Beard on Bread (16 page)

To prevent any risk of the garlic tasting a little rancid if you are keeping the loaf over a day or so, do not mix it in the bread with the herbs. Instead, cut it in very thin slices and insert into the loaf just before you put it in the oven. Then withdraw the garlic after the loaf has been baked.

• This herb loaf can be made using 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole-wheat cereal. After the first rising, punch down the dough and shape into an oval or round loaf. Place on a board or cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal and let rise to double its bulk. Just before popping it into the oven, lift carefully and invert on the baking sheet. Proceed to bake.

This was a recent winner in a breadmaking contest. It makes a delicious, moist, round loaf resembling the Middle European rye breads. It is easy to prepare, has great merit, and keeps well, too.

[1 loaf]

“Prepare a hot-roll mix as directed on package, using 1 whole egg and an egg yolk, reserving the white for a glaze. Stir molasses into warm water. Then stir in the rye flour, the prepared mix, and the caraway seed. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 45 minutes. Then punch down. Turn out on a floured board and shape into a ball. Put on a buttered baking sheet, cover, and let rise again about 45 minutes. Brush lightly with beaten egg white, and sprinkle with more caraway seed. Bake in a preheated 375° oven 35 to 40 minutes.”

If preferred, shape the bread into a loaf and put in a buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan, let rise, and bake as directed. Also, glaze and seed on round or loaf can be omitted.

This is an extremely interesting bread, but since it is practical to make only in large quantity, I recommend it solely to those of you who have large kitchens and large bowls. Besides this, the dough is very sticky and takes a lot of deft working to get it to the baking stage. So if you have any reservations about the challenge, I urge that you try another pumpernickel. However, this recipe can be made into a nicely workable dough, and the baked loaf has great flavor and quality.

[2 large loaves]

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the ½ cup warm water and let proof 4 or 5 minutes. Stir the cold water into ¾ cup of the cornmeal, add the boiling water, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, butter, and caraway seeds and let cool until lukewarm. Add the potatoes and yeast mixture, and then stir in the flours, 1 cup at a time, mixing well; the dough will be very sticky. Turn out on a floured board and knead for about 15 minutes, adding enough flour and cornmeal to produce a firm, evenly textured dough. (The dough will remain quite sticky and will not
become very elastic, so don’t be alarmed if you require more than ½ cup each of flour and cornmeal for kneading.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and brush with melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise, in a warm, draft-free spot, until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down, let rest for 2 or 3 minutes, then knead again for a good 5 minutes. Let rest again, then shape into two or three loaves. Butter 10 × 4 × 3-inch or 12-inch pans, and fit the dough into them. Cover and let it rise again until doubled in bulk. Bake at 425° for about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° and continue to bake for about 40 to 50 minutes more. The loaves will get a dark crust and sound hollow when tapped on the top and bottom with the knuckles.

Rub the crusts well with butter or brush with melted butter when the bread comes out of the oven. Cool thoroughly on racks before slicing.

A good, gutsy bread with a rather dense texture, this is not the easiest bread to put together, but that is generally true of breads using a great deal of rye flour. It’s worth the work. This pumpernickel is more Scandinavian than the preceding recipe, which has a Slavic accent.

[1 loaf]

Combine the yeast, sugar, and ¼ cup warm water in a large mixing bowl, and let proof for 5 minutes. Add the molasses, the oil or butter, and salt and mix well. Add the remaining cup of water. Mix the flours and cornmeal together, and add, a cup at a time, to the yeast mixture, beating it in until you have a fairly stiff but workable dough; it will be quite sticky, heavy, and difficult to blend. Turn out on a floured board and knead, adding more flour as necessary, until the dough becomes smooth and fairly elastic. It will take at least 10 minutes of kneading and possibly longer until the dough is only slightly sticky. (It will not be completely resilient, and it is apt to remain extremely heavy.) Shape into a ball, put into a buttered bowl, and turn to coat on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, a good 2 to 2½ hours.

Punch the dough down and shape into a loaf that will fit a well-buttered 8 × 4 × 2-inch tin. Cover and let rise to the top of the pan, another 2 to 3 hours—so be patient. Bake in a preheated 375° oven 35 to 45 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on top and bottom. Cool thoroughly on a rack before slicing.

There are many recipes for this famous American loaf. No two people agree on what the original was, but it is practically certain that it contained cornmeal and molasses. I have had interesting Anadama breads made with graham flour, white flour, and cornmeal. It can also be made with brown sugar or raw sugar instead of molasses.

[1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves]

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in ¼ cup warm water in a large bowl and let proof for 5 minutes. Combine the remaining water, butter, molasses, and salt in a saucepan, and heat to lukewarm. Stir into the yeast mixture. Add the cornmeal and mix well. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and beat vigorously; the dough will be sticky and hard to work. Turn out on a lightly floured board. Using a baker’s scraper or large spatula, scrape under the flour on the board and fold the dough over to incorporate the flour. Repeat this process until you can knead with your hands, using only enough additional flour to make a smooth dough that is springy to touch; the stickiness will not be completely eliminated. Shape into a ball, put in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat the surface with the fat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down. Shape into one loaf, to fit a 10-inch loaf pan, or divide into two pieces and shape to fit two 8 × 4 × 2-inch loaf tins. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350° and bake for about 35 minutes more, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped with the knuckles on top and bottom. Cool on racks.

This quite unusual bread is from a very old German recipe. Originally the dough was prepared at home and put into an airtight wooden keg for 18 to 24 hours. Then it was formed into loaves and rushed to the local baker’s oven. I have worked out a version that can be done from start to finish in your own kitchen. It makes a delicious loaf of bread—sturdy, close textured, and highly distinctive in flavor. It slices very thin and is excellent with cheese, cold meats, and sausages.

[1 loaf]