Bread Making Tips. Recipes: Orangy-Anise Honey-Wheat Bread and Jay's Favorite Bread

Bread Making Tips

About Bread Flour
     Pompadour Au Chocolat and Whole Wheat Herb Onion Bread
About Yeast
     Oatmeal Wheat Bread and Sweet Lemon Bread
Other Bread Essentials
     Sour Cream Cranberry Rye Bread and Mexican "Hogan" Bread
About Making Bread
     Bo-Pol Bread and Poppy Seed Bread
Bread Making Tips
     Orangy-Anise Honey-Wheat Bread and Jay's Favorite Bread

Always store flour in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. For long-term storage, store flour and yeast in refrigerator or freezer.
To measure flour, spoon it lightly into a dry measuring cup and level with a spatula.
Use the Grain Mill to grind whole wheat berries and other grains into flour. One cup of grain yields approximately 1-1/4 cups of flour, except for rolled oats which yields 7/8 cup of flour.
Check liquid temperature with an accurate thermometer.
Allow bread to rise in a warm, draft-free place. Place bowl of dough on rack over pan of warm water. Or, set oven on lowest setting for 10 minutes. Turn oven off and place bowl of dough in oven.
For soft crusts and extra shine, brush finished bread with melted butter and cool uncovered.
For crispier crusts, brush loaves with a mixture of one egg white and one tablespoon of cold water before baking.
Inverting finished bread onto racks immediately from oven prevents a soggy loaf.
Some large recipes and soft doughs may climb over the collar of the dough hook. This indicates the dough needs more flour. The sooner all the flour is added, the less likely the dough is to climb the hook. Try starting with all but the last cup of flour in the initial mixing process. Then add the remaining flour as quickly as possible, never exceeding the total amount given in the recipe.
Dough made with whole grain flour may not form a ball on the dough hook during kneading. However, as long as there is contact between the hook and the dough, kneading will be accomplished.
Allow bread to cool completely before slicing.
Baked yeast breads may be stored in the freezer for up to six months. Wrap securely in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. To thaw, let stand at room temperature for 3 hours.

Orangy-Anise Honey-Wheat Bread

Guaranteed to bring requests for the recipe.

2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup instant whole wheat cereal
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup butter or margarine

Place 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat cereal, yeast, salt, anise seed, and grated orange peel in bowl. Attach bowl and dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and mix 30 seconds.

Combine water, orange juice, honey, and butter in saucepan. Heat over low heat until liquids are very warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F). Turn to speed 2 and gradually add warm liquids to flour mixture, about 1 minute. Mix 2 minutes longer. Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes longer.

Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover, let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and divide in half shape each half into a loaf and place in a greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2-inch loaf pan. Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

Yield: 2 loaves.

Jay's Favorite Bread

Good for you and extra good too!

2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/3 cup farina
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup wheat germ
3-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3-1/2 to 4-1/2 cups unbleached flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl. Add sugar and stir; let stand 5 minutes. Add honey, lemon juice, oil, salt, water, milk, farina, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, whole wheat flour, and 3 cups unbleached flour. Attach bowl and dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and mix for 2 minutes, or until well blended. Continuing on speed 2, add remaining unbleached flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place in a greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inch loaf pan. Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

Yield: 2 loaves.

Provided by KitchenAid

All About Bread

This page originally published as a FoodDay article in 1997.