17 Two Tone Bread
Description
This article is from the How to Make Basic Bread FAQ, by Darrell Greenwood darrell.faq@telus.invalid with numerous contributions by others.
17 Two Tone Bread
2 pkg. active dry yeast 2 1/2 cups milk, scalded and cooled
1/2 cup warm water 5-5 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar 3 Tbs. dark molasses
1/3 cup shortening, melted 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbs. salt
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, shortening, salt and milk.
Mix until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add about 3 cups of all-purpose
flour and beat well, about 5 minutes. Divide dough in half.
To one half, stir in enough of the remaining all-purpose flour to make a
moderately stiff dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead til
smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes. Place in a well greased bowl, turning
once to grease surface; set aside.
To the remaining dough, stir in molasses and whole wheat flour. Turn onto a
lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes,
kneading in enough additional all-purpose flour to form a moderately stiff
dough. Place in a well greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.
Cover both doughs with damp towels, and let rise till double in bulk, about
1 to 1 1/4 hours. Punch down. Cover and let rest on a lightly floured
surface for 10 minutes. Roll out half the light dough and half the dark,
each to a 12 x 8-inch rectangle.
Place dark atop light; roll up tightly, beginning at short side. Repeat
with other halves. Place in two greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Cover, and
let rise till double in bulk, 45 to 60 minutes. Bake at 375 deg. F. for
30-35 minutes or until done. Remove from pans and let cool on wire rack.
<net-author regretfully lost>
David Adams (dadams@cray.com) made these comments on typical ingredients
and techniques in bread recipes...
Salt: Hardens the gluten, and acts as a check on the growth rate of the
yeast.
Oil or Fat: Conditions the dough. Helps it to rise well. "Laurel's
Kitchen Bread Book" indicates that real butter, not melted but solid grated
bits, kneaded into the dough toward the end of the kneading process will
lubricate the gluten and help it rise as no other oil or fat can do. See
"Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book" for more information on how to make your loaf
rise well and be a fluffy light loaf.
Slashes: After you have done every trick in the book for making the loaf
rise and fluff up, if you expect it to give some oven spring, or fluff even
further in the beginning moments in the oven, slashes provide the dough
some more room to spread out. You really need to learn every trick in the
book first.
Moisture or humidity: This will keep cracks from forming in the dough while
the bread is rising. This prevents some of the gasses in the dough from
escaping. This helps the dough to rise well. In the oven this is true to
a lesser extent.
Check the net for more suggestions, a.e. mossberg's huge archives of
rec.food.recipes, and the suggested bread books for more ideas.
Enjoy the process and the results, bread making is so satisfying to
the heart and soul!
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