Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Channeling Grandma


So, as many of you bloggers may know Peabody from http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/ is having a virtual open house this Saturday December 8th. In order to attend, you must bring a potluck dish. After much thought and consideration I decided to try my hand at something I have never baked before: a yeast bread.

I enviously drool over the baked items on Peabody's blog and admire her baking abilities almost as much as I envy my grandmother's ability to bake bread like no other. So, I thought this open house would be the perfect time to try my hand at a loaf of yeast bread. Who doesn't love the smell of fresh bread filling a room? So, with that plan in mind I phoned my grandma who sadly informed me that she has no recipe and adds ingredients by sight and feel. Well, a lot of good that does me as she lives 8 hours away!


I decided to turn to http://www.allrecipes.com/ to find a basic white yeast bread recipe. Normally I would buy whole wheat bread, but as I had no whole wheat flour at home, I decided on this recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amish-White-Bread/Detail.aspx

Let me tell you this bread ROCKED and I will be making more yeast breads in the future! It had a nice crisp crust, soft dense interior that held up perfectly to a generous slathering of Peanut butter at breakfast.



While bringing a loaf of this delicious bread to an open house would be welcomed, I decided to turn one loaf into bite sized grilled cheese. These little beauties are perfect for passing around at a Housewarming Party with a dab of Ketchup (although I would prefer to have these bite sized morsels with a shot glass full of Roasted Tomato Soup!, Maybe next time
because there WILL be a next time!)



Amish White Bread
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar (I used 1/3 cup based on reviews and my grandma's advice)
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans.

Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.









6 comments:

Peabody said...

I'm so glad you ventured into the glorious world of yeast. Your bread turned out amazing and then you made it into grilled cheese...even better!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Aww! The grilled cheese is sooooo cute! I was craving one yesterday. :) Great job of the yeast bread!!

Jaime said...

congrats on your first yeast bread! :) it looks perfect! great idea to do the grilled cheese....

~Amber~ said...

Congratulations on your first yeast bread, it looks awesome. See yeast isn't scary now is it? :)

Ally said...

That looks fabulous! I've got to try this recipe!

Gretchen Noelle said...

Great job on the yeast bread! I have been baking a ton lately and the idea of grilled cheese with fresh baked bread sounds incredible!