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Family Recipes
Breads
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 Garrett's Italian Bread
- There's nothing like fresh bread baking on a cold winter
day. And that's the way it was for Gary's first attempt at a
loaf of Italian Bread. And boy is it good!
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- Preparation Time: 3 ½ - 4 hours
- Makes 2 bread loafs
- You'll need:
- Greased cookie sheet
- Large mixing bowl
- Electronic Mixer
- Basting brush
- Candy Thermometer
- Small Sauce Pan
- 2 Clean Hand-towels
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- Ingredients:
- Dough:
- 7½ c Flour
- 2 packages dry yeast
- 3 c warm milk (110°)
- 1 tblspn salt
- 1 egg yoke
- Yellow cornmeal
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- Directions:
- In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of the flour and the
yeast.
- Warm 3 cups of milk and add salt.
- Stir in wet mixture into the large mixing bowl with flour
and yeast.
- Beat at low speed with electric mixer for 30 seconds. scraping
sides of bowl constantly.
- Once mix is thoroughly combined, beat at high speed for 3
minutes.
- By hand, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a
very stiff dough.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth
and very elastic (about 15 minutes).
- Shape into a ball.
- Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to create
surface.
- Cover and let dough rise in a warm place till it doubles
in size (about 1½ hours).
- Punch dough down; turn out onto lightly floured surface (best
turned out on a cotton sheet lightly floured).
- Divide dough in ½ and set one half aside.
- Roll out half of dough to a 15x12 inch rectangle.
- Beginning along the long side, roll dough up tightly, sealing
well as you roll.
- Taper ends of loaf.
- (repeat this step for the 2nd half that you set aside.
- Lightly grease 2 baking sheets and sprinkle lightly with
cornmeal.
- Place each loaf diagonally, (one on each sheet), seam side
down.
- Lightly cut diagonal slices into the top of bread loafs (about
2½ inches apart and ¼ inch down).
- Cover loaves with clean hand towels and let dough rise in
a warm place till they double in size (about 60 minutes).
- When ready, place large shallow pan on lower rack of oven
and fill with boiling water.
- Add 1 tblspn water to egg white; brush over top and sides
of loaves.
- Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes.
- Brush again with egg white mixture.
- Back about 20 minutes longer.
- Cool on wire racks.
- Serve warm with butter and your favorite jelly or jam.
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- * If the dough doesn't rise after 1 ½ hours, something
went wrong and it won't rise at all. Go ahead and make the rolls,
but they'll be thick and heavy instead of light and fluffy.
- Alternatives:
- To make a lighter loaf, use water instead of milk
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