Babka

Made this sweet bread for the first time ever. I had heard of it, but never made it. The dough was fun to work with and turned out beautiful. My family really enjoyed this bread. The dough for me was a lot like that of sweet rolls. lightly sweet with a perfect chewiness. The chocolate swirl was the best combination for this delicious bread. I would make this bread again and again. This is a recipe from King Arthur Flour April Bakealong challenge. For the recipe and all the details visit link below.

                       www.kingarthurflour.com

My 100th Post, What Better Than One Of My Favorite Things To Make, BREAD! Let's Get Baking!

First of all I would like to tell you that I took first place in the special Red Star Yeast Contest at the local fair again this year, for me that is a prize of a years worth of yeast. If you like making bread and rolls this indeed is a great prize. I took first place last year and won lots of yeast, I still have some left, the date is good until July 2017. I love this yeast, it is the best, the dough rises beautifully ever time. The bread pans that I used. I won last year from the special King Arthur Flour contest at the local fair. They are the best. Nothing ever sticks to these pans, and when using them to bake bread, the bread comes out with nice lines from the pans. The only thing I do is lightly spray with cooking spray, that is it. Beautiful bread ever time.

My favorite yeast (Red Star)

My favorite bread pan (King Arthur)

For this bread, Rosebud's Butter-Topped Bread. I used a recipe that you can find all over the internet, a basic white bread recipe. It turned out beautiful and delicious. The recipe is slightly adapted from the original. Hope you give it a try. I did not roll out my dough after first rise, and my second rise period was about half the time, as the original recipe called for.
For the complete recipe please visit http://www.thecurvycarrot.com

Those of you that say you do not have time to make bread, can no longer say that. This bread recipe could not be simpler. Only a few ingredients, comes together quickly, and then let rise or put in the refrigerator. I choose the refrigerator and it always turns out great. I love this bread with butter and jam, and it makes great garlic bread. Make some and see what you think.                                                        

                           No Knead Artisan Bread 

                                          

          3 cups lukewarm water

           2 packets fast acting instant yeast  

           1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

           6 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour  

                                                                                   

                       

                                             Freshly Baked

 

For complete recipe please visit 
http://theitaliandihblog.com

Earlier on my blog I featured a post on "Country Braid" bread, in that post I shared with you that I could not remember the source of the recipe. I believe that I found this recipe somewhere on the Internet when looking for bread recipes, I have had it for a few years and cannot be sure. After posting and trying to figure out the source for this recipe, it has drove me crazy as to where the recipe originated from. I have looked through every cookbook I own, done an extensive search on the Internet and still could not find this recipe. With that said my search did lead me to contact information to the original recipes owner, I was elated. My sister emailed her and ask her if I could feature her story on my blog and she so kindly said "yes". I now have a connection to the recipe. My recipe reads: 2007 CV Fair Best White Bread / First Place Country Braids Sandi Niquette

This is a picture of Sandi when she took first place in a yeast baking contest at the Champlain Valley Fair in 1970 using the Country Braid recipe. She again was so very kind to share this newspaper clipping, what a great surprise. This is what cooking and sharing recipes is all about. It always brings people together. Thank You!! Sandi
   

This picture is of the Country Braid bread I made using Sandi's recipe for a fair yeast bread entry in 2013, for which I took first place.  Next is a picture of the Country Braid bread I made using Sandi's recipe for a fair yeast bread entry in 2013, for which I took first place.

This is a picture of my freshly baked bread, ready for the fair.

                       Let's Bake Some Bread

Country Braids

1/2 cup warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

2 packages dry yeast

2 cups flour

1/2 cup non-fat dry milk

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup softened margarine

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

3 cups flour

In a small bowl, mix together water, sugar and yeast; set aside for about ten minutes. In large bowl mix flour, dry milk, water and sugar. Add yeast mixture and beat well. Add remaining ingredients, putting flour in one cup at a time till dough just clears bowl. Turn dough out onto floured board and knead for approximately ten minutes. Return to bowl, cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise for approximately an hour until doubled in bulk.

Turn dough onto floured board again and knead for a couple minutes more. Divide dough in half, and then each half into two portions, one being about 1/3 and the other about 2/3. Take the larger portion and divide it into three even pieces. Roll each piece out to about twelve inches and braid the three together, pinching the ends and turning them under. Place the braid in a greased loaf pan. Take the smaller portion, divide it into three, roll each piece to twelve inches and braid the three. Place this braid on top of the larger braid in pan. Do the same with the remaining dough in a second loaf pan.

Leave the pans in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, approximately 30-40 minutes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

As you can see below, this recipes makes two beautiful loves of bread. I do not have a link as to the source of this recipe, I printed it from the computer several years ago and it did not have a link with it. I have tried to find a link with no luck. I have made this bread several times, as many others have said before, breading making can be a little intimidating. I have been making bread and rolls for a couple of years now, and each time I try a new recipe, I'm amazed at how much fun bread making can be, with most recipes producing amazing results. Nothing beats fresh baked bread, you house will smell amazing. For me I'm hooked.

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