Farmhouse Bread Recipes

FARMHOUSE WHITE SANDWICH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine 4 cups all purpose flour, instant yeast, and sugar. Make a well in the center, and add melted butter and warm milk. Add 3-4 cups of flour, adding 1 cup at a time. Stir with wooden spoon until you have a sticky, shaggy dough that's mostly combined. Don't worry if it's not smooth. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Uncover the dough and add the salt and 1 cup of bread flour. Add an additional cup if it's too sticky to begin kneading. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead with floured hands for 8-10 minutes. Adding small amounts of flour if necessary.to work surface. You want the dough to be soft slightly tacky but not sticky. You may not need all the flour. Just use according to the feel and texture of the dough.
• Using a very large bowl sprinkle in flour add dough and sprinkle the top with flour. Cover and let rise until it has doubled. Preferably a warm place that's around 70 degrees. If the temperature is cooler it will take longer to rise.
• After the dough has doubled dump out onto a floured surface. Flatten gently to remove air bubbles. Divide into 3 equal pieces and shape into loaves. Place seam side down in greased loaf pans. Dust loaves with flour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover the loaves with the damp towel and let rise for about 40-60 minutes. Gently poke with a floured finger, the dough should spring back a little.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes. Loaves should be golden brown. The best way to check is with a thermometer. Internal temperature of loaves should read about 200 degrees. Let cool completely before slicing with a bread knife.

FARMHOUSE BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and 1 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl. Let rest 10-15 minutes.
• Add salt, sugar, shortening and 3 1/3 cups warm water.
• Gradually mix in 10 cups of flour. Add up to 2 more cups until dough is no longer sticky.
• Knead for 10 minutes. Cover the bowl and let rise for 1 hour until dough doubles in size.
• Punch down dough, form into 4 loaves, place into loaf pans and let rise again until double in size(about an hour).
• Place in preheated oven at 375 degrees and bake until golden brown (about 35 Minutes).
• This recipe also works well halfed.
• For whole wheat bread, substitute 4 cups of whole wheat flour mixed with 6 to 8 cups of white flour.
• I cool slice and freeze the extra laoves for later.

CRUNCHY FARMHOUSE BREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand for 10 minutes or until frothy. Whisk in honey, butter and egg. With wooden spoon, stir in 2 cups (500 mL) of the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, cornmeal, bran, millet and salt until smooth. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to form slightly sticky dough.
• Turn out onto floured surface; knead for 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic, dusting with as much of the remaining flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1-1/2 hours.
• Punch down dough; turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead into round loaf, stretching dough down all around and pinching underneath to shape. Dust top with flour; place on greased baking sheet. Cover with clean towel; let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Using serrated knife, slash shallow grid pattern on top of loaf. Bake in centre of 375°F (190°C) oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Remove from pan; let cool on rack.
• Additional Information.
• Bread Machine Crunchy Farmhouse Bread: Choose whole grain setting; let baked loaf cool on rack.
• Bread Machine Fill-Up.
• The order of ingredients going into the bread machine differs from the handmade method. Generally, the machine should be filled as follows, unless, of course, the manufacturer's instructions say otherwise.
• Into pan of 2-lb (1 kg) bread machine, add (in order) wet ingredients such as water, milk, buttermilk, oil, butter, egg, yogurt, honey and syrup. Then add any sugar and salt. Next add dry ingredients such as flour, bran, oats, seeds, cornmeal and millet. Sprinkle yeast over top, without letting yeast touch liquid. Choose appropriate setting.