Spätzle mit Brösel

Handgeschabt spätzle are soft batter noodles that are hand-scraped into the cooking liquid.  They are delicious with roasts, as traditionally served, or with sausages and sauerkraut, as we did for lunch.    Today, I made them in smaller pieces, the way they are often served in a restaurant in the Amana Colonies here in Iowa.
Brösel or  krümel are the browned crumbs...frequently used to top spätzle or any noodles or pasta.  The restaurant uses bread crumbs; a good way to use slightly stale bread.  Both Myrna and I were taught to use saltine crumbs in this dish, which I did today, and it is also delicious, although different, with cooked purchased noodles.  Only real butter should be used...it browns deliciously.  We love this traditional dish, a family heirloom.

Spätzle mit Brösel

             For noodles or spätzle

1           cup  flour, all-purpose

     2/3    teaspoon  salt

  2           dashes  ground nutmeg

  2           large  eggs -- lightly beaten

  2           tablespoons  milk -- or more if needed

             For topping:

4           Tablespoons  Butter (no substitutes)

     1/3    Cup  Bread or Cracker Crumbs

1. Heat a large pot of water, covered.
2. Combine the flour, nutmeg and salt in a mixing bowl.  Combine the egg and milk and add to the flour mixture.  Beat for several minutes until the batter is smooth and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Let rest 10 minutes and beat again.  The dough should be a lot thicker than pancake batter but not as much as bread dough.
3. Scrape the batter onto a spätzle board or a flat plate that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or moistened with water.  Smooth the batter across the board to an even thickness.  Cut the noodles off in about 1/8-1/4" widths into the water.  Stir the pot so the noodles don't stick to the bottom.  They will rise to the top.  Cook only enough noodles to cover surface of water. Do not over crowd. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon. Repeat until all dough is cooked. Drain well and set aside.  If you are going to serve them another day, rinse, cool and toss with a little oil.

 Butter Crumb Topping

Melt the half stick of butter in a frying pan, let it foam up and subside,  and add the bread or cracker crumbs and brown. Toss in the spätzle, and fry for a minute to blend the flavor of the buttered crumbs with the spätzle.

4 servings

Holiday Entertaining...Gravy Making

Gravy making intimidates a lot of cooks; when Myrna and I were teens, it was one of the first things taught in home economics cooking classes and at home.  Gravy isn't difficult, and is so much better than anything you can buy.  It's a perfect way to serve all of the goodness from your meat or poultry.  
I like to save the fat from the meat or poultry to use to make the gravy, it has a lot of the flavor.  I also like to add a tablespoon of sherry to chicken gravies and brandy to beef gravies.  A little white worcestershire sauce for chicken (now called marinade for chicken from Lea and Perrins) and regular worcestershire sauce for beef adds some flavor too, as do seasonings in the broth from the stew or roast. 
For caramelized richness, use carrot liquid in beef gravies whether it's from the carrots cooked with a pot roast or drained from canned or cooked carrots.  Don't pour that liquid down the drain, save it in the freezer for gravy-making.

Myrna's Cornstarch Kettle Gravy

Kettle gravy is made from the liquid in which pot roasts and stew have been simmered. Remember, the less liquid you use, the richer the flavor will be.

For each cup of medium gravy:
1 cup meat or chicken broth
¼ cup cold water
2 tablespoons flour or 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch*
Remove meat to platter. Keep warm. Skim excess fat from the broth. Pour off the broth and measure the amount needed and return to the kettle. Shake the flour together in a covered jar, or whisk it together in a measuring cup. Remember to always put the water in first and the flour on top for a smooth mixture.
Whisk the flour and water slowly into the hot, seasoned broth. Bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute until thickened.
*Cornstarch makes a clearer, more transparent gravy.

Counter-clockwise, bottom left:  Beef fat, beef stock, flour - Fat, mushrooms and flour -  Cooking gravy  
 Sue's Ready to serve Beef Mushroom Pan Gravy

 Pan gravy is made from the drippings left from cooking roasts, steaks, chops and roasted or fried chicken or turkey. For improved flavor, cook the meat with or add some of these seasonings: bay leaf, pepper, onion, garlic, celery salt or Worcestershire sauce. 
For each cup of medium gravy:
2 tbsp fat
2 tbsp flour
1 cup liquid (water, meat stock, broth or bouillon)
Remove meat or poultry to warm place. Pour off fat; measure amount needed back into pan.  Keep those rich bits of meat or poultry in the bottom of the pan.
Add level tablespoons of flour. Use equal amounts of fat and flour. Stir fat and flour together until smooth, and then cook over low heat, stirring steadily until it’s bubbly and brown. Take from heat, stir in liquid slowly. A whisk is handy here. Always measure liquid, too much weakens the flavor and makes it too thin. Return the pan to the heat, stirring and scraping the rich drippings. Boil 1 minute, taste, season and serve. Remember that purchased broth, consommé or bouillon add a lot of salt and you may not need any more.
*Brandy or sherry will add richness to gravy, a tablespoon per cup can be added to the drippings left in the pan to deglaze it before adding the flour and fat.  I use brandy for beef gravy and sherry for pork or poultry.

If you want a good, homemade mix try this one from Myrna.  
When Sue wanted to use the Make-a-Mix book, I really thought I wouldn’t find much that I wanted to make. However - I was wrong.

  One of the recipes I tried and that we like and I will now keep on hand was this recipe for Chicken Gravy Mix. I only made ⅔ of the recipe so that we would use it up in the allotted time. If you have a larger family I would make the full recipe. 

  You can use it for gravy or in a casserole or as a cream sauce with perhaps mushrooms and chicken. I am going to give you the directions for the full amount and the instructions to make plain gravy with it. This will be a cream type of gravy as there is powdered milk in the mix. Hope you enjoy it. I just want to add to this post, that both Lyle and Bettie thought it was great and I now use it often.

  Chicken Gravy Mix

1 ⅓ cups instant nonfat milk powder

¾ cup instant flour

3 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon granules

¼ teaspoon ground sage
⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
½ cup butter
  Combine milk powder, flour, bouillon granules, sage, thyme and pepper. Stir with a wire whisk until blended. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in butter until evenly distributed. Spoon into a 3 cup container with a tight fitting lid. Label with date and contents. Store in refrigerator. Use within 4 to 6 weeks. Makes about 2 ⅔ cups chicken gravy mix.
  I used my blender to make this. Mixed the ingredients (no sage as we don’t like it) and then added the cold butter in small pieces till cut up finely. Worked great. Try different seasonings if you like.
  Chicken Gravy
1 cup cold water
½ cup chicken gravy mix. 

  Pour water into pan. Use a whisk to stir the gravy mix into water. Stir constantly over medium heat until gravy is smooth and slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Makes about 1 cup. 

Holiday Entertaining...Dressings and Stuffings

We love it…whether you call it dressing or stuffing…almost any kind of dressing makes a meal celebratory.  Purists say it's stuffing in the bird, and dressing in a dish baked alongside.
Myrna and I were raised on bread dressing with lots of sage; and we also like wild rice that is popular in Minnesota.  

But first I’m giving the recipe I learned to like when living in Texas and Georgia…good cornbread dressing.  There are as many recipes for this as there are cooks in the South, but this one is easy and good.
You can give yourself a head start by using cornbread mix, but I like to make my own, it takes only a few minutes longer to measure out my dry ingredients.   I baked my 1/2 recipe right in my covered skillet to save on dishes.  I used dried sage from my garden.  We like it with roast pork, turkey, pork chops, whenever.         

      Sage Cornbread Dressing

4 -5	8-10	Servings
1	2	packages  cornbread mix -- (6-oz.)
2 ½	5	tablespoons  butter
½	1	cup  chopped celery
¼	½	cup  chopped onion
½	1	tablespoon  chopped fresh or 1 1/2 tsp. dried sage
¼	½	teaspoon  pepper
1/8	¼	teaspoon  salt
1	2	Cups white bread -- cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 ¼ -1 ½	2 ½ - 3	cups  chicken broth
1	2	large  eggs -- lightly beaten

Prepare cornbread according to package directions. Let cool 30 minutes; crumble into a large bowl. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add chopped celery and onion, and sauté 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Stir in sage, pepper, and salt.

Stir celery mixture and bread cubes into crumbled cornbread in bowl, stirring gently until blended. Add chicken broth and eggs, and gently stir until moistened.

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish (use a smaller casserole or an 8" skillet for the half recipe). Cover and bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cover during last 10 minutes of baking if you want a crispy top.
If you are stuffing a bird, use the lesser amount of broth; if you are baking as a side dish, use all of the broth.

Here's a version of the usual bread dressing that Myrna and I grew up on.

Sausage and Bread Dressing

I found I had to cook the dressing in my covered Weller casserole (inherited from our Aunt Janet), for an hour, not 30 minutes.  I uncovered the dish the last 15 minutes.

12        Ounces  Pork Sausage

  2          Cups  Bread Cubes -- dried

  1          Cup  Celery -- sliced, 2 stalks

  1          Medium  Onion -- chopped
  1          Cup  Pecans – Halves

     1/2   Cup  Raisins  (I used golden)

     1/4   Cup  Butter -- melted

     1/3   Cup  Chicken Broth

     1/2   Teaspoon  Salt

     1/4   Teaspoon  Sage -- crushed

Heat oven to 350°.  In 10" skillet, brown sausage over medium heat; drain off fat.  In large bowl, stir together browned sausage and remaining dressing ingredients.  If stuffing your bird, place any remaining dressing in covered casserole, refrigerate.  Bake during last 30 minutes of meat or poultry baking time, until heated through.  (I found it needed an hour).

And another dressing option:

Wild Rice and Mushrooms

Make It Yourself...Cutting a Purchased Pork Loin for $avings

Turkey isn’t the only meat to use for the holidays, especially Christmas.  We often serve pork loin, with stuffing on the side.
One way I save money on meat is buying a whole pork loin. Pork loin is a large cut of meat that will weigh between 5-10 pounds and should not be confused with a pork tenderloin, which will weigh approximately 1 pound.   I usually purchase a boneless loin, when the whole ones are on sale.
Instead of paying a separate, and usually higher, price for different cuts of meat, you can save by purchasing in bulk. Purchasing the whole loin can save you between $.50 and $3 per pound and can be prepared in a variety of ways.  
The day I bought this roast (October 15th of this year) they were also featuring on sale pork slices at $10 for 10 four ounce slices, or $4 a pound, and chops and roasts for around $3.89 - $4.29 a pound!  I paid $1.49 a pound for a whole loin - worth saving up for!
Our local grocery store will generally cut the meat however you like it, for no extra cost.
I purchased this one intending to cut it ourselves for the freezer, and because I had freezer wrap and freezer tape  already on hand.

Here’s what I do with ours:

Cubes and strips
For stew, soups, stir fries and kabobs, cut the pieces you like from your pork loin.  I usually cut cubes and strips from the ends of the loin where I can’t get nice chops. 
Some good recipes for cubes and strips:
Janette’s Pork and Noodles
Sage and Rosemary Pork Stew 
Country style ribs
Country style ribs are meaty and delicious.  These ribs are meaty, tender and are found at the "small" end of the loin.  While they may be a bit harder to eat with your fingers, they are perfect for eating with a fork and knife.  I cut them and package them in meal-size portions.  They can be used instead of spareribs in these favorite recipes.
Oven Barbequed Ribs
Spareribs and Sauerkraut
Loin Chops
Pork chops are the most popular cut from the pork loin. Cut from the center of the loin they are a top loin chop. One of the benefits of purchasing the whole loin is that you can cut the loin chop exactly how you like it. Do you like a thin chop? A thick chop? Or maybe you want to butterfly your own chop? There are a variety of choices that also help you save money!
Here are just a couple of good pork chop recipes.
Mustard Cream Pork Chops
Baked Pork Chops and Rice
Roasts
I often cut my whole loin into a couple of roasts, some chops and some country style ribs.
We serve the roast, and then cut any remaining roast thinly, and freeze the slices, with doubled waxed paper between them, to use instead of expensive lunch meats for sandwiches.

Make It Yourself...Simple White Bread Buns or Rolls

Clockwise Top L: Dinner rolls with seeds,
Onion Hamburger Buns,  Half Recipe of Buns and a Braided Loaf
Egg wash and dried onions 

The simple white bread recipe we have been using is great for rolls or buns.  Its really the only bread recipe you ever need!
You can stock your freezer with a variety of dinner rolls and sandwich buns from the same recipe.
If you want a more nutritious dough, add a tablespoon or two of wheat germ or bran, or a tablespoon of each to the measuring cup before adding the flour.              

Simple White Bread Buns or Rolls

  6 ¼    Cups  Flour, All-purpose -- 1# 12 ounces

  3        Tablespoons  Sugar

  2        Packages  Instant, rapid rise or bread machine Yeast

  2        Teaspoons  Salt

  1 ½    Cups  Water -- 120°-130°

     ½    Cup  Milk -- 120°-130°

  2        Tablespoons  Butter, lard -- softened

In mixer bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt.  Heat water, milk and fat  until very warm (120-130°).  Gradually add mixture to dry ingredients; beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.  Add 1/2 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally.  Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Change to dough hook and knead on speed 2 for 6 minutes.

Brat and Hamburger Buns 

Cover bowl tightly; let rise 10 minutes.

Shape as desired, let rise and bake.

Rolls:  Use 1/2 of dough.  Shape into 8-12 equal pieces and place in greased 8" pan.  Cover; let rise until doubled, 20-30 minutes. (Fill a 13 x 9" pan with the whole recipe).

For dinner rolls:  Top with egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water; sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.

For onion rolls:  Top with egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons instant minced onion.

For either, bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, until done.  Cover with foil during last 5 minutes to prevent excess browning if necessary.

Remove from pan; let cool on wire rack.

For hamburger or brat buns:  Shape 3 ounce portions of the dough into rounds or oblong buns, flattening them.  Use half-sheets or jelly roll pans; I line mine with parchment paper or grease the pans.  (I used the egg wash from the dinner rolls on these).  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Half of the recipe will make 8 buns; I often make 8 of each and slice and freeze them for grilling in the summer.

Basic Oats Mix Biscuits, Muffins, Applesauce Bread and Dumplings

Here are the recipes that the “Culinary Institute the Budget Cookbook" gives with their recipe for Basic Oats Mix (I included the recipe at the bottom).  I have made both the muffins and biscuits and found them to be both quick and tasty.
I included the recipes for the bread and dumplings, although I haven’t tried them yet.

Oatmeal Muffins

  2              cups  plus 2 tablespoons Oat Mix  

     1/4       cup  Sugar

  1              cup  Milk

  1              large  Egg -- beaten

FOR MUFFINS: 

Combine oats mix and sugar in a bowl.  Add milk and egg; stir until just blended.

Fill 12 greased 2 1/2" muffin-pan wells 2/3 full.

Bake at 400° about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cost:  about 96¢ per dozen or 8¢ per muffin

Oatmeal Biscuits

  2               cups  Oat Mix

     2/3        cup  Cold Milk

FOR BISCUITS: 

Combine oats mix and milk in a bowl; stir with a fork to a soft dough.  Let the dough set in the bowl to absorb some of the liquid into the oats, about 5-10 minutes.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead with fingertips 10 times.  Roll out 1/2" thick and cut with a floured 2" cutter.  (Be sure to cut straight down without twisting, to help your biscuits rise and get that characteristic “split”.)

Put on ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake at 450° 10-12 minutes.

Biscuits cost 54¢ per dozen or 4 1/2¢ per biscuits.

Quick Applesauce Bread

  2 1/4    Cups  Oat Mix

  1           Cup  Sugar

  1           Teaspoon  Cinnamon

  1           Cup  Applesauce -- sweetened

  1           Large  Egg

     1/2    Cup  Milk

     1/2    Cup  Raisins – optional

FOR APPLESAUCE BREAD: 

Combine oats mix, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Add applesauce, egg, milk, and raisins; stir until mixed.

Turn batter into a greased and floured 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2" loaf pan.

Bake at 350° for 55 to 60 minutes.

Remove from pan and cool completely on a rack before slicing.  1 loaf

Fluffy Dumplings

  2           Cups  Oat Mix

  1           Cup  Milk

FOR DUMPLINGS:

Thoroughly combine oats mix and milk.  Spoon onto boiling stew. (Try to drop them on the meat or vegetables to keep them from getting too soggy).  

Cook, uncovered, over low heat 10 minutes; cover and cook 10 minutes longer.  10-12 Dumplings.

Basic Oats Mix

  6        Cups  Flour, All-purpose (about 1 pound 11 ounces)

  4        Tablespoons  Baking Powder

  4        Teaspoons  Salt

  1 1/3 Cups  Shortening (about 9.33 ounces)

  2        Cups  Oats -- quick or old fashioned, uncooked (about 6 ounces)

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.  Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in oats.

Store in a cool, dry place until ready to use.

Makes enough for 4 batches muffins, biscuits, dumplings or applesauce bread.

Cost:  $1.67 per full recipe or 17¢ per cup if you get 9 3/4 cups from the recipe.

Yield:  "9 3/4 Cups"

“Culinary Institute the Budget Cookbook" 1975

Basic Oats Mix

Here’s an interesting take on homemade biscuit mix from the “Culinary Institute the Budget Cookbook” from 1975, a book I picked up at our local thrift shop. 

Tomorrow, I’ll give your some of the recipes to use this mix.  I used the old-fashioned oats, but you can also use quick-cooking oats. 
               

                              Basic Oats Mix

  6        Cups  Flour, All-purpose (about 1 pound 11 ounces)

  4        Tablespoons  Baking Powder

  4        Teaspoons  Salt

  1 1/3 Cups  Shortening (about 9.33 ounces)

  2        Cups  Oats -- quick or old fashioned, uncooked (about 6 ounces)

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.  Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in oats.

Store in a cool, dry place until ready to use.

Makes enough for 4 batches muffins, biscuits, dumplings or applesauce bread.

Cost:  $1.67 per full recipe or 17¢ per cup if you get 9 3/4 cups from the recipe.

Yield:  "9 3/4 Cups"

Make It Yourself...Simple White Bread Loaves and Pizza Crusts

Small pizzas made from 1/4 of dough each;
braided loaf in a 4 x 10" loaf pan from 1/2 recipe
All from the same batch of dough

This week we’re going to make simple white bread into bread pans, braided loaves or pizza crusts.  We like the flexibility of making whatever kind of bread we need from this great recipe just like Grandma’s.  I often make half of the bread into a sandwich loaf and the other half into a braided loaf or pizza crusts.  I usually choose bread flour, because it develops more gluten and gives a nice, firm loaf.  If you don’t bake bread often, use all-purpose flour.
Check out our mixer bread information HERE.  Remember, you can also make this recipe by hand too, the way I did for years.

Sandwich loaves in 4 1/2" x 8 1/2" loaf pans

Simple White Bread

Yield:  "2 Loaves”

  6 ¼    Cups  Flour, All-purpose  or Bread -- 1# 12 ounces

  3        Tablespoons  Sugar

  2        Packages  Instant Yeast or Bread Machine Yeast

  2        Teaspoons  Salt

  1 ½    Cups  Water -- 120°-125°

     ½    Cup  Milk -- 120°-125°

  2        Tablespoons  Butter, oil or lard

In mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Heat water, milk and butter until very warm (120-125°).  Gradually add mixture to dry ingredients; beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.  Change to dough hook and knead on speed 2 for 6 minutes.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a tight cover; let rise 10 minutes in a warm place. (No need to grease the pan or dough if you cover it tightly.)

Loaves: (1 1/2 pound) Roll 1/2 of dough to 12 x 7" rectangle.  Beginning at short end, fold like an envelope, in thirds, tightly.  Pinch ends and seal.  Place in greased 8 1 2 x 4 1/2" loaf pan or a 4" x 10" loaf pan, seam side down.  Cover, let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 25 minutes.  Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Braids:  Divide 1/2 of dough into 3 equal pieces (8 ounces each).  Roll into 16" rope.  Braid on greased baking sheet.  Cover, let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.  Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water; brush over braid.  Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired.  Bake at 400° for 25 minutes until done.  Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Pizza:  Grease 14" or two  12" round pizza pans.  Roll 1/2 of dough and fit into prepared pans. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes, top with sauce and desired toppings, return to oven and bake 10-15 minutes more until done.

Cost per loaf:  51¢ with bread flour, 41¢ with all-purpose flour and butter.

Make It Yourself...Simple White Bread

  I’ve seen lots of recipes for “one-hour” homemade bread that produces loaves that just don’t have the good gluten formation of regular bread.  They depend on a larger-than-usual amount of yeast, and skip the first rise in the bowl.  They make a somewhat crumbly too-soft loaf that lacks structure.

We much prefer this simple white bread recipe that adds only 10 minutes for the first rise, but uses less of the expensive yeast and makes a perfect loaf.  I made these loaves from getting out the mixer bowl to getting the loaves from the oven in less than 90 minutes, and most of that time was simply waiting for rising and baking.  You don’t even need a bread pan; you can bake free-form loaves on a baking sheet. 

Check out our mixer bread information HERE.  Remember, you can also make this recipe by hand too, the way I did for years.

My husband thinks this recipe tastes just like his mother’s bread – it tastes like our Mom’s too!  Easy enough to make every week…delicious, versatile, just great bread that says “Homemade”.

                            Simple White Bread

Yield:  "2 Loaves”

  6 ¼    Cups  Flour, All-purpose  or Bread -- 1# 12 ounces

  3        Tablespoons  Sugar

  2        Packages  Instant Yeast or Bread Machine Yeast

  2        Teaspoons  Salt

  1 ½    Cups  Water -- 120°-125°

     ½    Cup  Milk -- 120°-125°

  2        Tablespoons  Butter, oil or lard

• In mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Heat water, milk and butter until very warm (120-125°).  Gradually add mixture to dry ingredients; beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.  Change to dough hook and knead on speed 2 for 6 minutes.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a tight cover; let rise 10 minutes in a warm place. (No need to grease the pan or dough if you cover it tightly.)
• Shape 2 loaves, 1 1/2 pounds each, into rounds or long loaves, or into greased 9x5" loaf pans.  Place your free-form loaves on a half-sheet (13 x 18" pan), greased or lined with parchment. 
• Cover, let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 25 minutes. While dough is rising, preheat your oven to 375°.
• If desired, beat 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water; brush over raised loaves.  Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired.  Slash loaves with a sharp knife, (lightly spray your knife with cooking spray to prevent dragging). 
• Bake at 375° for 28-30 minutes. (Cover with foil during last 5 minutes to prevent excess browning if necessary.)  Loaves should read 200° with an instant read thermometer. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Cost per loaf:  51¢ with bread flour, 41¢ with all-purpose flour and butter.

Make It Yourself...Fast Rise Breads with Your Mixer

Fast Rise Breads with Your Mixer

I have been baking our daily bread for 50 years…and in that time I have tried every innovation to make it easier and faster and still get great results.  I think that fast yeasts, Instant or Bread Machine yeasts, have made the most difference, cutting bread making time almost in half with no loss of that yeasty, nutty flavor and texture, and it doesn't need to be "proofed" first, but can be added right to the dry ingredients.

We make a variety of sandwich-style breads for toast and sandwiches.  I can make a simple 24 ounce loaf of white bread for about 50¢; and that’s using expensive, but delicious butter for the fat.  I usually make a whole-grain loaf of some type, as well as hamburger and brat buns, dinner rolls, and the like regularly.  No long list of chemicals in our breads; just wholesome, simple ingredients.

I have gotten my regular bread baking to under 2 hours from start to finish, and that includes mostly waiting for the bread to rise and bake.  Here are some hints to help make bread-making a lot easier than when I started making it years ago.

Instant and Bread Machine yeast are the same, and have really shortened my bread-making time.  I buy 1 pound packages of Fleischmann’s Yeast at Sam’s very reasonably, the little packets cost a fortune for regular bread bakers.  Saf is another good brand of instant yeast.

The advantages of the fast yeasts, is that no proofing is needed, and the first rise is only a rest for 10 minutes, not an hour!  At first, that seemed unbelievable, but the results are excellent.  The short rest means you don’t have near as many big bubbles to get out before you shape your dough into loaves or rolls.

The mixer does the kneading.  After blending in all the flour, I change to a dough hook to knead my dough.  For most bread, 6 minutes with the dough hook gives good results.  For sweet dough, I usually use 4 minutes.  Yes, I can and have kneaded my bread by hand, but after 50 years, I’m happy to let the mixer do the work.

I let my dough rise right in the mixer bowl.  If you cover it tightly with a silicone cover or plastic wrap, you don’t even need grease the bowl or pan, it will scrape right out.  I then use a little soapy water in the mixer bowl to wash up my beaters, scrapers, etc.

The second rise, after shaping your loaves or buns or rolls, is also usually shorter than with active dry yeast, just until it is doubled.  Remember that they will also rise in the oven, called “oven-spring”.

Here are the steps to convert your older recipes to this method.

Set aside 1 cup of regular flour from the total amount.  Mix the remaining flours and other dry ingredients, including the instant yeast, in your mixer bowl.

Heat the fat and other liquids (except eggs) until hot to the touch (120-125°) with an instant read thermometer.  (Some yeast directions call for up to 130°, I don’t like to get that hot…I don’t want to kill my yeast.)  I usually use my microwave and a glass measuring cup for this.  A minute to a minute and a half frequently is sufficient, and a good starting point.  If the recipe calls for "proofing" the yeast in water, add that water to the other liquids.

Stir the liquids into the dry mixture.

Add the eggs if called for in the recipe.

Mix in only enough reserved flour for the desired batter or dough.

Change to a dough hook and knead or knead by hand.

Cover the dough tightly and let rest 10 minutes.  This is the “first rise”.

Shape dough or stir down the batter.

Cover; let rise until doubled in size.  Most dough will require less than the normal rising time.

Bake as the recipe calls for.

Here are some bread recipes to get you excited about making bread with fast instant yeasts.

Remember, all of these recipes can be made by hand if desired.  I certainly made them that way for years.

Make It Yourself...Fast Homemade Breads

My husband calculated that I have been making bread for over 50 years…starting as a preteen helping my mother, grandmother, older sisters, and then making bread on my own.  My mom made 5 loaves at a time in a large “bread-rising pan with a lid”, later I switched to making bread with the inexpensive, light-weight mixers available in the 60’s and 70’s, where you started out in the mixer and added the remaining flour and kneaded loaves by hand. 

Nowadays, I usually make 2 or more loaves of bread at a time, and my 5 quart bowl-lift style KitchenAid is the way I usually make it.  I like my food processor for single loaves and small recipes, but my mixer will make up to 3 loaves at a time, with a lot less work than I used to do.

We like artisan-type breads, but they don’t keep well, and, let’s face it, most home kitchens don’t have the kind of oven that bakeries have, where steam is injected or there is a trough for boiling, steaming water in the oven.  Instead, we make our own sandwich breads, rolls, buns and sweet breads.

Try fast yeasts:  Instant, RapidRise or Bread Machine yeast.  The first rise is actually a 10 minute rest, you don’t have to proof the yeast, and the second rise after shaping is often only half as long.  Check Here to read about fast yeasts and converting your recipes.

The ratio of flour and liquid is critical in any bread recipe.  Flour absorbs different amounts of liquids depending on its protein and / or moisture content, as well at the temperature and humidity of the air. If your recipe has a range of flour to use, start with the lower amount and add only enough to form a dough that starts to pull away from the sides of your bowl. You will be adding more during the kneading stage, so don't add it all during the mixing stage.  Dry, stiff doughs and wet, sticky doughs do not rise well.

Never let salt or sugar be in direct contact with the yeast. To avoid this, add these ingredients after 1 to 2 cups of flour have been mixed in.  To be honest, I’m not that careful about this, and usually have good results.  I do place my ingredients around the bowl over the flour to keep track of what I have added.

Shaping your dough:

To divide dough: weigh the dough on a kitchen scale to obtain loaves and rolls which are of uniform size, they’ll bake evenly with better results.

Rolling out dough using a rolling pin will help eliminate air bubbles in the dough and prevent "holes" in the bread.

I own a variety of bread pans, but you really don’t need any, next week we’ll make simple bread and bake it right on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. 

Baking

Yeast dough should always be baked so the center of the loaf or pan is in the center of a preheated oven for the length of time specified in the recipe. The final expansion of the dough, called "oven spring", takes place in the first few minutes of baking in a hot oven. If the oven has been used for the rising of the dough, remove dough before preheating the oven. 

Testing for Doneness - Two Methods

The time tested method of determining if the bread has baked sufficiently is to tap the crust lightly and listen for a hollow sound.

A more accurate method is to insert an instant-read thermometer (available in most housewares departments) into the center of the bread. Robin Hood flour says when the thermometer registers 190°F -200° for regular breads, remove the bread from the oven.  For whole grain loaves, it should be 210°.

If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the top with a tented sheet of foil or parchment paper.

To avoid soggy bread, remove your bread from the pan immediately after baking and place on a wire rack to cool.

 Follow your Recipe for the Appropriate Oven Temperature

Some guidelines:

400°F to 425°F for bread with very little or no sugar, such as French bread.

375°F for most breads with an average amount of sugar (less than 1/2 cup sugar per 4 cups of flour)

350°F for sweet breads high in sugar (more than 1/2 cup sugar per 4 cups of flour)

Some other tools in addition to my mixer that help me get good, consistent baking results are a digital scale, an instant read thermometer, a flour shaker, a rolling pin, a bench knife or scraper, and a bread board or cutting mat.  You can shape your loaves right on the counter-top, but I doubt that you want to use a knife to cut dough on your counter. 

The scale helps you get your loaves the same size, as well as measuring your ingredients right into the bowl without bothering with measuring cups.  Fast, fast, fast.

Double-check your recipe for amounts of each ingredient needed.

The thermometer helps you determine the temperature of your liquids so you don’t kill your yeast or slow it down.  You can also determine if your bread is done, eliminating a lot of guess-work.


A rising box or cover...I finally found an inexpensive plastic box that has a flat top edge, so it will fit flat on a counter, or on my glass range top (of course, it doesn't have any burners turned on).  I bought it at that most popular of chain discount stores.  Two of my 12" long bread pans will fit under it; the bread rises without having to be greased or covered with plastic wrap, waxed paper or a towel, and it doesn't form a skin.  
I also use plastic covers sold for my sheet pans for raising buns or rolls.  Quick, cheap, no waste and little cleanup!