PEASANT BREAD

Can it already be Friday? Times flies when you are having fun and this first-ever Amish Week at My Patchwork Quilt has certainly been fun but must come to an end. 

I wanted to have something special for this last day and I hope you will think this Peasant Bread is special. I had several choices but when I saw this recipe I had written down with other recipes from DIL Sara's Amish cookbook called The Amish Baking Cookbook (Plainly Delicious Recipes from Oven to Table) by Georgia Varozza and Kathleen Kerr, I wanted to try it. You see my new gas stove I got last week has a Bread Proof setting on it. I didn't know there was such a thing. 

Well, the bread was simple to make and actually didn't take that long (compared to some bread recipes I have made). And the taste doesn't even compare. In fact, my husband said it was the best bread I had ever made. Wow. That's a strong endorsement from him. I have to agree with him (after I ate two slices). It was perfect with the spaghetti I had made for dinner.

PEASANT BREAD

2-1/4       (1 pkg) active dry yeast
1               tablespoon sugar
2              teaspoons salt
2              cups warm water
1               tablespoon oil plus more for brushing top of loaf (olive oil is a good choice in this recipe)
4-1/2       cups flour (plus a little extra when kneading)

Mix together yeast, sugar, and salt.

Add the warm water, mix well.

Add oil.

Begin adding the flour a little at a time,

incorporating well after each addition.

On a lightly floured board, knead dough until smooth, about 5 to 7 minutes.

(I only had to knead for about 3 minutes. I did use my Kitchen Aid mixer with bread dough attachment when adding the flour which is supposed to reduce kneading time.)

In a greased bowl,

place dough

and cover with cloth.

Let rise 30 minutes. 

Form into a round loaf and place on greased cookie sheet.

(To do this...punch down the dough in the center with your fist.

Then dump dough onto floured surface and knead a few times til

smooth again.

Cover and let rise again, about 45 minutes.

Brush top of loaf with oil (picture above) 

and bake in preheated 425 degrees F. oven for 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F, brush again with oil and

continue baking 20 more minutes.

Remove and cool on wire rack (if you can). It smells so good and I could hardly wait to cut it.

Cut with serrated knife...

and spread with some butter....

I also made some French toast using it and it was probably the best French toast I have ever made. I made 3 pieces from 1-1/2 strips of the bread. It was so filling though I could only each 2 of the pieces. Bummer. Oh, well, my husband enjoyed the other piece.

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