Sheepherders Bread Basque Food

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.

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 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:

• 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.