The Clueless Baker. Evelyn Raab

      Wonderful White Bread

      This is white bread you can feel really good about. Because you made it yourself. Awesome.

      6 cups (1.5 liters) all-purpose flour (approximately), divided

      3 tbsp. (45 ml) granulated sugar

      4½ tsp. (22 ml) (2 envelopes) quick-rise instant yeast

      2 tsp. (10 ml) salt

      1½ cups (375 ml) water

      ½ cup (125 ml) milk

      2 tbsp. (30 ml) butter or vegetable oil

      In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups (500 ml) of the flour (only part of the total amount), the sugar, yeast granules and salt.

      In a saucepan, or in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the water, milk and butter or oil. Heat on the stove or in the microwave until very warm to the touch — don’t boil. Add warm liquid to the flour mixture, stirring to make a very gooey batter. Add the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring until the mixture becomes a soft, sticky dough that is difficult to stir. Dump it onto a well-floured surface and knead by hand, sprinkling with additional flour whenever necessary, until it is smooth and elastic and no longer sticky. This should take 8 to 10 minutes. You might not need to add the full amount of flour.

      Place the dough in an oiled bowl that’s large enough for the dough to expand, and turn it over to grease the top of the dough. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size — about 30 to 45 minutes.

      When the dough has risen to double in size, punch it down, then knead it a few times on a floured surface. Let the dough rest while you prepare the baking pans.

      Grease two 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pans. Divide the dough in half, form into two loaves and place the loaves in the pans to rise again — this time to almost (but not quite) double — about 30 minutes.

      Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

      Place the risen loaves in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are nicely browned on top and make a hollow sound when you tap them. Remove from pans and don’t you dare taste them until completely cool. Ha! Like you could resist.

      Makes 2 gorgeous loaves of bread.

      Wonderful Whole Wheat Variation

      Substitute 2 cups (500 ml) — or more — of whole wheat flour for the same amount of the all-purpose flour in the recipe. The more whole wheat flour you add in proportion to white flour, the heavier the resulting bread will be — so it’s wise to experiment with gradual changes to the recipe until you find what you like best.

      Cinnamon Swirl Bread

      Best — Breakfast — Toast — Ever.

      In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup (60 ml) granulated sugar with 1 tbsp. (15 ml) cinnamon. Prepare the dough for Wonderful White Bread and let it rise once. Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to an 8 x 10-inch (20 x 25 cm) rectangle. Brush the surface lightly with water to moisten, then sprinkle with half the cinnamon mixture. Roll up tightly and place in a greased loaf pan, seam-side-down. Repeat with the remaining dough and cinnamon sugar. Let rise and bake as usual.

      If you happen to be a raisin lover, you can also scatter a few raisins on top of the cinnamon sugar sprinkle before rolling up the dough. Most definitely excellent.

      Multigrain Bread

      Cheerfully wholesome, this bread is especially delicious toasted for breakfast.

      1 cup (250 ml) water

      1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk or plain yogurt

      ¼ cup (60 ml) butter or vegetable oil

      ½ cup (125 ml) quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)

      1⁄3 cup (75 ml) wheat germ

      1⁄3 cup (75 ml) natural bran (not bran cereal)

      5½ cups (1.25 liters) all-purpose flour (approximately), divided

      ¼ cup (60 ml) brown sugar

      4½ tsp. (22 ml) (2 envelopes) quick-rise instant yeast

      2 tsp. (10 ml) salt

      1 egg, beaten

      In a saucepan, or in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the water, buttermilk or yogurt and butter or oil. Heat on the stove or in the microwave until very warm to the touch — don’t boil. Stir in the oats, wheat germ and bran, and set aside while you organize the rest of the ingredients for the recipe (or run out and buy the stuff you forgot).

      In a large bowl, combine 1 cup (250 ml) of the flour, the brown sugar, yeast granules and salt. Add the warm liquid mixture and the egg, and stir to mix. Using a wooden spoon, continue to stir, adding the remaining flour, ½ cup (125 ml) at a time, until it forms a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead by hand, sprinkling with additional flour as needed just until the dough is smooth and elastic, and no longer sticky. This should take about 6 to 8 minutes. You might not need to use all the flour.

      Place the dough in an oiled bowl, and turn the dough over so all the sides are oiled. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size — 30 to 40 minutes. (See rising instructions on page 35.)

      When the dough has risen to double in volume, punch it down to deflate it, knead it a few times and let it rest while you prepare the baking pans.

      Grease two 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pans. Divide the dough in half and form into two loaves (see instructions on page 43). Let rise again until almost double — about 30 minutes.

      Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

      Place the loaves in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are nicely browned on top and sound hollow when you tap on them. Remove from pans and let cool on a rack before devouring. If you can wait that long.

      Makes 2 loaves.

      Variations

      Whole Wheat Multigrain Bread

      Substitute 1 to 2 cups (250 to 500 ml) whole wheat flour for the same quantity of all-purpose flour in the recipe. The more whole wheat flour you use, the denser the bread will be — so experiment gradually until you know what you like best.

      Oatmeal Raisin Multigrain Bread

      Omit the wheat germ and bran, and increase the oats to 1⅔ cups (400 ml). Soak ½ cup (125 ml) raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain and stir into the dough along with the egg.

      Multiseed Multigrain Bread

      Stir in 1 tbsp. (15 ml) each flaxseed, poppy seed and sunflower seed when you’re mixing the dough.

      Finishing Touches

      Just before placing your loaves in the oven, brush the tops with a little beaten egg or milk, sprinkle with a few flakes of rolled oats or some seeds and make 3 diagonal slashes across the top of each loaf with a very sharp knife (for that oh-so-professional look).

      Kneading Dough

      Okay, you’ve mixed up the dough — so far, so good. Now you have to knead it. Right. Like what’s that supposed to mean? Relax — it’s fun.

      First — a little background. When you look closely at a slice of bread, you’ll notice that it consists of a bunch of bubbles in a fibrous framework. The fiber is called gluten — a stretchy protein that occurs in many grains, including wheat (from which most bread is made). Without gluten, the little bubbles that give bread its soft and spongy texture would have nothing to hold them together. The bread would have no structure and turn out dense and flat — and not in a good way either. Probably not what you