Finally: Raisins

Raisins, raisins and more raisins this week. Finally a sweet, almost-dessert bread. Yeast, milk, flour, you know the drill + raisins and cinnamon. Proofed and baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Made French toast with this last night...mmm...

Happy Easter?

Yes, it's November, but here's some Paska {Easter} bread! This Eastern European bread is often included in the basket of food taken to church to be blessed at Easter time. A sponge {yeast, milk, flour} is left to rest for 30 minutes and then combined with: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, rum, vanilla, raisins and mace {which I had never heard of; it's made of the covering of nutmeg seeds}. Some of the dough is set aside, braided and placed on top of the loaves before being baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Focaccia!

All it takes to make this is: yeast, water, flour, salt and olive oil. A very dry dough which, at first, doesn't look like it will come together. Brushed with olive oil and "dimpled" with your fingers to help the toppings stick. Sprinkled with whatever you like, then proofed and baked for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees. Dinner is served.

Cheesy goodness

A classic, baked in a big metal pan that folds shut and looked to be circa 1950 {loaves end up coming out log-shaped}. Yeast, water, flour, sugar, shortening, salt, milk and malt are mixed; grated cheese is adding in during the last minute of mixing. Proofed and baked for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

I heart white bread

Pullman bread is supposed to be made in a loaf pan with a lid that slides on, which forces the bread to bake into a perfect square shape. But because they renovated our bake labs at school, these are nowhere to be found so we baked ours in regular loaf pans = giant misshapen loaves that there was no way I could get a good picture of. So I got creative with some cookie cutters. The bread itself is a basic white sandwich bread made with a sponge starter {yeast, water, malt, flour} that is left to rest for 30 minutes and then combined with flour, sugar, milk, shortening & salt. Proofed and baked for 30 minutes at 395 degrees.