Tassajara Basic Bread

 

It's cold in my kitchen. I can never seem to get a nice rise out of my breads in the prescribed recipe time at room temperature- the phrase, "Let rise 1 hour, or doubled in size." strikes anxiety in my heart. As a newish by hand breadmaker, I haven't yet learned to judge the point where my dough is perfectly risen, so I often set the timer and hope for the best. A nicely heated oven (to 200F) is a great help when I can then stick the ceramic bowl over that vent and let the warm air boost the rise.

The one thing that breadmaking has done for me, if nothing else, is to educate me about chemistry. My father having his Ph.D. in Chemistry would probably say "It's about time!", but I must be a visual learner as I have discovered that I actually get it. The less yeast you use- within reason as it still has to get it's lovely rise from yeast- the more of a "wheaty" taste you get. So your bread tastes like wheat instead of yeast. Who knew?

This loaf was made on Saturday, using 1 tsp. of yeast instead of the prescribed 2 1/4 tsp. I let it rise for 70 minutes at the first rise, skipped the second rise, and again let it rise for 70 minutes in the final shaped rise. I used butter and honey, honey helping to retard mold and staleness. Chemistry again!

A recipe from one of my best loved bread books, "The Tassajara Bread Book".

Tassjara Basic Bread
makes 2 loaves
Tassjara Bread Book

Step 1.
3 cups lukewarm water
2 1/4 tbs yeast
1/4 c sweetening {honey, molasses or brown sugar}
1 cup dry milk {optional}
4 c whole wheat flour {substitute 1 or more cups of unbleached white flour if desired} (I used all white flour)

Step 2.
4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup oil, butter, or margarine
3 cups additional whole wheat flour or white flour (I used all white flour)
1 cup whole wheat flour for kneading. (I used all white flour)

Mixing the sponge (use a whisk):

Pour water into a large bowl, sprinkle with yeast, stir to dissolve. Add honey and stir to dissolve. Stir in powdered milk, stir to dissolve. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring briskly after each addition. Beat mixture 100 times, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 45 minutes to an hour (mixture should look bubbly and risen not quite double in size).

Folding in oil/butter and remainder of flour (ditch the whisk, use a wooden spoon or other strong stirring device):

Sprinkle sponge with salt, mix into dough - the instructions in the book say "DO NOT CUT INTO DOUGH! KEEP AS ONE LARGE MASS. FOLD THE INGREDIENTS INTO THE DOUGH!", but honestly, I can never do it without the dough mass being cut into, so relax and just do your best, it's just bread dough.

Pour oil or toss on the butter. Mix (see above).

Stir in the remaining 3 C flour. Mix until it comes together in a shaggy mess. At this point, I've replaced my jar scraper/spatula with my bowl scraper to fold the dough into the shaggy ball.

Now, I do something a little differently here than the directions say to do. After getting the dough in the shaggy ball, I set it aside while I get my kneading space ready. I'll take a washroom break, I'll program my Ipod with something good to listen to while I knead the dough - I let the dough rest for a little bit. It can absorb more of the flour, relax a little before I try and knead it into a nice elastic dough. It seems to help, anyway.

Kneading the Dough (I use my hands):

Turn the dough onto your kneading surface (I use an Eaton's wooden pastry board). Knead the dough by:

picking up far edge of dough, FOLD dough IN HALF toward you, far side over near side, so that the two edges are approximately lined up evenly. place your hands on NEAR SIDE of dough so that the top of your palms (just below fingers) are at the top front of the dough.
PUSH DOWN AND FORWARD, centering the pusing through the heels of the hands more and more as the push continues. relax your fingers at the end of the push. rock forward with your whole body rather than simply pushing with your arms. apply steady, even pressure, allowing the dough to give way at its own pace. the dough will roll forward with the seam on top, and your hands will end up about 2/3 of the way toward the far side of the dough. removing your hands, see that the top fold has been joined to the bottom fold where the heels of the hands were pressing.
TURN the dough 1/4 turn, clockwise is usually easier for right-handed persons, and vice versa. fold in half towards you as before and rock forward, pushing as before.
TURN, FOLD, PUSH. rock forward. twist and fold as you rock back. rock forward. little by little you will develop some rhythm. push firmly, yet gently, so you stretch but do not tear the dough.

Add flour to keep the dough from sticking to the surface.

Grease your original bowl, put the dough back in and re-cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. If it hasn't doubled in size, give it more time, don't feel that it has to be only 1 hour.

After it's doubled in size, degas by either gently pushing the gas out or the fold method. At this point you can either let it rise again for 45 minutes to an hour, again doubling in size, to make a "lighter" loaf, or you can move on to shaping and your loaves will be a little more dense. I've done both and can't tell the difference. If time is short, skip the second rise.

Shaping:
There are videos all over the web on how to shape dough for a loaf pan, this is just one. Using a digital scale will help your loaves be of equal size. What The Tassarja Bread Book says about shaping and baking:

Shaping the Loaves:
Start the oven preheating (adjustment of temperature may be needed for your oven. Electric ovens in particular may need to be set 25 degrees lower than the indicated temperature). turn dough onto the board. If the dough is of proper consistency, (i.e., moisture content), no flour will be necessary on the board. If too wet it will stick on the board. Use flour as necessary. If too dry the folds will not seal together easily.

Shape into BALL by folding dough to center all the way around as in kneading without the pushing. Turn smooth side up, and tuck in dough all the way around. Cut into 2 EVEN PIECES. Shape into BALLS again, and let sit for 5 minutes. KNEAD DOUGH with right hand. turn and fold dough with left hand. do this about five or six times until dough is compact. this gives the loaf added "spring", similar to winding a clock. after the final push, turn the dough 1/4 turn and, beginning at near edge, ROLL up the dough into a LOG SHAPE. with seam on bottom, flatten out top with finger tips. square off sides and ends. Turn it over and pinch seams together all the way along it. Have BREAD PANS in a stack. Put some oil in top one and turn it over, letting it drain into the next one. place loaf in oiled pan with seam up. dough can fill pan one-half to two-thirds full. A 5 1/4 x 9 1/4 pan will take a 2 1/4-2 1/2 pound of yeasted loaves. A 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 pan will take a 1 3/4 - 2 pound yeasted loaves.
FLATTEN dough out with backs of fingers. turn loaf over so seam is on the bottom. Press again into shape of pan with backs of fingers.
COVER. let RISE 15-20 minutes, from finish to last loaf, depending partly on how long you take to make the loaves and partly on how fast the dough is rising.
Pre-baking and Baking:
Cut the top with SLITS 1/2 inch deep to allow steam to escape. For golden brown, shiny surface, brush the surface of loaf with EGG WASH: one egg beaten with 2 Tbs water or milk. Sprinkle with sesame seed or poppy seed, if you wish.
BAKE at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. smaller loaves will bake faster. To see if done: top is shiny golden brown. the sides and bottoms should likewise be golden brown. Loaf will resound with deep hollow thump when tapped with finger.
REMOVE from pans immediately. For clean-cut slices, LET COOL one hour or more before cutting. Note: adjustment of oven temperature may be necessary. electric ovens, especially, should probably be set 25 degrees lower than indicated.

Slitting the tops is completely optional. I baked this one at 325F for 60 minutes.
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