It's mildly more complicated that a basic white bread recipe, but I mean 'mildy'. Basically, the only hard part is remembering to start it 24 hours before you intend to make it. Add the rosemary for a delicious variation.
Incidentally, the easiest way to do this is with a mixer with a bread hook. If you don't have that you'll have to do your kneading by hand. So here it is:
DAY 1
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 tsp instant yeast
Directions:
Mix together and then turn the blender on high for about a minute to get some air bubbles into it.
Ingredients:
2 2/3 cup of all purpose flour
1 tsp instant yeast
Directions:
Mix together and then sprinkle on top of the liquid to cover
Cover loosely, let stand for 1 hour on the counter top, and then place into the refridgerator for 4-24 hours (24 is recommended).
This is called a sponge, by the way.
DAY 2
Ingredients:
1/3 cup milk (scalded)
2 TB butter or margarine
2 TB sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 TB rosemary (* optional)
Directions:
Scald the milk (put on med heat until it just starts to bubble on the edges and then cut the heat). Add the butter, sugar, salt, and rosemary (* optional).
Put the mixture (sponge) from the previous day back onto the mixture and begin to blend it with the bread hook. Slowly pour the milk mixture (make sure it's not still too hot to put a finger into) into it until it comes together.
Knead for 10 minutes on med-low speed.
Spray a bowl with oil-spray (we use canola) and then, use a spatula sprayed with the oil spray, remove the dough from the mixing bowl and bread hook into it.
Spray the top of the dough with the oil-spray and then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for approx 1 hour (until doubled in size).
Press the dough down (use more spray if necessary to keep from sticking to counter and hands) and shape the dough to fit 5x9 bread pan. Spray the bread pan (if necessary) and place the dough into it. Spray again and cover loosely with the plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size. The dough should be approximately 1 inch above the top of the pan when ready.
COOKING:
Directions:
About the time you start your second rise, place a cookie sheet (preferably one that isn't your favorite) onto the bottom rack of your oven at the lowest position. Place the second rack in the second lowest positioin. If you have a baking stone, put it on the second rack. Then preheat the oven to 425.
When the dough is ready and the oven is hot, fill a half a cup with ice cubes.
Without being too slow about it, open the oven, put the bread on the second rack (on the stone if you have it), pull the baking-sheet out a bit, dump the ice into it, and close the oven.
Immediately lower the temperature of the oven to 350.
Cook for approx 45 min or until crust is golden brown.
Remove from pan and cool upright on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
There it is. Like I said, a bit more complicated but, oh so good.
Usually if we do the rosemary bread we don't use a bread pan, but instead split the dough into 2 balls and then let rise and cook on a flat pan (last time I used a glass cake pan). Cooking time may be slighlty less (perhaps 30 min) if you do it this way. Just go for the rich, golden brown look and it should sound hollow when tapped on the underside (like this is a viable option. Stupid bread baking books. Like I'm gonna pull the loaf out, de-pan it, tap the bottom (While still hot? Come on) and then put it back into the pan and back into the oven. Sheesh.
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