T
his is the type of loaf to make using the Delay Timer since it contains nonfat dry milk rather than fresh milk. The dry milk will not foster any harmful bacteria as it sits. Available as a powder made from whole or skim milk, I always use the skim, or nonfat, dry milk; nonfat has about 1 percent fat, while whole has about 27 percent fat. Nonfat also keeps longer. All types of dry milk have a marked increase in milk sugar, and the yeast love it. It is not necessary to dissolve the dry milk in the liquid ingredients before adding it; the powder will mix in fine when added with the dry ingredients. If you have lumps in your milk powder, be sure to break them up before adding it or they will stay intact throughout the mixing and baking and you’ll have powdered milk lumps in your finished loaf.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
1
1
/
3
cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable or light olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cups bread flour
1
1
/
2
tablespoons instant potato flakes
3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
1
2
/
3
cups water
1
1
/
2
tablespoons vegetable or light olive oil
1
1
/
2
tablespoons sugar
4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons instant potato flakes
1
/
4
cup nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
2 teaspoons salt
2
1
/
2
teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast
Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on medium and program for the Basic cycle; press Start. (This recipe may be made using the Delay Timer.)
When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
I
like my homemade bread flecked with a bit of this and a bit of that, without any cane sugar in it so that the flavor of the fresh flours is dominant. In this case I add just a bit of rye flour, buckwheat flour, and wheat germ, which I usually seem to have on hand. Since the additions to this bread depend on what I have around, it has also been made with cornmeal or corn flour, graham flour, teff flour, kamut flour, or whole wheat flour substituted for one or another of the flours called for in the recipe. Just a little bit of something out of the ordinary is enough to subtly affect the taste of this great loaf. The main ingredient, of course, is a good, strong bread flour, as fresh as possible.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
1
1
/
8
cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2
7
/
8
cups bread flour
1 tablespoon buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon dark rye flour
1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ
1 tablespoon powdered fructose
1 tablespoon gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
1
1
/
2
cups water
2
1
/
2
tablespoons olive oil
3
7
/
8
cups bread flour
1
1
/
2
tablespoons buckwheat flour
1
1
/
2
tablespoons dark rye flour
1
1
/
2
tablespoons toasted wheat germ
1
1
/
2
tablespoons powdered fructose
1 tablespoon plus
1 teaspoon gluten
2 teaspoons salt
2
1
/
4
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
3
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on medium and program for the Basic cycle; press Start. (This recipe may be made using the Delay Timer.)
When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
T
his is a favorite white bread that is perfect for beginning bakers and has that great homemade bread flavor. Milk is the main liquid ingredient in breads that do not fall into the category of lean breads, ones made without any fat or sweetening. Here is a little baker’s lesson: When milk is used in a bread dough, it increases and strengthens the absorptive capacity of the flour, especially high-gluten bread flour. So during the rising, you will notice that the dough is a bit stiffer than it was right after mixing. Milk also decreases the acidity in a dough, allowing the yeast to work a bit more efficiently and to age, or ferment, more slowly, giving the bread a delicate flavor. Milk has plenty of sugar, in the form of lactose, so you will have a nice dark crust. Since this loaf has some fat in it, it should stay fresh for two to three days.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
1
1
/
8
cups whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
1
1
/
3
cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces
4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus
1 teaspoon gluten
2 teaspoons salt
2
1
/
2
teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast