Post by Adona Mara on Apr 1, 2009 14:17:45 GMT -5
This recipe comes from The Sunset Cookbook of Breads, p. 11; Edited by Susan Warton, Kandace Esplund Reeves; C. 1977.
This is one of my all-time favorite bread recipes. It's easy to make, delicious, and makes a wonderful sandwich bread. You can also substitute Z-Sweet or Splenda baking blend for the sugar. There's no kneading involved, the dough freezes beautifully, and I guarantee if you try it (or one of the variations added at the end) you will not be disappointed. I like to make a double batch, and freeze three cans of it for later use. The cans are roughly equivalent to a one pound loaf -- and the "muffin top" will keep you from eating the whole loaf fresh from the oven, which you will be sorely tempted to do. Good luck, and let me know how you do.
RICH WHITE BATTER BREAD
Coffee cans give this moist, fine-textured bread its distinctive shape -- tall, round, and domed. The plastic lids that come with the cans prove useful, too, at several different stages. First, they seal the batter in the can for freezing if you want to bake the bread another time. Next, the lids tell you when the dough (which rises only once) is ready to bake -- they pop off. And once the baked loaf is sliced below the top of the can, the lid will seal it in to keep it fresh.
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large can (13 oz.) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons salad oil
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
Butter or margarine
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; blend in ginger and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let stand in a warm place until bubbly (about 15 minutes). Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the milk, salt, and oil. Gradually beat in enough of the flour, 1 cup at a time, to make batter very heavy and stiff, but too sticky to knead.
Spoon batter into a well-greased 2-pound coffee can, or divide in half and place in 2 well-greased 1-pound coffee cans. [Even though the cans you get now say 11 or 13 ounces, they're the right size.] Cover with greased plastic can lids. Freeze if you wish.
To bake, let covered cans stand in a warm place until batter rises and pops off plastic lids (45 to 55 minutes for 1-pound cans, 55 to 60 minutes for 2-pound cans).
If frozen, let batter stand in cans at room temperature until lids pop (4 to 5 hours for 1-pound cans, 6 to 8 hours for 2-pound cans).
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 45 minutes for 1-pound cans, about 60 minutes for a 2-pound can; crust will be very brown. Brush tops lightly with butter. Let cool in cans on a rack for 10 minutes; then loosen crust around edge of can with a thin knife, slide bread from can, and let cool in an upright position on rack. Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves.
LIGHT WHEAT BREAD
Follow Rich White Batter Bread recipe, but replace sugar with 3 tablespoons honey. Use 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 3 cups all-purpose flour (both unsifted).
CORN-HERB BATTER BREAD
Follow Rich White Batter Bread recipe, adding to yeast mixture 2 teaspoons celery seed, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground sage, and 1/8 teaspoon marjoram. Substitute 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal for 1/2 cup of the flour.
RAISIN-NUT BATTER BREAD
Follow Rich White Batter Bread recipe, adding to yeast mixture 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Stir 1/2 cup each raisins and chopped walnuts into batter with final addition of flour.
This is one of my all-time favorite bread recipes. It's easy to make, delicious, and makes a wonderful sandwich bread. You can also substitute Z-Sweet or Splenda baking blend for the sugar. There's no kneading involved, the dough freezes beautifully, and I guarantee if you try it (or one of the variations added at the end) you will not be disappointed. I like to make a double batch, and freeze three cans of it for later use. The cans are roughly equivalent to a one pound loaf -- and the "muffin top" will keep you from eating the whole loaf fresh from the oven, which you will be sorely tempted to do. Good luck, and let me know how you do.
RICH WHITE BATTER BREAD
Coffee cans give this moist, fine-textured bread its distinctive shape -- tall, round, and domed. The plastic lids that come with the cans prove useful, too, at several different stages. First, they seal the batter in the can for freezing if you want to bake the bread another time. Next, the lids tell you when the dough (which rises only once) is ready to bake -- they pop off. And once the baked loaf is sliced below the top of the can, the lid will seal it in to keep it fresh.
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large can (13 oz.) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons salad oil
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
Butter or margarine
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; blend in ginger and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let stand in a warm place until bubbly (about 15 minutes). Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the milk, salt, and oil. Gradually beat in enough of the flour, 1 cup at a time, to make batter very heavy and stiff, but too sticky to knead.
Spoon batter into a well-greased 2-pound coffee can, or divide in half and place in 2 well-greased 1-pound coffee cans. [Even though the cans you get now say 11 or 13 ounces, they're the right size.] Cover with greased plastic can lids. Freeze if you wish.
To bake, let covered cans stand in a warm place until batter rises and pops off plastic lids (45 to 55 minutes for 1-pound cans, 55 to 60 minutes for 2-pound cans).
If frozen, let batter stand in cans at room temperature until lids pop (4 to 5 hours for 1-pound cans, 6 to 8 hours for 2-pound cans).
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 45 minutes for 1-pound cans, about 60 minutes for a 2-pound can; crust will be very brown. Brush tops lightly with butter. Let cool in cans on a rack for 10 minutes; then loosen crust around edge of can with a thin knife, slide bread from can, and let cool in an upright position on rack. Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves.
LIGHT WHEAT BREAD
Follow Rich White Batter Bread recipe, but replace sugar with 3 tablespoons honey. Use 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 3 cups all-purpose flour (both unsifted).
CORN-HERB BATTER BREAD
Follow Rich White Batter Bread recipe, adding to yeast mixture 2 teaspoons celery seed, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground sage, and 1/8 teaspoon marjoram. Substitute 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal for 1/2 cup of the flour.
RAISIN-NUT BATTER BREAD
Follow Rich White Batter Bread recipe, adding to yeast mixture 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Stir 1/2 cup each raisins and chopped walnuts into batter with final addition of flour.