With October over, the cold of winter is hitting much of the US with record snowfalls & cold weather. Luckily, we are not in the snowfall area, we’re just getting the cold blast – for now! I expect we’ll be seeing some snowy weather soon & a cold winter is in the long range forecast. Not something I look forward to, as I prefer 72º weather. Living in the northeast, I’m not getting that for very much of the year. Time to make due with some hearty & delicious bread!
Carbs & gluten are 2 of the current food enemies for lots of people, but I love bread. I try to make healthy choices when I do eat it, and making bread from scratch with quality ingredients are some of those choices. I’ve touted the wonders of bread makers to anyone who will listen for all of the 20+ years that I have owned one. I use my bread maker weekly. This bread is a great side for soup on chilly nights. And it makes the house smell wonderful!
Tuscan Herb Bread
Tuscan Herb Bread (from bhg.com)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage, crushed or 2 tablespoons snipped fresh sage
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
Directions:
Add the ingredients to the bread machine according to the manufacturers directions. Select the dough cycle. When the cycle is complete, remove the dough from the machine.
I love the ease of a bread machine for making wonderfully fresh bread!
On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into an 8×4-inch round. Place it on a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle it with additional flour. Cover the dough with a clean cloth towel and let it rise until almost double, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Shape the bread, slice the top & allow it to rise.
Using a sharp knife, slash an X on the top of the loaf, making each cut about 1/2-inch deep. Place the loaf in a 425º oven. For a crisp crust, spray or brush the loaf with cold water every 3 minutes for the first 9 minutes of baking. After 9 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 375º and lightly sprinkle the bread with additional flour. Bake about 20 minutes more or until the bread sounds hollow when the top is tapped. It may be necessary to loosely cover the loaf with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking to avoid overly browning. Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool completely.
Mmmmm!
Next up . . . some homemade soup! ~Linda
Tuscan Herb Bread (from bhg.com)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage, crushed or 2 tablespoons snipped fresh sage
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
Directions:
Add the ingredients to the bread machine according to the manufacturers directions. Select the dough cycle. When the cycle is complete, remove the dough from the machine.
On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into an 8×4-inch round. Place it on a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle it with additional flour. Cover the dough with a clean cloth towel and let it rise until almost double, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, slash an X on the top of the loaf, making each cut about 1/2-inch deep. Place the loaf in a 425º oven. For a crisp crust, spray or brush the loaf with cold water every 3 minutes for the first 9 minutes of baking. After 9 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 375º and lightly sprinkle the bread with additional flour. Bake about 20 minutes more or until bread sounds hollow when the top is tapped. It may be necessary to loosely cover the loaf with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking to avoid overly browning. Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool completely.