Bread Machine (173 page)
I
had my first slice of granola bread twenty-five years ago. My boyfriend’s grandmother brought me a loaf from her local market. I toasted every slice, loving the elusive nutty sweetness and the few raisins dotting each slice. After that first loaf, I searched every grocery store for the bread, but never found it again. When I created this bread, I wanted to re-create that loaf from long ago, and I did. Use your favorite granola from the supermarket, or make your own. Granola bread remains one of my favorites.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
1
1
/
8
cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
2
1
/
8
cups bread flour
3
/
4
cup whole wheat flour
1
1
/
4
cups granola
1 tablespoon gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
1
1
/
2
cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons honey
2
3
/
4
cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1
1
/
3
cups granola
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
2 teaspoons salt
1
1
/
2
teaspoons ground cinnamon
2
1
/
2
teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast
Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on medium and program for the Basic cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with the Delay Timer.)
When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
W
hile even the simplest homemade bread is a treat, rich, sweet, beautifully shaped coffee cakes and sweet W rolls are yeast baking’s contribution to making breakfast special. They are perfect when the occasion calls for something festive and showy. Some of these recipes are also homey baking at its best; all the bakers I know want to make caramel-coated morning buns and streusel-crumb-topped coffee cakes soon after making their first loaf of bread. Coffee cakes and rolls have appeal for both novice and experienced bakers, who will enjoy making these simple but delicious recipes over and over. There is as great a pleasure in making these breads as there is in eating them. They are impressive, delectable, and eye-catching.
Coffee cakes and sweet rolls are constructed from doughs much like any bread dough, but usually contain more sugar, eggs, and butter to produce a softer dough that bakes up more cakelike in texture. What makes sweet rolls and coffee cakes special is their shape, which is usually determined by the special pans they are baked in. Old-fashioned names like
kugelhopf
, coffee rings and wreaths, brioche, and
babka
all find their places here. There is often the addition of sweet and sour cream, fruit, and nuts to these doughs. These are the imaginative elements that contribute to their reputation for being fancy. These breads may be made on the Basic or Sweet Bread cycle, if baked in the machine, or mixed on the Dough cycle and removed to be filled and formed before being baked in the oven. There may be a special frosting or soft crumb top adorning the dough.
These sweet breads are good on their own without butter or jam. Turned out after baking, they are ready to be served without any further fuss, accompanied by just a bit of warmth left over from the baking.
CINNABUNCOFFEE CAKE
Makes one 13-by-9-inch coffee cake, serves 6
T
his is a coffee cake with all the flavors of a cinnamon bun, but conveniently made in a cake shape for ease. It is topped with light oat and nut crumbs, and tastes best warm from the oven or reheated.
1
1
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2
- OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES
For the dough:
7
/
8
cup milk
1
1
/
2
teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2
1
/
4
cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1
/
4
cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
For the oat crumb topping:
3
/
4
cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3
/
4
cup light brown sugar
1
/
2
cup rolled oats
1
/
2
cup chopped pecans
1
1
/
2
teaspoons ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
1
/
2
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Confectioners’ Sugar Icing
To make the dough, place all the dough ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough will be soft and sticky, like a thick batter. Don’t add any extra flour.
While the Dough cycle is running, prepare the topping. Combine the flour, sugar, oats, pecans, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Rub the butter in with your fingers to make clumped crumbs. You can also do this quickly in a food processor.