Loaves of Fun: A History of Bread with Activities and Recipes from Around the World
weevils tiny bugs can burrow into flour and sugar if they're not stored properly 4 It's a good idea to proof your yeast before you use it just to make sure it's alive and active so you don't end up with a big hard pancake instead of a loaf of bread To proof yeast simply stir some sugar into a cup of very warm but not hot water you should be able to put a finger in it comfortably and sprinkle a little yeast on top It doesn't matter how much yeast you use a pinch will do Within five minutes the yeast should start to bubble or foam If it doesn't it's not fresh enough to use 5 All of the recipes in this book call for butter but you can use margarine if you prefer Six slices of bread equals up to one third of the vita mins and minerals you need in a whole
STTITI TITAN TITUTTITUTI Notes on Kneading When all the ingredients for bread dough are mixed you're ready to knead Kneading is easy and everyone has their own way of doing it You can't go wrong All you have to do is pull the dough apart and then squish it back together again over and over Some people like to do this by making the dough into a flat circle and folding it over like a pillowcase again and again Others prefer to pull it like taffy stretching it out and then mushing it into a ball before stretching it out again The idea of kneading is to stretch the protein in the dough You should knead for at least ten minutes but don't worry you can't do too much Whatever is the most fun is the right way to do it It s best to put all of the ingredients together first and save the kneading to go with the last additions of flour It almost always works out this way because bread dough tends to be sticky until you knead in just the right amount of flour If the dough is coming off on your fingers when you pull your hand away you know that you need to work in a little more flour Add a tablespoon or so at a time until you have a smooth elastic loaf that is easy to pull and fold but isn't wet If your dough gets too tough and you have a diffi
cult time pulling it apart add a little bit of water about one teaspoon and work it into the dough until you have the proper consistency You might have to add water a couple of times in order to get it just right After you've done it a few times you won't have any trouble at all knowing just what the perfect dough feels like Materials Here s a list of all the materials you'll need to make every recipe in this book This list may look long but most kitchens already have these things Shallow baking pan Bread knife Cookie sheet Dish towel Drinking glass Large frying pan or skillet Medium frying pan Sharp knife Loaf pan 9 5 x 24 inches Set of measuring cups Set of measuring spoons Large mixing bowl Plastic mixing bowl Pastry brush
Medium plastic bowl with cover Rolling pin Large non aluminum saucepan Metal spatula Two quart saucepan Long handled spoon Wooden stirring spoon Whisk or fork to beat eggs LIll Measuring Equivalents 1 tablespoon 3 teaspoons 2 tablespoons 1 ounce 4 cup 4 tablespoons or 12 teaspoons 1 cup 8 ounces 1 stick of butter 8 tablespoons 1 pinch 14 teaspoon 1 package of yeast 1 scant tablespoon
