Bread Machine (30 page)

Beat the egg and water glaze with a fork until foamy. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the loaf with some of the egg glaze and sprinkle with the seeds, or leave plain. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the loaf is deep golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom with your finger. Immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.

POPPY SEED EGG BREAD

T
his loaf with all white flour rises so dramatically that one set of proportions works best in either size machine. It is very much like regular challah, but made with dairy products, and the poppy seeds are distributed throughout rather than sitting on top, so it ends up cakelike. (Store your poppy seeds in the freezer, just like nuts, to keep them fresh.) My tester, Margery Schneider, doesn’t store this bread in a plastic bag, but leaves the cut loaf cut side down on her breadboard overnight to retain the crisp crust. Serve with a savory butter for dinner, or with jam for breakfast and brunch.

1
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- OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES

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cup milk

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon gluten

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

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teaspoons salt

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teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 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 Tender 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.

Leftover Bread Cookery: Baked Fruit Desserts

These fruit desserts are really old-fashioned. They are the kinds of desserts you would eat when you visited your grandmother when you were young.

Stuffed Baked Apples with Maple Crème Fraîche

Serves 6

Baked apples are a real pleasure. They may be old-fashioned, but they are still a wonderful dessert, especially when made with fresh fall apples. If you can get extra-large, firm stuffing apples like Rome Beauties or Granny Smiths, they are the best, since they hold their shape nicely after baking. Serve with spoonfuls of maple-infused crème fraîche on the side.

For the apples:

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cup dried cranberries

Boiling water

6 large apples, washed and cored

Two 1-inch-thick slices homemade white, light whole wheat, or nut bread

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cup (2 ounces) pecans

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cup light brown sugar

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teaspoons ground cinnamon

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teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

2 tablespoons brandy or Calvados, optional

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the maple crème fraîche:

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cups crème fraîche

5 tablespoons pure maple syrup

To prepare the apples, place the cranberries in a small bowl and cover with boiling water to plump for 10 minutes. Peel the apples by cutting a spiral pattern around the entire apple with a sharp paring knife, starting at the bottom and cutting up to the top. Repeat with each apple. Place in a deep baking dish with the apples touching each other and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Place the bread in a food processor and grind to coarse crumbs; you will have about 1
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cups. Add the pecans and pulse to chop. Add the brown sugar and spices; pulse to mix. Drain the cranberries, pat dry with a paper towel, and toss them with the brandy if you are using it. Combine the cranberries with the sugared crumbs.

Fill each apple core with the filling mixture. Top each with
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tablespoon butter. Pour about a cup of water (or half water and half apple juice) into the baking dish and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Baste 2 or 3 times during baking.