Monsieur Pepe is my baking companion.
On quiet, weekday mornings when the sun lazily stretches into my kitchen and living room, Pepe and I take to mixing, kneading, shaping and talking about our weekends.
I tell him how Ryan and I sat at a French bakery last night, sipping on a bottle of Chardonnay and dipping chunky slices of ciabatta into a bowl of mussels with a rich fennel broth.
He tells me how he guarded our kitchen counters from the infamous cockroahes that are beginning to awaken after a winter's rest.
I tell him how I sat at my favorite bookstore, sipping on a mug of green tea, grading an unending stack of blue books, and stealing off every few minutes to peruse all those freshly bound books.
He tells me how quiet the house is when we're gone. When Ryan isn't playing his guitar, when I'm not humming some mysterious song.
Pepe is happiest when he sits on top of my warm oven. The heat, which cooks our bread, also warms his porcelain body. With hand in the air, Pepe offers me an encouraging signal to continue on.
We made our favorite bread together. The loaf that I turn to, week after week, for our sandwiches, for our thick slices before bed.
On quiet, weekday mornings when the sun lazily stretches into my kitchen and living room, Pepe and I take to mixing, kneading, shaping and talking about our weekends.
I tell him how Ryan and I sat at a French bakery last night, sipping on a bottle of Chardonnay and dipping chunky slices of ciabatta into a bowl of mussels with a rich fennel broth.
He tells me how he guarded our kitchen counters from the infamous cockroahes that are beginning to awaken after a winter's rest.
I tell him how I sat at my favorite bookstore, sipping on a mug of green tea, grading an unending stack of blue books, and stealing off every few minutes to peruse all those freshly bound books.
He tells me how quiet the house is when we're gone. When Ryan isn't playing his guitar, when I'm not humming some mysterious song.
Pepe is happiest when he sits on top of my warm oven. The heat, which cooks our bread, also warms his porcelain body. With hand in the air, Pepe offers me an encouraging signal to continue on.
We made our favorite bread together. The loaf that I turn to, week after week, for our sandwiches, for our thick slices before bed.
We're getting ready for SXSW...
This is a perfect beginner bread. The recipe is simple, and it rises beautifully. The loaf is soft and sweet. The temptation to tear off a large chunk as soon as it leaves the oven is a hard one to bear. Thank goodness, I have Pepe's constant stare to keep my behavior in check.
Sometimes, I let this rise a few hours in my refrigerator. Because the longer a bread rises, the more complex the flavor becomes. But you have to slow down the rise...you can't simply let it sit on your counter all afternoon. So if you feel like making the dough in the morning, consider placing it in your fridge for the rest of the day, taking it out late in the afternoon, and then letting it finish rising in your warm kitchen. The flavor will be worth the extra time.
But, even if you don't do this, the bread is still delicious.
I use this same recipe to make rolls for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but instead of oil, I use melted butter. You can feel free to substitute one for the other. Butter will make your loaf a bit more rich.
Pepe has only been with me for a few months, but he finds this recipe to be one of my favorites. I knew he would like it when we first made it together, and I know you will like it too.
Sometimes, I let this rise a few hours in my refrigerator. Because the longer a bread rises, the more complex the flavor becomes. But you have to slow down the rise...you can't simply let it sit on your counter all afternoon. So if you feel like making the dough in the morning, consider placing it in your fridge for the rest of the day, taking it out late in the afternoon, and then letting it finish rising in your warm kitchen. The flavor will be worth the extra time.
But, even if you don't do this, the bread is still delicious.
I use this same recipe to make rolls for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but instead of oil, I use melted butter. You can feel free to substitute one for the other. Butter will make your loaf a bit more rich.
Pepe has only been with me for a few months, but he finds this recipe to be one of my favorites. I knew he would like it when we first made it together, and I know you will like it too.
Sweet Wheat Bread
2 Packages of Active Dry Yeast
1 3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten slightly
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1.In a large bowl, dissolve your yeast in the warm water with a teaspoon of sugar and let sit for ten minutes or until creamy.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir your sugar, egg, salt, oil and whole wheat flour into your yeast mixture. Gradually stir in your all purpose flour until dough pulls away from the side of your bowl. If you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, attach the dough hook and knead for 5-8 minutes. If not, turn dough out into a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes). Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, or a damp towel ( I like to stretch a rubber band around the rim of my bowl to ensure that the towel stays on).
3. Let your dough rise in a warm place for about an hour or until dough doubles in size. Grease two 8 x 4 loaf pans. Punch down dough, divide into two equal sections, and form into two 6-7 inch loafs. Place loafs in pans, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until almost doubled in size.
4. Bake bread for 40 minutes (or until brown and an instant thermometer reads 190 degrees) in a preheated, 350 degree oven. Remove from loaf pans and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least one hour before serving.
Always,
Monet
Anecdotes and Apple Cores
My heart and prayers are with those who have been touched by this latest catastrophe. My best friend is teaching English in a small city in Japan, and I've been able to talk with her via email this weekend. Thankfully, she is okay, but like all of us, she mourns the immense loss of life . Let us all take a moment to remember those who have perished and those left behind.
2 Packages of Active Dry Yeast
1 3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten slightly
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1.In a large bowl, dissolve your yeast in the warm water with a teaspoon of sugar and let sit for ten minutes or until creamy.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir your sugar, egg, salt, oil and whole wheat flour into your yeast mixture. Gradually stir in your all purpose flour until dough pulls away from the side of your bowl. If you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, attach the dough hook and knead for 5-8 minutes. If not, turn dough out into a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes). Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, or a damp towel ( I like to stretch a rubber band around the rim of my bowl to ensure that the towel stays on).
3. Let your dough rise in a warm place for about an hour or until dough doubles in size. Grease two 8 x 4 loaf pans. Punch down dough, divide into two equal sections, and form into two 6-7 inch loafs. Place loafs in pans, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until almost doubled in size.
4. Bake bread for 40 minutes (or until brown and an instant thermometer reads 190 degrees) in a preheated, 350 degree oven. Remove from loaf pans and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least one hour before serving.
Always,
Monet
Anecdotes and Apple Cores
My heart and prayers are with those who have been touched by this latest catastrophe. My best friend is teaching English in a small city in Japan, and I've been able to talk with her via email this weekend. Thankfully, she is okay, but like all of us, she mourns the immense loss of life . Let us all take a moment to remember those who have perished and those left behind.
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