The Bread Bible Beth Hensperger's 300 Favorite Recipe

495 Pages·1998·12.97 MB·English

by  Beth Hensperger

the bread bible
beth hensperger s
’
oo favorite recipes
3
ILLUSTRATIONSBYHARRYBATES
CHRONICLE BOOKS(cid:13)
San Francisco

acknowledgments
Many thanks to my editor, Bill LeBlond, who put this book together and oversaw all
aspects of the project with great patience and a discerning eye; assistant editor,
Sarah Putman, who took care of the little details; Susan Derecskey, who organized
and copyedited the mountain of material; Lisa Howard, our ever-diligent word
processor; Roberta “Bobbe” Torgerson, who generously retested recipes with great
efficiency; my friends Lynn Alley, Carole Cesario, Jesse Cool, Mary Anne McCready,
Johanna Miller, and Suzanne Rosenblum for their thoughtful opinions and for
boosting my spirits; and Martha Casselman, my loyal agent, to whom I owe heartfelt
thanks and appreciation for her literary acumen, professional insights, and
never-wavering moral support.
(cid:0)
for steve
contents
the art and science of good baking
13 Wild Rice–Molasses Bread
the baking process: Seven-Grain Honey Bread
17
essential methods and techniques traditional roots:
116
country hearth breads
the elements of a loaf: ingredients
34
Farmstead Sourdough Bread
back to basics: white breads
42 Italian Olive Oil Bread
White Mountain Bread Semolina Sesame Seed Twist
French Bread Vienna Bread
Tuscan Peasant Bread Pain de Campagne
Homestyle White Bread with Poppy Seeds Pain de Campagnard
Buttermilk Honey Bread Pain de Seigle
Farm-Style White Bread with Cardamom Sour Poppy Seed Rye
Honey and Seed Bread nature’s bounty: vegetable, herb,
136
the baker’s apex: cheese, and nut breads
62
egg breads and brioche
Seeded Dill Rye
Jewish Egg Braid Buttermilk Potato Bread
Sweet Vanilla Challah Whole-Wheat Basil Bread
Lemon Whole-Wheat Egg Bread with Cheddar Cheese Bread with Toasted Sesame Seeds
(cid:0)Nasturtium Butter Gruyère Pullman Loaf
Olive Bread
Brioche
French Nut Bread
Marzipan Brioche with Apricot Brandy Glaze
California Walnut Bread
Cornmeal Brioche
Pain Hawaiian
Brie in Brioche
Roasted Chestnut Bread
abundant grain: whole-grain breads
79 Celeste’s Sunflower-Oatmeal Bread
Sesame Whole-Wheat Bread the roll basket: dinner rolls,
157
Old-fashioned 100 Percent Whole-Wheat Bread
sandwich buns, bread sticks, and bagels
Italian Walnut-Raisin Whole-Wheat Bread
Cracked Wheat Bread My Favorite Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
Graham Bread French-Style Mexican Hard Rolls
Bran-Molasses-Sunflower Bread Squash Cloverleafs
Oatmeal-Potato Bread Petits Pains au Lait
Oatmeal-Bulgur Bread Black Bread Rolls
Rain and Sun Water Rolls
Swedish Rye Bread Sesame Burger Buns
Black Russian Rye Bread Sesame Whole-Wheat Long Rolls
Potato and Rye Vienna Twist California Olive Rolls
Squaw Bread Italian Bread Sticks
Anadama Bread with Tillamook Cheddar Cheese Wild Rice Bread Sticks
Brown Rice Bread with Dutch Crunch Topping Egg Bagels
the golden crust: biscuits, a flash in the pan: pancakes,
181 236
shortcakes, scones, and soda breads waffles, crêpes, and popovers
Classic Buttermilk Biscuits Old-fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes
Sweet Potato Biscuits Buttermilk Waffles
Cornmeal-Orange Biscuits Sourdough Pancakes and Waffles
Old-fashioned Shortcake Biscuits Blue Cornmeal Pancakes
Lemon Cream Scones Whole-Wheat Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Fig-Walnut Scones Buckwheat Pancakes
Graham Scones with Pine Nuts and Raisins Beer Waffles
Irish Soda Bread with Caraway and Drambuie Vanilla Belgian Waffles
Whole-Wheat Irish Herb Bread Crêpes
Whole-Wheat Bran Bread with Dates Cottage Cheese Blintzes
savory special occasions: Cornmeal Blini
194
picnic breads Savory Wild Rice Pancakes
Old-fashioned Potato Pancakes
Sausage Bread
Zucchini Pancakes
Shallot and Poppy Seed Braid
Baked Pancake with Cucumber Salsa
Crescia al Formaggio
Baked Apple and Pear Oven Pancake
Pancetta-Onion Gruyère Ring
Mile-High Popovers
Garlic and Mozzarella Stromboli
The Best Yorkshire Pudding
Italian-Style Herb Bread
Torta d’Erbe sweet things: morning breads,
259
Eggplant, Pepper, and Artichoke Pie sweet rolls, and croissants
Onion Tart
Old-fashioned Raisin Bread with Molasses Glaze
artistic palate: Honey-Prune Bread
212
pizza, calzone, and focaccia Fresh Apple-Walnut Loaf
Basic Pizza Dough Cashew-Date Bread
Deep Dish Pizza with Sausage and Mozzarella Traditional English Muffins
Pizza Pie with Cheese Cinnamon Rolls with Irish Cream Glaze
Spinach Calzone Mexican Morning Buns
Olive Focaccia Yeasted Sopaipillas
Herbed Focaccia Danish Pastries
first loaves: Whole-Wheat Croissants
227
tortillas, flatbreads, and fry breads Pumpkin Brioche
the cake of bread: coffee cakes
Corn Tortillas 287
Blue Corn Tortillas Spiced Brown Sugar–Pecan Coffee Cake
Indian Fry Bread Fresh Fruit Cobbler
Flour Tortillas Pear Spice Coffee Cake
Country-Style Whole-Wheat Pita
red, white, and blue: corn breads
Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake 340
Vanilla Sour Cream Coffee Cake Buttermilk Corn Bread
Sweet Yeast Dough Yogurt Corn Bread
Fresh Apple Coffee Cake Savory Corn Bread Stuffing
Raspberry Braid Blue Corn Bread
Maple-Blueberry Whole-Wheat Braid Green and Red Pepper Corn Bread
Orange Cinnamon Swirl Maple Whole-Wheat Johnnycake with Blueberries
Golden Italian Coffee Cake sugar and spice: gingerbread
349
Babka
Gingerbread with Lemon and Raspberry Sauces
Cinnamon-Walnut Sweet Bread
Peach Upside-Down Ginger Cake
Plum Crumb Cake
Blueberry Gingerbread
spur-of-the-moment baker:
309 Fresh Apricot Gingerbread
quick breads
a slice of divinity:
356
Lemon–Poppy Seed Bread celebration and dessert breads
Dried Apricot–Pecan Bread
Pernod Panettone
Whole-Wheat Prune Bread
Stollen with Dried Cherries and Pineapple
Orange–Date Tea Bread
Saffron Bread with Scented
Banana Bread
(cid:0)Geranium Powdered Sugar
Mango Bread
Bohemian Sweet Rolls
Cranberry-Orange Bread
Portuguese Sweet Bread with Honey
Carrot and Tangerine Bread
Italian Anise Easter Bread
Cream Sherry–Pumpkin Bread
Hungarian Nut Rolls
Glazed Zucchini Bread
Alpine Easter Bread
Steamed Pecan Corn Bread
Byzantine Easter Bread
Steamed Brown Bread with Dried Blueberries
Kulich with Almonds and Ginger
pure americana: muffins
326 American Chocolate Bread
Fresh Lemon Muffins Hot Cross Buns with Dried Fruit and Two Glazes
Fresh Berry Muffins Golden Rum Babas
Sour Cream Apple Muffins Orange Savarin with Berries
Old-fashioned Prune Muffins Hungarian Sweet Cheese Bread
Banana-Pecan Muffins Bread with Three Chocolates
Spiced Applesauce Muffins fast and beautiful:
394
Everyday Maple Bran Muffins food processor breads
Raspberry Cornmeal Muffins
Sesame White Bread
Zucchini Madeleines
Buttermilk Whole-Wheat Bread
Bacon–Blue Corn Sticks
French Bread Made in the Food Processor
Santa Fe Blue Corn Muffins
Pain de Campagne Made in the Food Processor
Quinoa Whole-Wheat Muffins
Italian Whole-Wheat Bread Cornmeal-Millet Bread
Sour Rye Bread Squaw Bread Made in the Bread Machine
Four-Seed Whole-Wheat Bread Italian Olive Oil Bread Made
Rosemary Raisin Bread (cid:0)in the Bread Machine
Multi-Grain Wild Rice Bread Tuscan Peasant Bread Made
Pepper Cheese Bread (cid:0)in the Bread Machine
Sour Cream Braid Buttermilk Potato Bread Made
Alsatian Kugelhopf (cid:0)in the Bread Machine
robotic kneads: the bread machine Wild Rice–Molasses Bread Made
415
(cid:0)in the Bread Machine
Cuban Bread
Sourdough Farm Bread
Cottage Cheese–Dill Bread
Pain de Campagne Made in the Bread Machine
Sweet Swirled Breads
Basic Pizza Dough Made in the Bread Machine
Egg Bread
Cinnamon-Raisin-Currant Bread
Challah Made in the Bread Machine
Maple Pecan Bread
Buttermilk Honey Bread Made in the Bread Machine
Pernod Panettone Made in the Bread Machine
Brioche with Cheese and Walnuts
Mexican Chocolate Bread
Honey Whole-Wheat Bread
Saffron Bread Made in the Bread Machine
100 Percent Whole-Wheat Bread Made
Grand Baba
(cid:0)in the Bread Machine
baking equipment
Sesame Semolina Bread 467
Cracked Wheat Bread Made in the Bread Machine high-altitude baking guide
470
Bran-Molasses-Sunflower Bread Made
mail-order sources
(cid:0)in the Bread Machine 471
Graham Granola Bread index
474
Old-fashioned Oatmeal Bread table of equivalents
496
Country Bread
Narsai’s Light Rye Bread
Black Russian Rye Bread Made
(cid:0)in the Bread Machine
the art and science
of Good Baking
Bread baking has somehow taken on a mysterious quality, making it seem an intimi-
dating act for many people. The secret to making good bread is that there is no secret.
Let your imagination help you break any rules you imagine exist to daunt you.
jacqueline deval,
Reckless Appetites
(Ecco Press, 1993)
The simple pleasure of savoring homemade fresh bread reminds us of how
wonderful the basic integrity of premium-quality ingredients is. Of all the cooking
processes, baking bread is regarded with greatest love by its practitioners as well as
with the greatest anxiety by the uninitiated. Successful baking combines the ele-
ments of a balanced recipe, proper equipment, and good ingredients with skilled
hands and a dash of imagination.
After decades of teaching baking bread, I have noticed how
seriously home bakers take their skills. They are eager to give their breads a personal
touch and expand their skills, yet need to be innovative and playful at the same
time. I wanted to create a sourcebook for serious home bakers that would, in addi-
tion, be a good place for occasional holiday bakers who are in the process of slowly
building their technical expertise to find a recipe as well. I wanted to present a text
that is readable, yet infused with my own passion for baking.
In a way, I have returned to my roots here. These are truly
my best recipes culled from my earliest to my most recent bread books: from good
old-fashioned white breads, the mainstay of the American diet, to time-saving
food processor doughs; information on sour starters; popular pizza and flat-
breads, the easiest breads to make; the best homemade croissants; and a guide for
adapting recipes to the bread machine for the connoisseur who doesn’t want to get
flour on his counter.
Also in this book the baker will find extravagant celebration
breads; lots of flavorful, healthful daily loaves; savory main-dish breads; and break-
fast rolls. There are lots of American-style breads, baked in the familiar rectangular-
loaf shape and tending to be a bit sweeter and richer than their free-form, crusty
the art and science of good baking
13