A Frugal Saturday – Baking Bread

Posted on September 29, 2008
Filed Under Frugal Gourmet | Leave a Comment

I had an enjoyable weekend – my mom, the best cook in the world, came over to help me bake bread. We used the recipe that was one of my favorites when I was growing up, poppy seed bread. It’s a little more work than baking “regular” bread, but the results are well worth the extra effort. Here is the recipe:

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cups scalded milk
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 7 to 7 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup poppy seeds

Sprinkle yeast over warm water and let stand a few minutes to dissolve. I added a little honey to the bowl to get the yeast to activate a little faster.

Mix together the scalded milk, honey, ginger and salt and cool to lukewarm. This is an old recipe – if you’re using pasteurized milk, it doesn’t need to be scalded, just warmed.

Add the yeast mixture and 1/2 of the flour. Beat until smooth. Beat in the 3 eggs and butter. Gradually add the remaining flour, a cup at a time until dough leaves the side of the bowl clean. If using a bread machine, you can just put in all the flour except 1 cup or so in the bowl, then put the liquid stuff into a depression in the flour. The bread machine will do all the hard work for you. Check periodically to see how sticky the dough is. Add flour a little at a time until the dough is no longer sticky.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead 3 to 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and satiny. If you’re using a bread machine you won’t have to knead this long. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease over the top. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees) for 45 minutes or until double in bulk. Punch down dough and let rise 20 minutes longer.

Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Divide each part into 3 equal pieces. Pat/roll each piece into a 3 x 12 inch strip. Sprinkle down the center of each strip with 1 teaspoon poppy seeds. Roll up strip, width wise, in jelly roll fashion.Pinch dough into a roll to seal. Smooth strips by rolling back and forth on the board.

When all strips are ready, place 3 of them side by side on board and beginning at the middle, braid to each end. Pinch ends to form loaf then repeat with the other 3 strips. Place in 2 greased bread pans. Beat cold water with remaining egg and brush on top of loaves. Sprinkle tops with poppy seed. Cover and let rise in a warm place, about 45 minutes or until double in bulk. Bake in a preheated hot oven (400 degrees) for 25 to 30 minutes or until well browned. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Makes two loaves. The loaves are rather tall. This recipe also works well dividing the dough into thirds and making 3 braided loaves.

This bread looks unique and tastes great. I haven’t had a chance to visit with my mom for awhile so that was fun too. Was it frugal? Well, it was certainly cheaper than drinking beer. Unfortunately, it was so tasty that the 2 loaves were gone in less than 2 days.

Cheers,

Ken

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