Crusty Mini Loaves Food

CRUSTY MINI LOAVES

Steps:

• In bread machine pan, place the first six ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed)., When the cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into four portions; shape into 6-in. loaves. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cut slits in the top of each loaf. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and water; brush over dough. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

EASY CRUSTY BREAD

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, sugar and yeast. Allow to stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
• Add the flour and salt then knead with the dough hook for 5 minutes.
• The dough will be slightly sticky but shouldn't be wet. If it is, add 1-2 tbsp flour and knead in.
• Bring the dough together into a ball with your hand. Dust over 1-2 tbsp flour (you want it to be well covered).
• Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size. Leaving the dough in a warm spot will aid the rising.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Place a pot (dutch oven) with a lid into the oven to preheat.
• When the dough has proved, turn it out onto a floured surface. Fold the edges into the center of the dough then place into a floured bowl, seam side down. Dust over more flour.
• Cover with the tea towel and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
• Carefully remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid. Transfer the dough to the pot and cover with the lid.
• Place in the oven and allow to bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the bread is golden brown.
• Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes (or until it has cooled to room temperature) before slicing and serving.

NO-KNEAD CRUSTY ARTISAN BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and yeast. Stir in water using a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a shaggy but cohesive dough. Do not over-work the dough. The less you "work" it, the more soft, fluffy air pockets will form.
• Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough sit at room temperature for 8-24 hours*. Dough will bubble up and rise.
• After dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place your Dutch oven, uncovered, into the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
• While your Dutch oven preheats, turn dough onto a well-floured surface. With floured hands, form the dough into a ball. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap and let rest.
• After the 30 minutes are up, carefully remove Dutch oven. With floured hands, place the bread dough into it. (You can put a piece of parchment under the dough if your Dutch oven isn't enamel coated.)
• Replace cover and bake for 30 minutes covered. Carefully remove cover and bake for 7-15 minutes* more, uncovered.
• Carefully remove bread to a cutting board and slice with a bread knife.
• Enjoy!
• Uncovered baking time depends on your oven. In my oven, the bread only needs 7 minutes uncovered until crusty and golden brown, but this can vary. Just keep an eye on it!
• Preheating your Dutch oven to 450 degrees F will not damage it, or the knob on top.
• I've let this dough rise anywhere between 8-24 hours and it has baked up beautifully. Just make sure it has risen and appears to "bubble" to the surface.
• There's no need to grease the Dutch oven/baking dish/pot
• . My bread has never stuck to the pot. If you are concerned though, put a piece of parchment paper under your dough before placing into your pot.
• I do not recommend using whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour in this recipe. The resulting bread will be very dense, and not as fluffy and delicious.
• I used a 5.5 quart enameled cast iron Le Creuset pot, but you can use any large oven-safe dish and cover. All of these also work: a baking dish covered with aluminum foil, crockpot insert, stainless steel pot with a lid, pizza stone with an oven-safe bowl to cover the bread, and old cast iron Dutch oven.
• Add any mix-ins you like - herbs, spices, dried fruit, chopped nuts and cheese all work well. I recommend adding them into the initial flour-yeast mixture to avoid over-working the mix-ins into the dough. The less you "work" it, the more you're encouraging soft, fluffy air pockets to form!

CRUSTY MINI LOAVES

Steps:

• Place first 7 ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer's directions.
• Select dough setting.
• When dough is done, turn out and divide into four 6-inch loaves.
• Place onto a greased baking sheet.
• Cut three slits into top of each loaf with kitchen scissors.
• Place in warm place and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Beat the egg yolk with the teaspoon of water and brush the top of each loaf.
• Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes or until golden.

MINI PIZZA LOAVES

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
• With spray, lightly coat the inside of a 2-quart baking dish.
• In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except pizza sauce and cheese.
• Separate meat mixture into 4 equal parts.
• Pat into rectangles of equal size.
• Lay cheese sticks in middle of rectangles.
• Wrap meat around cheese, forming a roll.
• Place 1/2 inch apart in prepared dish.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Drain if needed.
• Some of the cheese may come out, but that's o.k.
• Pour 1/4 cup of sauce over each roll.
• Return to oven, until sauce is heated through.

GRUYERE STUFFED CRUSTY LOAVES

Steps:

• To make the starter: Mix the flour, salt, yeast and water in a medium size bowl. Mix till well combined; the starter will be very dry. Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature.
• To make the dough: combine the risen starter with the water, salt, pizza dough flavoring, flour and yeast. Knead - by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle - to make a smooth dough. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, till it's nearly doubled in bulk.
• Gently deflate the dough, and pat and stretch it into a 3/4" thick rectangle about 9 x 12". Spritz with water and sprinkle with grated cheese as well as garlic oil and pizza dough flavoring if you have chosen to use them. Starting with a long side, roll it into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Place the log seam side down on a lightly floured or lightly oiled surface. cover it and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours till it's puffy though not doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 425.
• Gently cut the log into 4 crosswise slices, for mini loaves or simply cut the dough in half for two normal size loaves. Place them on one (for 2 loaves) or 2 (for 4 mini loaves) lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheets, cut side up. Spread them open a bit, if necessary to more fully expose the cheese. Spritz them with warm water and immediately place in preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes for mini loaves or 35 minutes for full size loaves, or until the cheese is melted and the loaves are a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack.

MINI FRENCH BREAD LOAVES (SERVES 2)

Steps:

• Place the bread flour, salt, and yeast in a food processor, and process for 3 seconds to blend. With the machine running, pour 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons water through the feed tub; process until the dough holds together, about 20 seconds. The dough should be a sticky mass, and it should appear difficult to knead by hand. If the dough is too dry, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, processing for 5 seconds after each addition.
• Lightly grease a medium-size mixing bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has nearly doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours.
• Punch the dough down and let it rise again until nearly doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
• Sprinkle a cutting board or work surface with a little flour, place the dough on it, and cut the dough into 2 pieces. Shape the pieces into balls, sprinkling them with a little flour if necessary to make them easier to handle. Place the balls of dough on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle a little flour over each round (to keep the plastic wrap from sticking), and cover them lightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough balls rise until nearly doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. To make a crisp crust, fill a clean spray bottle with water and spritz the inside of the oven with water just before you slide the bread into the oven.
• Bake the bread rounds until golden and crusty, about 10 minutes. Fremove the baking sheet from the oven or, If you like a crustier loaf, leave the bread in the oven with the door closed for 5 minutes after you have turned off the oven.
• Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool. Serve it warm or at room temperature.

MINI BREAD LOAVES

Steps:

• Starter.
• Combine water and yeast in a large bowl and mix well.
• Add ¾ cup flour and whisk 100 times.
• Cover and let set one hour.
• Dough.
• Add an additional tsp of dry yeast, 6 cups of (room temp.) water, 4 cups of flour and kosher salt to starter mix.
• Whisk 50 times and let stand 2 minutes.
• Using a large spoon mix in 2 cups of flour until well incorporated.
• Add 3 cups of flour and mix until well incorporated.
• Add another 3 cups of flour and mix until well incorporated.
• Let dough rest 5 minutes.
• Cover working surface with generous amount of flour (about a cup).
• Turn soft wet dough onto surface and sprinkle with flour.
• Dip your hands in flour and knead the dough.
• (Push it down and forward with the heel of one hand. Then pull dough back from the top and fold dough over with the other.).
• Gradually add the last cup of flour as you knead for about 5 minutes.
• Shape dough into a ball and return to large bowl that has been lightly coated with 1 ½ tsp olive oil.
• Brush top with ½ tsp olive oil.
• Cover and let rise until doubled (approx an hour).
• Deflate the dough, turn out unto a floured surface and knead for about a minute.
• Separate dough in half.
• Separate each half in half.
• Divide these pieces into fourths.
• (You should have 16 pieces. And sometimes I get 18 pieces-- lol).
• Shape each piece into a tight ball and place on a greased baking sheet (up to 6 to a sheet).
• Let rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 450F and place oven racks in the center of the oven.
• Place a pan of water under the racks where the bread will bake.
• Place loaves in hot oven for ten minutes.
• *Spray/sprinkle loaves with water.
• Reduce heat to 400F and continue baking for 10-12 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Paint w/ butter or oil for a softer crust (optional).
• *For crustier loaves keep the 450F bake time to 20 minutes and omit 400F bake & water spritz.

GRUYERE-STUFFED CRUSTY LOAVES

Steps:

• To make the starter: Mix the 1 1/4 cups flour, salt, yeast, and 1/2 cup water in a medium-sized bowl. Mix till well combined; the starter will be very dry. Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature; it'll become bubbly.2) To make the dough: Combine the risen starter with the water, salt, flour, and yeast. Knead—by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle—to make a smooth dough. 3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, till it's nearly doubled in bulk. 4) Gently deflate the dough, and pat and stretch it into a 3/4"-thick rectangle, about 9" x 12". Spritz with water, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. 5) Starting with a long side, roll it into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Place the log, seam-side down, on a lightly floured or lightly oiled surface. 6) Cover it and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till it's puffy though not doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F. 7) Gently cut the log into four crosswise slices, for mini-breads; or simply cut the dough in half, for two normal-sized loaves. Place them on one (for two loaves) or two (for four mini-loaves) lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, cut side up. Spread them open a bit, if necessary, to more fully expose the cheese. Spritz with warm water, and immediately place them in the preheated oven. 8) Bake for 20 minutes (for the mini-loaves), or 35 minutes (for the full-sized loaves), or until the cheese is melted and the loaves are a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.