Here you go, Grandpa: My first loaf from the helping hands of a Kitchen Aid! I found the recipe online, you can view it after the pictures down below.
A few things I learned:
- Do NOT add flour to the mixer when it’s spinning over speed No. 1. Unless, of course, you want flour to coat the walls and ceiling. (You’ve warned me of this before…)
- Garlic makes everything better. EVERYTHING. Trust me, you will see below.
- Oven mitts were made for a reason. I don’t think you need me to elaborate on that one.
- TSP is not the same as TBSP. But more importantly, TBSP is definitely not the same as TSP.
Other than those key lessons, I think I fared quite well! You can see the picture above for my final product, and Holly said the bread came out perfect. I think it was pretty good, and since it was a French Bread recipe that I formed into baguettes, there were absolutely NO holes whatsoever. But we were both fine with that.
Lastly, on one of the loaves I spread garlic butter before folding it up to bake. And let me tell you: Garlic is king!
Here we go, I took photos of my entire process:
After mixing for 10 minutes, the dough was perfect.
This was one of the cleaner moments my hands experienced:
From the bowl to the counter:
Then, I kneaded the hell out of that gooey mound for a good ten minutes (the recipe said to):
And voila! A perfectly prepared ball of dough ready to rise.
Here is the dough inside a bowl before I set it aside to rise (don’t worry, I covered it…)
And about 30 minutes or so later, it doubled:
Split it in two.
Since Holly and I don’t have a wooden rolling pin, I used a steel water bottle. I almost prefer this method to using the rolling pin in your kitchen, as the dough absolutely does not stick at all!
First loaf ready to be rolled:
But then I had an inkling for some garlic. So before I rolled the loaf up to bake I spread some garlic butter across the top.
Both loaves ready for the oven after sitting for 40 minutes to rise. The garlic-infused loaf is on the left, but I don’t know why it’s larger – they were the same size to begin with.
And finally, after 3 hours of prep work, mixing, kneading and rising:
View from above:
Now, since I used a French Bread recipe, I assume that’s why there are no holes. Next time, I plan on using a strictly baguette recipe.
And, just like normal, I hammered down half of a loaf before they even cooled down! Holly was into it just as much as I was, and tomorrow we plan on using the leftovers for French Toast (probably not the garlic-flavored, however).
Here is the recipe I used:
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Stir in 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes total. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
- Punch dough down, and divide in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into large rectangle. Roll up, starting from a long side. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends.
- Grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush on. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.
- With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until bread tests done. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.
