Family Favorites...Fresh Herb Batter Bread


Baked and cooling
  Batter Breads are easy to make, and do not require kneading. However, you do need to beat them till they are forming some gluten strands. One of the tricks to baking batter breads is not to let it rise to much before putting it in the oven. If it looks too high, take it out of the pan, punch down and let rise in pan again. If it is more than double it will most of the time rise in the oven and than fall. The first 10 minutes of oven heat will let it rise to the right height. 
  This recipe for Fresh Herb Batter Bread from the Betty Crocker Old-Fashioned Cookbook is one of the better batter breads I have made. Often it never gets the chance to cool, as it is eaten warm with butter. Nothing makes your house smell better than fresh bread baking, and this is a easy way for the inexperienced baker to have a good loaf of bread that everyone will ooh and ah over. 
Ready for oven, right amount of rise
  If you do not have fresh herbs, (you can omit the parsley) the dried do just fine. Do however, crush the dried rosemary or buy it all ready cracked. I just go over to Sue’s who always has fresh herbs growing. Try toasting this bread and using it for Chicken Salad Sandwiches.
Fresh Herb Batter Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast
1 ¼ cups warm water (120° to 130°F)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons shortening
1 ½ teaspoons snipped fresh or ½  teaspoon dried rosemary
1 ½ teaspoons snipped fresh or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Butter for crust when it is baked.
  Mix 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Add water, parsley. Shortening, rosemary, and thyme. Beat on low speed 1 minute scraping bowl often. Beat on medium speed till the batter starts to pull strands, Add the rest of the flour and stir in; beating till smooth.
  Scrape down sides of bowl, and leaving it in the same bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 35 to 40 minutes or until double. 
  Grease, 9x5x3 loaf pan. Stir down batter by beating about 25 strokes. Smooth and pat batter in loaf pan with floured hands. Cover lightly and let rise for about 30 minutes or until double. (do not allow to over rise.) Heat oven to 375° while bread is rising. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. 185° to 200° with an instant read thermometer. Brush top of loaf with soft butter and than remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

7 comments:

  1. It IS delicious! I made a batch this morning--the perfect excuse to use my new flex-edge beater (for my KitchenAid Artisan) that I got on Mother's Day. I did not have any fresh herbs, so I used all dried (including 2 teaspoons of dried parsley). It's very convenient that one can use either fresh or dried. But it was a very gooey business getting it from bowl to pan--Myrna, have you got any other tips besides flouring the hands?
    It had such a delicious fragrance while it baked, and I was able to produce a nice light, crusty loaf with same height as shown. Another yummy addition to my recipe collection--thanks, Myrna!

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  2. I have another question: could one use instant yeast in a batter bread, instead of active dry?
    Thanks for helping out a bread-baking newbie!

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    Replies
    1. I would not try just because the rising time is short, that said I will ask Sue as she uses it more than I do.

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    2. I guess I wouldn't mess with the yeast for this recipe...it's very successful as written.

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  3. Thank you, Myrna and Sue, for your feedback! You are very generous and patient to put up with my questions, and I really appreciate it. This is a really delicious loaf of bread (and FAST to make) and I would encourage everyone to try it! I am having it toasted/buttered with my morning coffee, and it's just amazing!

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    Replies
    1. Questions mean you are reading our blog, so never a problem if we can help you. So glad you like it, it is a favorite with my family also.

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