Basque Sheepherders Bread Food

SHEEPHERDER'S BREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine water, butter, sugar and salt. Stir until butter melts and cool to 110 to 115 degrees. Stir in yeast, cover and set in warm place until bubbly, about 15 minutes.
• *Add 5 C flour and beat to form thick batter. Stir in enough of remaining flour (about 3 1/2 cups) to form stiff dough. Turn out on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes), adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Turn dough into greased bowl, cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and knead to form smooth ball. I knead the dough 3 times.
• Grease inside of dutch oven and inside of lid with salad oil. Place dough in dutch oven and cover with lid to let rise for the third time. Let raise in warm place until dough pushes up lid about 1/2 inch (watch closely).
• Bake covered with lid in 375 degree oven for 12 minutes, carefully remove lid and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and turn out on rack to cool.

BASQUE SHEEPHERDER'S BREAD

Steps:

• In a very large bowl combine butter, sugar, salt and hot water. Stir only until butter is melted. Set aside so ingredients can cool until they are warm. Stir in yeast. Cover and set aside in a warm place until it bubbles, about 10 minutes. Add 5 cups flour and beat vigorously with a large wooden spoon until batter is smooth. Add more flour (about 2 cups) to form a stiff dough. Knead, with long strokes, for about 10 minutes on a floured board. Add only enough flour to prevent sticking. Place dough in a large greased bowl; cover with a damp dish towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled - about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and knead about 10 minutes. Form a smooth ball. Using a solid shortening, generously grease sides and inside lid of a cast iron Dutch oven. Cut a round of foil and place in the bottom of Dutch oven. Dust it lightly with flour. Place dough in Dutch oven and cover. Let rise in a warm place until dough pushes up lid. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place Dutch oven in middle of oven. Bake 12 minutes. Carefully loosen any raw edges with knife, then lift off lid. The lid's circled print should be on top of the loaf. Bake bread, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes more or until golden. Cover loosely with foil the last 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Remove from oven. Loosen loaf from Dutch oven with a flat table knife, and place on a wire rack to cool.

SHEEPHERDER'S BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 3 cups very hot tap water with butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until butter melts; let cool until warm (110° to 115°). Stir in yeast; cover and set in a warm place until bubbly, about 15 minutes.
• Add 5 cups of the flour. Beat with a heavy-duty mixer or spoon just until batter is stretchy, 2 to 5 minutes. Mix in enough of the remaining flour, about 3 1/2 cups, to form a stiff dough.
• To knead with a dough hook, beat on medium speed until dough pulls from side of bowl and no longer feels sticky, about 5 minutes. If required, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• To knead by hand, scrape dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes, adding flour as required to prevent sticking. Rinse bowl and rub with oil. Return dough to bowl and turn over to coat with oil.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, if using a 5-quart cast-iron Dutch oven, cut a circle of foil to fit bottom of pan; put foil in pan. Rub the foil and sides of pan generously with salad oil. A nonstick pan that is not worn needs no preparation.
• Knead dough with dough hook or on a floured board to expel air, then form into a smooth ball.
• Place dough in baking pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled again, 45 minutes to 1 hour; watch closely so it doesn't rise too much.
• Bake, uncovered, in a 350° oven until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped, 50 to 55 minutes.
• Remove bread from oven and invert onto a rack (you'll need a helper); remove foil and turn loaf right side up. Cool at least 45 minutes. Serve warm or cool, cut into wedges.
• Nutritional analysis per ounce.

SHEEPHERDER BREAD

Steps:

• Into a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients, and dig a well in the center of the sourdough starter.
• Blend the dry mix into the starter from the edges with enough flour to knead until smooth and shiny.
• Place in greased bowl and let rise until almost double.
• Shape into 2 loaves and place in greased bread pans.
• Bake at 375 degrees F until done.

SOURDOUGH SHEEPHERDER BREAD RECIPE:

Steps:

• Bread Machined Instructions:
• Add all the ingredients except the sesame seeds in the bread pan of bread machine. Process according to manufacturer's instructions for a dough setting. Do not be afraid to open the lid and check the dough. It should form a nice elastic ball. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time).
• If you can not judge your dough by looking, stick your finger in and feel the dough. It should be slightly tacky to the touch. When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove the dough from the pan to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough several times and form the dough into an oval; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stand Up Mixer Instructions:
• In a large bowl or in the bowl of a 5-quart stand mixer, combine sourdough starter, lukewarm water, olive oil, sugar, salt, baking soda, rye flour, and bread flour. Using a dough hook, mix all the ingredients together into a uniform dough. It should form a nice elastic ball. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time).
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until elastic, about 15 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• After resting, knead dough (see kneading tips below) on a lightly-floured board by pulling the dough towards you and then pushing down and forward with the palms of your hands (kneading gives the bread the elasticity and lets it rise).
• Kneading Dough Hints & Tips:
• Lightly dust your work surface with all-purpose flour or bread flour. Place a small mound or a measuring cup of flour near the work surface as you will use this flour to sprinkle over the dough as you knead to prevent sticking. Also dust your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking to you.
• Gather the dough into a rough ball and place on your floured work surface.
• When you knead, you will use only the heels of your hands. Push down on dough with your hand heels.
• Fold the dough in half. Turn the dough about 45 degrees and knead with your hand heels again. Continue to knead, fold and turn the dough for the required length of time or to the consistency suggested. I usually knead the dough around 5 minutes. Well-kneaded dough should feel smooth and elastic. Press your fingertip into the dough; it should spring back.
• Place the dough in a lightly-oiled large bowl. Place a damp towel over the bowl and then cover with plastic wrap (the humidity in the bowl helps in the rising process). Let rise until it doubles in volume (when you can put your finger in the dough and it leaves and indentation and does not spring back out) approximately 4 to 8 hours (depending on the temperature and the starter used, the rising time can vary as much as 2 hours).
• Oven Rising: Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again. This will warm the oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can nott comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door, the oven is too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit.
• Cool or Refrigerator Rise: If I don't have the time to wait for the rise to finish or I know that I will be interrupted before the completed rise, I do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in the refrigerator and left to rise slowly over night approximately 8 to 12 hours. I usually do this after the first rise and the dough has been shaped into a loaf.
• After kneading, shape dough into a into a one-inch high circle and place on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet that is dusted with cornmeal (I use the Silicone Baking Mats instead of cornmeal). Press sesame seeds into the surface of the dough and brush with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. After rising is completed, bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and bake and additional 15 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. (A good check is to use an instant digital thermometer to test your bread. The internal temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees F.) Remove from oven and place the bread on a wire rack to cool.
• When the bread is cooked, remove from oven and place the bread on a wire cooling rack to cool. Let baked loaf cool for 30 minutes before cutting (this is because the bread is still cooking while it is cooling).
• Makes 1 large round loaf.

SHEEPHERDERS BREAD (BASQUE)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine warm water, butter, sugar and salt. Stir to heat butter. Let cold to 110 deg f. Stir in yeast, cover, and set in hot place till bubbly (about 15 min). Beat in about 5 c. flour to make thick batter. Stir in sufficient flour to make a stiff dough (about 3 1/2 c.). Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead for 10 to 20 min, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover. Place in a hot area and let rise till doubled in size. Punch dough down and knead briefly on floured board to release air. Shape into a smooth ball. With a circle of aluminum foil lining the bottom of a 5 qt dutch oven, greased sides, foil on bottom and lid with salad oil. Place dough in dutch oven and cover. Let rise in hot place till lid rises up about 1/2 inch (about one hour). Bake, with lid on, at 375 deg f for 12 min. Remove lid and bake another 30 min or possibly till loaf is golden. Remove from oven and turn out onto wire rack. Peel foil from bottom and set loaf upright. Makes 1very large loaf. Happy eating.

BASQUE SHEEPHERDER'S BREAD

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Stir in yeast and let stand until bubbly (about 15 minutes). (*) Beat in about 80 - 85 % cups of flour to make a thick batter. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Knead for 10 - 20 minutes. Put in a greades bowl: cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour). Punch dough down and and form into dinner rolls, franch bread, cinnamon rolls, etc. Let rise until they are the right size and then bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown (times will very depending on what you cook)and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
• 2. * You can do every thing in a mixer but do the kneading by hand if you can; if you do knead with a mixer then try to hand knead the last 5 minutes so that it does not get over worked.

BASQUE SHEEPHERDER'S BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine hot water, butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until butter melts; let cool to about 110°. Stir in yeast, cover, and set in a warm place until bubbly (about 15 minutes). Beat in about 5 cups of the flour to make a thick batter. Stir in enough of the remaining flour (about 3 1/2 cups) to make a stiff dough. Turn dough out onto a floured board; knead until smooth and satiny (10 to 20 minutes), adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Turn dough over in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch dough down and knead on a floured board to form a smooth ball. With a circle of foil, cover the inside bottom of Dutch oven. Grease foil, inside of Dutch oven, and underside of lid with salad oil. Place dough in pot and cover with lid. Let rise in a warm place until dough pushes up lid by about 1/2 inch (about 1 hour watch closely). Bake, covered with lid, in a 375° oven for 12 minutes. Remove lid and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes or until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and turn loaf out (you'll need a helper) onto a rack to cool. Peel off foil.