60 Minute Bread Rolls Recipe

These are really great tasting soft rolls.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 
  1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup margarine
• 4-5 cups all purpose flour
• 3 T sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 pkgs. active dry yeast

Preparation:

Combine milk, water and margarine in a small bowl. Microwave for a couple minutes until liquids are very warm to the touch, about 120 degrees. Add dry yeast to warm mixture, stir, and allow to sit for about 5-minutes.

In mixer bowl, place 3 cups of the flour, along with the salt and sugar. Stir until well blended. Add the warm milk mixture and then blend by hand. Gradually begin adding the remaining 1 to 2 cups of flour, until the dough is firm.

Knead dough a few times, place in a large greased bowl, allowing dough to rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Turn out, and divide into rolls. Place bread rolls in a warm place and allow to rise for another 20-30 minutes. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. I sometimes brush the top of the rolls with soy milk before placing into oven for flavor.

Once removed from oven, brush with butter while still warm to produce a nice soft crust.

Helpful tips:

Here are some helpful hints for successful bread baking: Using liquids that are above 130 degrees will kill the yeast in your dough, so be careful. Liquid should feel very warm to the touch, but not burning hot.

Yeast that is old will not rise, but yeast can be stored indefinitely in the freezer. When you buy yeast at the store, simply pop it in your freezer until you need it.

If you want a shiny, brown crust simply brush the crust of your dough with beaten egg whites before baking. Coating the crust with butter after baking produces a nice, soft, buttery flavored crust. Emmm.

Not sure if your bread is done? Tap the crust; if it sounds hollow, it's done!

And last but not least, be sure that your pans are well greased to avoid sticking to the sides.

Delicious Homemade French Bread

This is an authentic tasting French bread that is easy to make. The following recipe makes 2 long loaves of French bread. If you have a smaller oven, or just want to make one loaf, then only use HALF of the ingredients.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 (¼ ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 ½ tsp. of salt
• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/ 45 degrees C)
• 2 egg whites
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. cornmeal
• butter or Pam cooking spray to grease bowl

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine warm water with yeast, stir, and allow to sit for a few minutes. Add salt and stir. Stir in flour one cup at a time until thick enough to work by hand. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 5 minutes. Knead by pressing on the dough, then folding over and pressing with the heel of your hand. Shape into a ball. Place dough into greased bowl, also grease top of dough, and cover. Let rise in a warn place until doubled.

Punch dough down and divide into half. Roll each half into a large rectangle. Fold dough over, lengthwise, to form loaves. Place dough, with seam facing down, onto greased baking tray sprinkled with cornmeal. Moisten ends of bread loaf with water and seal. Taper ends. Lightly whip the 2 egg whites with 2 Tbsp. of water and brush onto loaves. This will give the bread a golden glazed brown texture while cooking. Cover with a damp cloth and allow bread to rise for an additional 30-45 minutes. The process of allowing the dough to rise gives it a more delicious flavor and a better bread texture when done.

With a sharp knife, make 4 or 5 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across the top of each loaf. Bake in a preheated 375° F (190° C) oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning.