ISO: Favorite Bread Ideas - for Thanksgiving

[lorilei]

The following recipe is excellent and looks very impressive, even though it only takes moments to throw together!

DARK BEER BREAD

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons baking powder

your choice of spice combinations:
1/4 teaspoon dill, 1/8 teaspoon thyme, pinch of oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon basil, or whatever blend of spices you prefer

1 can of Guinness.

Grease 8" by 5" loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and sift well.

Add beer, stir gently until flour is moistened, and spoon into pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown in 375 degree oven. When you think the bread is done, gently tip it out of the pan, and tap the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, your beer bread is ready.

_____________________________

A yeast bread will be a bit more challenging, but here's an easy one to try if you're inclined!

Bear Paw Bread
from Jane Butel's Southwestern Kitchen

This pueblo bread originated in the Rio Grande area of New Mexico and has always been made in the shape of a bear's paw. It is crusty, easy to make, delicious to eat, and most impressive in appearance! This recipe can easily be halved; it can also be frozen, well wrapped, for up to three months.

2 cups hot water
2 teaspoons solid vegetable shortening, lard, butter, or margarine
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 packages (about 2 tablespoons) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110°)

Place the 2 cups of hot water, shortening, honey, and salt in a large bowl; stir to melt shortening. Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a small bowl. When liquid in the large bowl has cooled to room temperature, stir in the yeast mixture.

Add flour 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. After 8 cups have been added to the dough, place the remaining 2 cups on a board (or countertop) and turn out dough over flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, 10 to 15 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly greased very large bowl, turning to grease top of dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. Turn out on a floured board and knead again for about 3 minutes.

Grease 4 (9-inch) pie pans or 2 baking sheets. Divide dough in quarters and form each piece into a flat circle about 8 inches in diameter. Fold each circle almost in half, allowing the bottom to extend about an inch beyond the top. With a sharp knife, slash the dough twice, cutting through both layers of dough, about halfway back to the fold. This will form three separated sections -- the bear's paw. Place each loaf in a greased pie plate, or on a baking sheet, curving the folded side in a crescent shape. Separate the slashes. cover loosely with a towel and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 350° and place a shallow pan of hot water in the center of bottom rack of the oven. Place loaves on the top rack. Bake about 1 hour, or until lightly browned and bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Makes 4 loaves.

[lindrusso]

Here's a recipe that I have made to rave reviews. However, my friends got a HUGE laugh out of me spraying the oven with water (for a crispier crust)!! For some reason they found this very amusing.... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif . This recipe is also quite easy and a good one for a beginner. My biggest suggestion is to practice first to get a feel for it!

OLIVE BREAD

1/4 cup warm (105-115 degrees)water
1 package (2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
3 cups tepid water
4 to 5 cups bread flour
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup black oil-cured olived, pitted
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
coarse cornmeal for dusting

1. Proof yeast for 10 minutes. Place yeast in large bowl with tepid water. Add flours alternately, 1 cup at a time. Beat after each addition. Knead until smooth and elastic - usually about 10 minutes (kneading in olives and salt as you go). Dough should be somewhat sticky. Shape into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl (turning bread once to coat in oil), cover with plastic wrap and let rise overnight in the fridge or until doubled in bulk.

2. Dust a heavy gauge baking sheet with coarse cornmeal. Divide dough. Shape each ball into a rectangle and flatten. Roll dough up on the long side and flatten. Roll dough up on the short side and flatten. Shape into a tight, smooth ball by tucking ends under. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours in a cool room.

3. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Dust loaves with flour and dimple. Let stand 10 minutes. Bake in bottom third of oven. Spray oven with water immediately, and then 3 more times in the first 10 minutes. Bake 35-50 minutes.

[sk8grl]

Jeanne-

I totally spaced when I went home today and forgot to pick up the bread recipe! Sorry! Hopefully if it's for a Thanksgiving get-together, you didn't urgently need the recipe by tonight... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Addendum--my dear husband just called from home and I recruited him to read me the recipe. It makes a very soft, neutral-yet-flavorful yeast bread that goes with about anything. Unfortunately, I use a bread machine so I can't tell you the baking specifics other than for rolls. I would assume the directions for making the dough & baking a loaf are roughly the same for any other standard yeast bread. Here's the recipe:

HONEY-OATMEAL BREAD (1 1/2 lb loaf)
7 1/2 oz. water
3 tablespoons honey
2 cups bread flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats (NOT instant)
1 1/2 tablespoons dry milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

When I made these into dinner rolls, I used a glass pyrex dish coated w/cooking spray, and baked at about 375' for 15-20 minutes. Maybe a true die-hard bread expert can give you better mixing & baking instructions. Good luck if you ever decide to try this! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by sk8grl (edited 11-07-2000).]

[Jeanne G]

sk8grl, lorilei & lundrusso!!

Thank you all so much!!! These all look really good.....now which to make??!!?? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

Jeanne

[chefandi]

I just made this bread the other day, Emeril had it on his show and it looked wonderful.
It's a Pumpkin-Pecan bread with cream cheese to put on top! It's delicious, he put the cream cheese on one slice and then put another slice on top and cut it in half to make it look like a sandwich it was very cute.(Not low-fat, but yummy)

[Jeanne G]

My mom is having Thanksgiving dinner and I volunteered to bring carrots and bread. I have a great carrot recipe don't have any ideas for a good bread. I don't own a bread machine and I'd like to bring a good loaf of something unusual or really good.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't make a lot of bread, and therefore bought a book to inspire me. But I haven't looked through it much and thought someone may have a recipe for a favorite!!??

Thanks!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[sk8grl]

Jeanne-

What about rolls? They always sound so good to me with a big Thanksgiving dinner. I have a very simple, delicious recipe that makes GREAT rolls (and good bread, too, if that's all you want). Unfortunately, I'm at work right now and the recipe's at home... but I'd be happy to bring it in and post it tomorrow. It's very basic but very yummy!

P.S. I take that back--I just remembered I'm going home to vote over lunch, so I can post it later today. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by sk8grl (edited 11-07-2000).]

[Jeanne G]

sk8grl,

After reviewing the recipes and copying & pasting them to word docs, I realized I would have no idea of how to make your recipe into "rolls". Do you cut them with biscuit cutters to a certain shape? Hope I don't sound too silly asking this! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

Jeanne

[lindrusso]

Jeanne,

You can take many bread doughs and just follow these directions for shaping to make rolls. I thought it would be too confusing to explain, so I'm including a picture. In case you can't read the text, it says to bake rolls at 425º for 15-20 minutes. Hope this helps. Also - the picture showing the little balls in the muffin cup is to achieve clover-leaf rolls. Happy baking!

http://members.aol.com:/lindrusso/rolls.jpg

[karen w]

Another suggestion if you are not into baking bread...there were several bread recipes in the same issue as the citrus cream cheese pull apart rolls that use frozen bread dough, are quite easy to prepare, and quite impressive looking, too. One was an apple-brie braid; the other, a spinach and artichoke stuffed bread with cheese(I think the recipe called for feta, but I used cheddar when I made it once and it was good with this too. If you're interested and need the recipes let me know.

[Jeanne G]

Oh MY!!

Lindrusso,
Thank you for the elaborate directions!!! Cool! I will come back to this thread when I get back from vacation and am making the bread(s). I'm tempted by more than one recipe - and I have to say the Olive Bread is one!! I will probably end up making two different kinds. mmm I love olives!!

And Karen W,
You are pushing my buttons by mentioning spinach, artichoke & (feta?) cheese. Now that I'm in the "submit reply" area, I don't know if I can email you(I can't check it). However, check out my email address and please email me the recipe!! I fear that I will not be able to check tomorrow since I leave for California early Friday morning. (I should not be on now, but wanted one last time!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif)

Thanks again!!!
Jeanne

[lindrusso]

Oh, and I forgot to say that the roll directions come from Mollie Katzen's "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" - just in case anyone was thinking that I have WAY to much time on my hands!!

Mollie Katzen handwrote at least this one cookbook and I think the "Moosewood" too - now that's a labor of love!

[This message has been edited by lindrusso (edited 11-08-2000).]

[MrsReber]

Hey Jeanne! No fair getting that recipe via email! I want to know about this artichoke/spinach/cheese bread too! I was thinking of making some kind of rolls to bring to T-Day dinner along with my stuffed shells. Those garlic chive knots sound good, too. Decisions, decisions....

[lindrusso]

Never fear Mrs. Reber, this recipe is in my Mastercook. I really liked it as well. It's from December 1999.

SPINACH-FETA BREAD

1 1-pound loaf frozen white bread dough
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg white
cooking spray
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Thaw dough in refrigerator 12 hours.

2. Combine feta and next 7 ingredients (feta through egg white) in a bowl.

3. Roll dough into a 16x10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread spinach mixture over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Beginning with a long side, roll up jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam and ends to seal. Place roll, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut diagonal slits into top of the roll using a sharp knife. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), 1 hour or until doubled in size.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top of the roll. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden.

[Jeanne G]

You guys are so cute! Sorry Mrs Reber, I wasn't meaning to be selfish! The recipe just sounded soooo good. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif And lindrusso, thank you for the recipe. I'll quickly save it!

[MrsReber]

Just teasing, Jeanne! Lindrusso thanks for the recipe. I'm going to email it home to myself so I can print it out later. It sounds pretty good.

[sk8grl]

Jeanne,

I too was inexperienced about how to make rolls, so I've tried a few ways. The way I liked best was when I pulled apart pieces of the dough one at a time (approximately the size of what I wanted the roll to be, maybe a bit smaller), rolled it softly just a little, and then placed them all in a greased pyrex dish, pushed together so they all touched. I also have tried placing them on a cookie sheet in separate rolls (i.e. not touching), but I didn't like them as much. The cookie sheet method made them crustier, and I like my rolls soft and kinda fluffy. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

I must say though I'm inspired by the illustration in lindrusso's post--if I ever get brave enough, I may try one of those cool twisted knots!!

-Libby

P.S. Hope you have a great vacation!

[karen w]

Thank you Lindrusso for posting the spinach artichoke stuffed bread for me. Sometimes(often) my kids don't let me get back to the computer to respond as quickly as I'd like.

[pvavricka]

All I can say is...YUM!

My family just loves you guys! Always new ideas and great recipes.

Thanks,

Penny