-punch-rise-bake cycle of other from-scratch breads?

[AD]

I have found that bread machine breads need MORE flour in my experience since the water does not evaporate and moisture stays in the dough. When using a mixer to form and knead the dough, moisture has room to evaporate, and I often have to add a few drops of water to hold it together.

[browneye]

Originally posted by kima
Hi Browneye!!
I found the recipe for Country Rye Bread in the Cooking Light Complete Book. Do you have that book? It is on page 108. Hope that helps. If you make it let us know how it is (that's an order!!):D

Just looked at the recipe a little closer- it requires a bread machine- I don't have one so won't be making it! [/B]

Kima-
I do have that book, although I must admit, I haven't thoroughly explored the breads in that book.... wanted recommendations first, I guess...
I will try the Country Rye bread!!!! I have leftover Rye flour from the Rosemary-Rye loaf anyway,
AND,
Thank you JA for pointing out the lowfat Italian Bread, and the Rosemary Herb Bread!!!
I LOVE these ideas, keep them coming along!!
Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy!!
I'm like a kid in a candy store!!:D :D

:rolleyes:

[Anne]

One very simple bread my family likes is take a basic french bread recipe, use whole wheat flour instead of bread flour with 1 tablespoon gluten added per cup of flour. Add a half teaspoon or so of your favorite herbs. Kneed by hand or in machine. When ready for the final rise, shape into long slender loaves. When bread is risen, place a few relatively flat snips of herbs on top of the loaves and gently brush with egg white.

Another trick that helps with a busy schedule is to run your favorite bread through the dough cycle, put in a pan (I like cast iron skillets) for the final rise and baking, lightly cover, and place in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours. Take out, let warm to room temp. and bake. This works for making dough in the morning and baking the bread after work or for doing the dough at night and having fresh bread for breakfast. The long, slow, cool rise gives a finer texture to the bread so this may not classify as rustic.

[Leslie w]

Originally posted by beckms
Leslie w--

I don't have a bread machine, so I'll be kneading by hand...does this bread go through the regular rise-punch-rise-bake cycle of other from-scratch breads?

Although I've only made it in my bread machine I've been thinking of trying it in my KitchenAid. I would think it would go through the same cycle as from-scratch breads. I am liking my bread machine a lot less for the same reasons other people have stated. You don't have control over the dough and so often I get this sticky mess when I pull it out of the machine.

[Svadhisthana]

Nope, that isn't my site. That is the baby of a member at another of my favorite sites-www.cheftalkcafe.com. His screen name is "Kylew" and he is a self admited "OCD breadmaker". I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[browneye]

I found 2 Beth Hensperger books at the local Library, also... I found Amy Scherber and Dupree's book and also Clayton's book at the library- I am perusing to see which I would like to purchase for my library.
Also, I went to Half-Price Books here in town and found "Bread for All Seasons" - another Hensperger book, for $7.00.. figured I couldn't go wrong at that price..There is a recipe for an orange sweet roll- spiral syle with orange zest and orange crumb topping...with Blueberries INSIDE!!!!! Oh, my, I'm going nuts to try it!

AND I made two new breads- the Honey and Cornmeal bread from Hensperger and the Whole -Wheat -can't fail bread... YUM! WE are loving life now!
THANKS for the recommendations.
Going crazy...:rolleyes: :D