| Basil Bread | ||||
| Makes 3 mini-loaves | ||||
| Ingredients | Easy One Loaf Proportions | |||
| 1/2 cup | water | 3 tbls | ||
| 1/2 cup | milk | 3 tlbs | ||
| 4 tbls | butter | 1 tbls | ||
| 2 tbls | sugar | 2 tsp | ||
| 2 pkgs | active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp) | 1 tsp | ||
| ________ | ________ | |||
| 2 cups | bread flour | 3/4 cup | ||
| 2 tbls | vital wheat gluten flour | 1 tbls | ||
| 1 tbls | dried sweet basil | 1 tsp | ||
| 1 tsp | salt | 1/2 tsp | ||
| 1 tsp | granulated garlic | 1/2 tsp | ||
| ________ | ________ | |||
| 1 | egg for wash | 1 tbls butter, melted | ||
| 1 tbls | water | garlic salt | ||
| garlic salt | ||||
| Directions | ||||
 In a measuring cup, combine the water, milk,
butter, and sugar. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir it up to
melt the rest of the butter. Add the yeast to bloom. Allow it to get
foamy; it will take about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, get the rest of the
stuff going.In a mixer equipped with a beater, combine 1 cup of the bread flour, vital wheat gluten flour, basil, salt, granulate garlic, and the yeast mixture. Mix well. Switch to the dough hook. Add the remaining 1 cup of bread flour a 1/2 cup at a time scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl before adding each helping. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into three equal parts, knead a little more to form them into loaf shapes. Place the dough into greased and floured loaf pans (or spray them with Baker’s Joy). Place them in a warm place, cover them with a towel, and let them rise for about 1 hour until doubled in bulk.  Preheat the oven to 350°.Bake at 350° for 12 minutes to set up. Make the egg wash and brush it on at this point. Sprinkle with the garlic salt which will make a tasty crust. Put the loaves back in the oven for an additional 12 minutes until the interior temperature is about 180°. Take them out, remove the loaves from the pans, and let them cool on a rack. |
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| For an Easy One Loaf | ||||
 Use the alternate proportions listed above
and the streamlined directions below.In a small measuring cup, add the liquid ingredients and nuke for 30 seconds, then add the yeast to bloom. In a large Pyrex bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the yeast mixture and stir until it comes together in a ball. If it’s still sticky, you might have to sprinkle on a little more flour to handle it. Take it out and knead it for about 3 minutes. Roll and form it into a patty or hoagie shape. Set it on a cookie sheet, spray it liberally with Pam, place it in a warm place uncovered, let it rise for about an hour until doubled in bulk. Melt the butter and brush it over the loaf. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake at 350̊ for 14 minutes until the interior temperature is about 180̊. Take it out and let it cool on a rack. |
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