[glitterbug]

This is a beginners recipe. Very quick and tasty. Makes one loaf

1/4 cup milk
5 teaspoons sugar (1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoons salt
5 teaspoons butter (1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 package active dry yeast
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups flour
nonstick cooking spray
1 loaf pan

Prepare yeast in 1 cup of warm water
Melt butter in microwave
Combine yeast slurry, butter, salt and sugar in a large bowl
Add 2 cups flower and mix well
Add remaining 1 cup of flower in increments of 1/4, mixing well
Knead on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes by flattening and folding
Form into a ball and place into an oiled bowl for 1 hour to rise. Cover with towel
Punch down after 1 hour
Flatten into a rectangle with one side measuring the length of the loaf pan
Roll rectangle up and tuck ends under
Place into oiled loaf pan, seam side down
Let rise for 1 hour again. Cover with towel
Bake for 30 minutes at 400f
Remove from loaf pan immediately after baking
Wait until cool to slice

[beerocd]

Is the sugar noticeable? Seems a little high.

I've been doing the no knead breads - I just like the rustic look, feel, taste of it. There's very few breads I dislike though.

4 cups of flour
2 cups of water
1 - 1.25 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast

Stir it up with a spatula, cover, leave on counter overnight - come back about 3 hours before you need it the next day.
Flour the counter very well, fold the dough a few times, then form a ball and let it rise again for two hours.
I bake in a dutch oven (cornmeal on bottom), covered for 30, uncovered for 20 at 450 degrees.

Mine is drier than the original recipe as I can't get a good rise, it is also a bit of a bigger loaf by 30% to force it to rise up instead of just spreading out to cover the bottom of the dutch oven and remain rather flat.

[capozzoli]

i like the rustic breads too. Thats why I like naan and some of the other flat breads so much.

You can use beerocd's dough recipe for naan, just form out some twice the size of golf ball pieces of dough then roll them out to a thin disc on a floured counter. Then fry them in oil or cook them in a hot dry pan. You can even cook them on a cookie sheet in the oven or even on the grill. You can get relly exotic by adding some cumin seed or some other spice to flavor them. I like adding fried onions to the dough.

I really like injeras but I guess that is more of a pancake than bread.

[beerocd]

.

You can use beerocd's dough recipe for naan,

You don't raise naan dough though, do you? I didn't think it was that easy - I'll give it a go in the cast iron.
Drinking more recently, cap? 

[bluesman]

i like the rustic breads too. Thats why I like naan and some of the other flat breads so much.

+1

I also like French and Italian breads. Hot out of the oven. 

[capozzoli]

Yep, lt it rise. Only once though no punch down and kneading. Variations to your dough, could be replace the water with milk and/or add an egg.

Its regular light bread dough.

If you take your dough and add two or three mashed potatoes, roll it out and fry it you have langosh. Good stuff, top it with finely chopped garlic sour cream and grated cheese, we use locatelli. Edam works well too.

yeah, drinking a little more. Not too much though.

[beerocd]

Yep, lt it rise. Only once though no punch down and kneading.

yeah, drinking a little more. Not too much though.

Yeah, actually went to bed thinking about the dough. The whole thing about it is letting it do it's thing long term - so let it rise.

Just giggin' you a little - I know you have company. I'd drink more. 

[capozzoli]

Naan and pita bread are the same thing too. You can add a little extra virgin olive oil roll them out and cook them over coals then insert your solvaki some lettuce tom. and onion maybe a little tatziki sauce.

Oh yeah and make some humus if you are using it as pita bread.

To make "pocket" pita bread. roll out two golf ball size pieces, carefully oil one but leave the edges dry. Then lay the other one on top pinch the edge/ joint and roll again. Cook the ame way as above. It will open up in the middle.

[beerocd]

Naan and pita bread are the same thing too. You can add a little extra virgin olive oil roll them out and cook them over coals then insert your solvaki some lettuce tom. and onion maybe a little tatziki sauce.

Oh yeah and make some humus if you are using it as pita bread.

I like naan being "done" on both sides, better texture. For a little indo-balkan twist, Ajvar.

[capozzoli]

Oh yeah, I love Ajvar. Thats the red pepper puree stuff right? Rpasted peppers maybe? Do you make your own?

The Hungarian and Slovakian have this stuff called Letcho. I think it is the same thing as ajvar.

Man, just about anything is good on home made pita bread. 

[beerocd]

Oh yeah, I love Ajvar. Thats the red pepper puree stuff right? Rpasted peppers maybe? Do you make your own?

Not every year. Gotta wait till you forget what a royal PITA it is to make the stuff. And then you make another year supply. So 2010 is an Ajvar year, it's been a while. We do roasted peppers every year. Seed em, blacken them, freeze em. Then when you're ready, thaw, peel, mix in oil - salt- garlic and you're all set. Maybe a splash of vinegar if your in the mood.

To kick up the Ajvar - heat a tablespoon of olive oil, and crush some fresh garlic in it. Dump your portion of Ajvar in the hot oil and heat it thoroughly to reduce/thicken the mixture a little bit. Eat it warm on fresh bread of your choice.

[redbeerman]

Ajvar = yum!  Have a jar in the fridge now.  As far as bread goes.  Try this light rye bread, fennel or dill seeds optional.

 1 cup organic whole rye flour
 2 cups King Arthur bread flour (can use unbleached regular as well.)
 1 cup tepid water
 1 tblsp. sugar
 1 tblsp. salt
  2 tsp. dry yeast.

  Mix dry ingredients into water.  I use a sprial bread hook on my mixer for about 15minutes.  Let rise a minimum of two times for an hour each time before making a loiaf and letting rise for a third time.  The more times you let it rise the fluffier the inside will be.  I like my bread crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.  Bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes.

[beerocd]

I've got Marco Polo brand in the fridge right now, it's pretty darn good. Nowhere near homemade, but still good.
How about you?
I pick em by reading through the ingredients first, then by looks - thru the jar.

[redbeerman]

Yes, we have Marco Polo too.  Good stuff.  Homemade would be awsome, but the amount of red peppers could make it cost prohibitive for regular consumption.

[beerocd]

Yes, we have Marco Polo too.  Good stuff.  Homemade would be awsome, but the amount of red peppers could make it cost prohibitive for regular consumption.

When we do it, it's by bushels. I think it was $24/bushel last year, pick your own.
It's expensive, even to make your own. But you gotta do something, right?
Thing is you'll blast through it for a month or two and then forget you have it and not really even care for any for a month or two again. Then it starts coming out when there's company over, or a special meal.

Lately, it's my mayo sub on sammichez.