Great FAST yeast bread

[kima]

Well it is cool and rainy here in the city of gardens so i decided to make some bread to go with some leftover soup for dinner. I use to make this recipe all the time- it is nice to revisit and old friend and find they haven't changed a bit!:)

From The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

Here is the fastest yeast bread I know, and a delicious one. I like to bake it late in the day, to serve warm with dinner. The aroma of the herbs is the greatest appetizer you could devise.

1/2c. milk
1 1/2Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter
1 package (2 1/4 tsp.) yeast
1/2c. warm water
2 1/4c. white or whole wheat flour
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 tsp. dried dillweed
1 tsp. crushed dried rosemary

Scald the milk and dissolve in it the sugar, salt and butter; cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the cooled milk, flour, onion and herbs.
Stir well with a large wooden spoon.

When the batter is smooth, cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until triple in bulk- about 45 minutes. Stir down, and beat vigorously for a few minutes, then turn into a greased bread pan.
Let it stand for 10 minutes before putting into a preheated 350 deg. oven. Bake about one hour.

The dough will be sticky- resist the urge to add too much flour. My bread was done in 50 minutes. Of course you can vary the herbs. Delicious!

[knunes]

Wow, that is fast! I'll have to try it sometime soon!

[Alisa]

Wow Maureen - you've found me a bread that I'll actually make!! I HATE to knead - I know, I know - it's supposed to be therapeutic etc etc but I still hate it. "Beating down" I can handle though.
Thanks.
Alisa

[BlueMoose]

Thanks, Maureen. I just mentioned onion dill bread on another thread! I'm going to try this.:)

[BlueMoose]

I just made this today. It's really fast and it's really good! I'll be making it again!:)

Thanks again Maureen:)

[funnybone]

I've just copied this into MC for "later baking". Thanks for the post.

[kima]

Glad you liked it Chrissy- I made this quite often when I had two litle girls running around the kitchen. I miss that......:(

[Carolina68]

I must confess, I have never made homemade yeast bread.....however, this recipe sounds like something I can handle, so I think I might give it a try very soon. Thanks for letting us in on this great sounding recipe, Kima.

[penguin]

Silly question, but what does it mean to scald the milk? :o

[kima]

Hi penguin!!!!
Scalding milk means to bring it just to the boiling point. You can do this in a pan but I find it easier to heat the milk in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave.
Hope you enjoy making this bread!:)

[penguin]

Thanks! I will be trying this tonight with a chicken salad. No soup for me since we are having record high temps this week -- 95 for a high today! It feels like the dog days of summer, but I am loving it!:D

[Canice]

I thought this might be nice to make with Monday's potato, leek, and kale soup -- but I've never made bread :o Soooo, I have to ask: what, exactly is a bread pan? Is it the same as a loaf pan? If so, what size pan?
Also, I have a bag of wheat flour that I almost ever use; do you have a preference for wheat or white?
Thanks for your help.

[kima]

Hi Canice!
Yes a bread pan is just another word for a loaf pan- I used an 8x4"pan. Last time I made this recipe I used 1c. whole wheat flour and the rest was unbleached all purpose flour. Yoy could make this with all ww but I would use some white flour just to ensure the loaf has a light texture.
Good Luck- and let me know how it goes. Remember the dough will quite tacky or sticky! Maureen

[BlueMoose]

I did the same thing as Maureen did with the flour...used 1 1/2 cups ww, and 1 cup white.

[Canice]

Wheeee, I made bread last night! Never tried before. Yum. Didn't have any dried rosemary to crumble, but a gorgeous hedge of the fresh stuff in the back yard, so I minced up a bunch of that. Think I'll put a slice o' bread under the broiler right now with a nice bit of cheese on it. Thanks for posting this fast and tasty recipe!

[kima]

You're more than Welcome! Glad you like it!:)

[Grace]

I made this bread tonight, Maureen! It IS delicious! Thanks so much for sharing. And I thought of you in years past making this often for your kids - being such a terrific mom and homekeeper to have fresh bread often in the house. It brought a smile to my face! My DH liked the bread very much too!! I can't wait to try it tomorrow when it's had time to cool off - :D (I ate a huge hunk while it was still very hot! :o I couldn't wait... :rolleyes: ) But things always taste a little different after they've had a chance to cool....

Thanks again! :D

[kima]

Wow Grace- I am so thrilled you liked my recipe! I know you are a master baker!
When my girls were little I made ALL our bread and baked goods. I was home alot and it was fun! I don't bake nearly as much anymore- I keep saying I will do more but then don't. I don't know why... I guess to everything there is a season...

[emilycat]

At the risk of sounding dreadfully redundant, Maureen, this bread is WONDERFUL!
I love making bread, but sometimes after work I just don't feel like kneading AT ALL.
And it's such a forgiving recipe, too.
I don't generally drink "real" milk anymore and thus didn't have any in my fridge, so I used plain soy milk in place of the milk called for. I also used all whole wheat flour (which I'm sure made it denser, but I love it that way, so it was fine by me!), and for the herbs, I used 1 t. basil, 1/2 t. Greek oregano and 1/2 t. rosemary.
This was so awesome! I ate it with a white bean and tomato soup last night and today, and since it doesn't make a gargantuan loaf, I know I'll be making this quite a bit.
Thank you so much! :D

[Abby]

Kima - Can I ask a stupid question? What exactly does this mean, "Stir down, and beat vigorously for a few minutes....?" Does this mean to punch it down to deflate the dough and then stir vigorously with a spoon or beat with my KA? I know, stupid question!

[kima]

Glad you are all enjoying this recipe!
Wow Emily- I have enjoyed so many of your recipes it is nice to return the favour! I have made it with all whole wheat as well and often use soy milk for baking.
Abby- what I do is punch it down and then stir with a wooden spoon- and not for very long as the dough is quite thick. As Em said this recipe is very forgiving!:)

[wallycat]

Kima, I just printed this recipe and plan to make it for tomorrow...it's going to hit close to freezing tonight (YIIPEEEIIEIEIEIEIEIEEEEEEEEE horrrrayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy) so I'll bake something...and DH will be happy!!!
Last night I made the tart cherry cake...YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMM.....gosh, dare I say I hate these boards for encouraging eating stuff when NOT hungry :o :D

[wallycat]

Kima,
I butchered your recipe!! but it turned out great...
instead of all flour, I used 1 TBS. of vital gluten, 1 cup of thick rolled oatmeal, 1 cup of all-purpose flour called for, and 1/4 cup of wheat germ/bran mixed. I used olive oil instead of butter...other than that, I left it alone :p

Wow...turned out yummy...and sooooo easy. Thanks (and I have that book you got it from, just never saw that recipe.)

[kima]

Wow Wallycat- I think you can safely call that your own recipe! Glad I could provide the framework!:)

[Searcher]

Maureen, I made this bread last night to go with our chicken marsala. We, of course, didn't need bread with that but it was a nasty rainy night and this came out so well. I added chopped fresh, parsley, dill and green onion, doubled the recipe and made 6 mini loaves rather than two larger ones. It took about 40 minutes at 350º to bake. Thank you! I'm passing this one onto my girls.

[beejayw1]

Hey, Maureen -

I think you may have provided me with a recipe I can 'tweak' to make Olive Rosemary bread! I love the stuff, but the bakery I bought it from stopped making it. So if I put rosemary in there, and substitute chopped Kalamata olives for the onion...

Hooray for Maureen! (I'll report on how delicious it is!)

[kima]

I think half the fun of posting a recipe here is watching it morph!!! And thanks Diana for your confidence- a success even before you make it!!!
All the different herb combos sound wonderful.
Looking forward to your confirmation beejayw1!:)

[Jasmine-Rose]

I have a whole bunch of Penzey's jars from my recent trip to Chicago and they're just calling out to be used in wonderful combinations in this recipe. Of course, I haven't baked bread yet, but this one looks like a great way to start. And I just bought some whole wheat flour. It's destiny! :D

Thanks Maureen

[Canice]

Jasmine-Rose, your Penzey's and this recipe were made for each other! Just wanted to drop a reminder that if you use your new whole wheat flour you should also use part regular white flour. I sent this recipe to a friend and forgot to include that notation; she said she got a wonderfully fragrant, delicious-smelling..."cement shoe". Definitely needed that little "lift" from the white flour!

[Jasmine-Rose]

Thanks, Canice. I have some KA bread flour at home that I use for pizza dough so I'll use that with 1 cup of wheat flour. Can't wait for the weekend so I can try this one out. I can just imagine the wonderful aroma wafting through my kitchen....

[Jasmine-Rose]

I made my first loaf yesterday - half of it is gone and I was the only one here! It is delicious and I thank you for the recipe and inspiration.

I followed the recipe except for the herbs. I used 1/2 tsp each California Basil, Turkish Oregano, Spanish Thyme and Spanish Cracked Rosemary. I baked it in a 10x5 pan because that's all I had but I'll be buying an 8x4 pan today in an attempt to make a taller loaf better suited to sandwiches. It smelled wonderful while it was baking - which was perfect as it was snowing here yesterday!

I'll be baking another loaf this evening. And my new bread books arrived in the mail yesterday :D , so I'll be studying while the bread bakes.

Thanks again for getting me started in such a nice way!

[kima]

Thank you Jasmine Rose! I am so glad that your introduction to bread making was so enjoyable! Your herb combination sounds wonderful too. Have fun with your new books and do share your next bread experiences with us!:)

[Jasmine-Rose]

Maureen, may I ask a question or two about your recipe?

I made a second loaf last evening and I used a smaller pan, olive oil instead of butter, and I proofed the yeast in warm water with sugar to make sure it was alive before adding the milk/salt/oil mixture. The recipe doesn't seem to indicate that the yeast should be checked this way. I was nervous with the first loaf (which I didn't proof) but it came out okay. Do you proof the yeast or not?

Also, do you think I could make this as a round loaf (on a cookie sheet with parchment paper? Just curious. See how brave I'm getting???

Many thanks for your patient assistance - this rookie bread maker appreciates it very much!

- E.

[penguin]

Hi, I'm not Maureen, but I made the recipe a few weeks ago as a round loaf on my pizza stone. It worked fine, but was flatter, resembling a foccacia (sp?) loaf.

As far as proofing the yeast, I was always under the impression that proofing is only necessary if you are think the yeast might be too old. If it isn't past or near its expiration date, I don't think you need to proof the yeast. Does anyone else know anything more or different on this subject?

I also have a question for fellow breadmakers or maybe you can answer this, Jasmine-Rose. What exactly is the correct temp. of the water the yeast is dissolving in and how do you check to make sure it is the correct temp? Do you use a thermometer of some sort or another method?

Thanks,
Amy

[kima]

The water temperature for the yeast should be about 85 deg.-or like baby's bathwater.I never check the temp-just go by feel (?).
I too have made this loaf as a round with good results-it is quite flat but delicious! Jasmine, when you dissolve the yeast in the water that is an opportunity to see if your yeast is active. You can add a bit of sugar to make sure it as food-but it will react without sugar believe it or not. Always check the expiration date on the yeast and if that is fine and you had success with it before there should be no problem.
So what do you think of your new books?

[Jasmine-Rose]

Penguin,

I used my digital meat thermometer (boy am I glad I bought that!) to check the temperature of the water. With more experience I probably won't have to rely on that but for now it gives me added confidence and I can use all I can get! My new bread book The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger said to make the water between 105 and 115 degrees so that's what I did. The yeast foamed up beautifully with 110 degree water and the 1 1/2 Tbs of sugar. I was impressed!

Maureen,
Thanks for answering my questions so quickly and patiently. As for the new books - I was determined to do some housework on the weekend despite having received them, so I didn't get too far into them. Based on what I've read so far I'm very pleased, particularly with The Bread Bible. It covers the basics well and seems to offer suggestions for substitutions in the recipes. It has a section on quickbreads and muffins which I'm not likely to use much, but the yeast bread part looks like it has every kind of bread in it.
I have much to learn here. For example, I wonder what would happen if I used your recipe and let it rise a second time? I know it's meant to be a FAST bread, but I'm curious. I also wonder if I could double the recipe and get a standard size loaf for making sandwiches from it? I don't know any of the rules so this is going to be a great adventure for me, and I'm looking forward to it. You'll likely continue to hear from me, if you don't mind too much being my bread-baking mentor???

[Wendy w]

I am kicking this back up because I finally made this and it is a great recipe for the kickoff of soup season. We have cooled down today and the weather is teasing us with rain.:)
Because of this, I had a hankering for soup and bread.

I used whole wheat flour, dried dill, and fresh rosemary. Oh wow!! I had it with the potato kale soup in the October issue (another review, another time) and it made a very nice meal. Because I used all whole wheat flour, it didn't rise very much. My roomie had a slice on her way out tonite and really liked it. Next time, I am going to see how it works with half wheat, half bread flour. I am taking some soup and bread over to my Mom tomorrow and she is excited.

Thanks Maureen!!

[kima]

You are more than welcome Wedy!
Using all whole wheat, while certainly the healthiest way to make it, would make this bread quite heavy as it doesn't have a long rise. I like heavy, chewy bread!:) Fresh rosemary-how nice! You must have lots of fresh herbs in CA. Up here we can only get some anemic "fresh" herbs in little packages.:(
I am nursing a tooth infection at the moment and so your post made my day!:)

[Alaina76]

Yet ANOTHER "this bread is delicious!" I used all whole wheat flour and loved the texture. I made it to go with some bland soup I had to use up in the freezer (trying to clean it out) and all of the flavor in the bread made up for the soup's lack of it. Thanks for the recipe!

[CindyWeightWatcher]

Question for bread bakers: Does fat free milk substitue
for whole milk??? Also wondering what type of yeast
to use in this recipe recommended by Maureen - active, instant, rapid??? TIA

[knunes]

Cindy,
I'm sure I used either fat-free or 1%, as I never have whole. No problem.
Also, I'm sure I used the jar of bread machine yeast (the powdery type-not rapid) and it worked fine. Maybe someone else has used some other types of yeast?

[Beth]

Glad this got bumped. I missed it before. I think I'd liek to try it with the olives and rosemary too. I think we are going to make pesto this afternoon to use up some of the basil before it gets too cold, so maybe I'll make a pesto version with garlic and basil. I don't think I'm up to kneading today, but bread baking would be comforting here in sick bay. ;)