Bread Machine (22 page)
Kernel—Small, separate, edible dry seed fruits of grain plants.
Meal—Whole grain ground into a variety of consistencies, but all of them coarser than flour. Polenta, cornmeal, and farina are meals. Depending on the processing of the whole grain, they may have the bran and germ or may not.
Pearling—The process of removing the outer bran layer from barley.
Polishing—The process of removing the outer bran layer from rice.
Rolled flakes—Grains that are steamed, cut, and then rolled flat and dried; these cook faster than cracked or whole grains.
Roasted—Whole grains that are toasted for added digestibility and flavor, such as buckwheat groats.
Seed—Dormant fruit of the grain plant.
Spikelet—An individual grass flower head that holds the seeds.
Stone-ground—Flour and meal that is made by slowly crushing grains with heavy, grooved revolving stones under pressure. Since this process is slow and the temperature is never above body heat, precious nutritive oils are preserved and the bran and germ are evenly distributed.
Testa—The hard, external shell-like coating of a seed.
Threshing—The process of separating the outer hull from the grain by beating. Other methods are pearling and polishing, which grind off the hull, retaining the bran.
Unbleached flour—Wheat flour aged by oxygen in the air for one to two months. Aging flour develops the gluten proteins and makes for stronger doughs. The flour retains a creamy color.
Whole grain—A groat or berry that still contains the bran and germ. The whole groat or berry is minimally processed, or hulled and cleaned, to rid it of the inedible outer coating.
Wheat kernel
V
ienna bread is made like a simple French bread, but with the addition of milk and butter for flavor, softness, and an extra day’s fresh keeping. However, it does not have the crisp crust of breads made without butter. It has been a favorite bread in France since the Revolution. It gets its name from once having been made with Vienna flour, a premium white flour. This bread was a favorite of my father, who was a connoisseur of white breads.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
1
/
2
cup water
1
/
2
cup milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
1
3
/
4
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
2
/
3
cup water
2
/
3
cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons sugar
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 or French Bread cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with 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.
R
oot vegetables were among the first foods to be cultivated, and have long been an essential food source. Potatoes were a staple in the Incan cultures of Peru. They also made the journey to Europe with returning New World explorers, transforming European and eventually North American cuisines forever. It comes as no surprise, then, that this dietary staple has long been used in baking bread. Fresh mashed potatoes add a moist, fluffy texture not comparable to any other ingredient in breads. The complex carbohydrates in the potato make a perfect food for the yeast and the rest is kitchen legend; bread machine bakers love to use the floury potatoes in breads and starters. No matter how large my repertoire of baking gets, potato bread is one of my perennial favorites. I think it is the best white bread for sandwiches.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
1 medium russet potato (8 to 9 ounces), cut into chunks
3
/
4
cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1
1
/
2
teaspoons gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
1
3
/
4
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
1 medium russet potato (8 to 9 ounces), cut into chunks
1 cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 cups bread flour
1
1
/
2
tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons gluten
2 teaspoons salt
2
1
/
4
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
3
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
Combine the potato and water in a small saucepan. Simmer, covered, until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes; slip off the peels. Mash or puree the potato with its water (do not drain; you want the water). Pour the potato-water mixture into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and add additional water to make 1
1
/
3
cups for a 1
1
/
2
-pound loaf or 1
2
/
3
cups for the 2-pound loaf. Cool to room temperature.
Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions, adding the potato mixture with the liquid ingredients. Set crust on medium and program for the Basic cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with 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.
