Crunchy Farmhouse Bread Recipes

FARMHOUSE WHITE SANDWICH BREAD

Steps:

• Add all ingredients to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or to a large mixing bowl. Combine until a dough is formed that holds together and does not stick to the sides of bottom of the bowl. If it seems too dry and crumbly, add more water a teaspoon at a time. If it's too sticky, add more flour.
• Knead the dough by machine or hand for ten to fifteen minutes, until it is smooth, soft, and reaches the windowpane stage (meaning that when the dough is stretched, a translucent area appears). If using a stand mixer, allow the machine to rest every five minutes.
• Shape the dough gently into a ball and place into a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean, damp tea towel and place into a warm place to rise. Let the dough rise 60 minutes, until it is puffy and has doubled in size.
• Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle, with the short side of the rectangle as long as the long side of the loaf pan you will be using for baking. Tuck in the corners and top of the dough, and roll into a long. Pinch the seams closed and place the loaf, seam side down, into a lightly oiled loaf pan.
• Cover with heavily greased plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise again, until the dough rises to be one inch above the top of the loaf pan. When it is ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously flour the top of the loaf with flour.
• Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until the dough is 200-210 degrees internally and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from loaf pan and allow to cool fully on wire rack. Bread stays fresh 2 days at room temperature, or 2 months frozen.

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.

CRUSTY HOMEMADE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Using a rubber spatula, stir in 3-1/2 cups flour and salt to form a soft, sticky dough. Do not knead. Cover and let rise at room temperature 1 hour., Stir down dough (dough will be sticky). Turn onto a floured surface; with floured hands pat into a 9-in. square. Fold square into thirds, forming a 9x3-in. rectangle. Fold rectangle into thirds, forming a 3-in. square. Place in a large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough and repeat folding process. Return dough to bowl; refrigerate, covered, overnight., Grease the bottom of a disposable foil roasting pan with sides at least 4 in. high; dust pan with cornmeal. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead gently 6-8 times; shape into a 6-in. round loaf. Place into prepared pan; dust top with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Cover pan and let rise at room temperature until dough expands to a 7-1/2-in. loaf, about 1-1/4 hours. , Preheat oven to 500°. Using a sharp knife, make a slash (1/4 in. deep) across top of loaf. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake on lowest oven rack 25 minutes., Reduce oven setting to 450°. Remove foil; bake bread until deep golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool.

SIMPLE CRUSTY BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees). Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).
• Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.
• Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes.
• Dust dough with flour, slash top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide onto stone. Pour one cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

FARMHOUSE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, oil, honey, oats, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, salt and 2 cups bread flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining bread flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into thirds. Shape into loaves. Place in three greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

SIMPLE WHITE CRUSTY BREAD

Steps:

• Begin by warming the flour in the oven for about 10 minutes, then turn the oven off. Sift the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl, make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the water. Now mix to a dough, starting off with a wooden spoon and using your hands in the final stages of mixing, adding a spot more water if there are any dry bits. Wipe the bowl clean with the dough and transfer it to a flat work surface (you may need to flour this).
• Knead the dough for 3 minutes or until it develops a sheen and blisters under the surface (it should also be springy and elastic). You can now either return the dough to the mixing bowl or transfer it to a clean bowl; either way, cover it with clingfilm that has been lightly oiled on the side that is facing the dough. Leave it until it looks as though it has doubled in bulk, which will be about 2 hours at room temperature.
• After that, knock the air out, then knead again for 2 minutes. Now divide the dough in half, pat each piece out to an oblong, then fold one end into the centre and the other in on top. Put each one into a buttered tin, sprinkle each with a dusting of flour, then place them side by side in an oiled polythene bag until the dough rises above the tops of the tins – this time about an hour at room temperature. Alternatively, place all the dough in the one tin. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8, 450F (230C).
• Bake the loaves on the centre shelf for 30-40 minutes, or 35-45 minutes for the large loaf, until they sound hollow when their bases are tapped. Now return them, out of their tins, upside-down to the oven to crisp the base and side crust for about 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.