Thursday Thirteen – Bread Making Tips

13 notes on bread making dug out of grandma’s old recipe file.
  1. Flour should always be stored in a very dry place.
  2. All ingredients and utensils should be at room temperature before beginning.
  3. All liquids should be scalded and then cooled before using and adding yeast. Whole milk adds a good full flavor and better appearance to your breads while potato water adds a characteristic flavor.
  4. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
  5. After each addition of flour to the liquid make certain that the batter is well beaten, and do not add the last cup of flour until absolutely certain you need it.
  6. For the first dough rising, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with cheesecloth. Put in a draft FREE spot, but do not set on radiator or direct heat source. Let rise until double in bulk.
  7. For the second dough rising, punch down after the first rising and fold the sides into the center, turn it over and let rise again, but not too long.
  8. Cut your dough into the proper proportions for bread loaves and left to rest on the bread board, covered for 10 minutes before working with it.
  9. To shape loaves fold side edges under while pressing down on the dough in order to make it longer. Tops should be crease free. Place in a greased bread pan, cover with a damp cloth, put it in a warm place and allow dough to rise to double in bulk.
  10. Always bake bread in a moderate oven. Too hot will brown the bread before it has finished baking.
  11. Bread is done when it shrinks slightly from the sides of the pan, is evenly browned and makes a hollow sound when thumped.
  12. Cool bread on a cooling rack and do not cover if you want a crispy crust.
  13. Always store in a dry and well ventilated spot.
Stay tuned for the upcoming Bread Round-Up.

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Joyce

That was a homey, nostalgic post. 🙂 I’m not nearly so careful, but that sounds like a “craftsman”, really quality kind of bread making. 🙂