very well. Fold the final third over the other two thirds, again pinching the edges together. Then with both hands plump the loaf and fit it into the buttered pan.
B. Roll out the dough, and then roll it up into a sausage shape. Tuck the ends under and fit it, seam side down, in the buttered pan.
8 .When using glass for baking, always set the temperature 25 degrees lower than is specified, since glass heats faster than metal and holds the heat longer.
9. The dough can also be brushed with a mixture of lightly beaten egg whites and water, which colors the crust and makes it very crisp, or it can be brushed with a mixture of beaten egg yolk and milk, cream, or water, which gives the crust a rich brown color.
10. The loaf can also be slashed lengthwise down the center.
VARIATION
• Whole-Wheat Bread: This same recipe can be used to make a whole-wheat loaf. Merely use 2 cups whole-wheat flour and 1¾ to 2 cups white flour. For a slightly richer loaf, add 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil or peanut’ oil to the flour before adding the water, and use slightly less water to compensate for the oil.
REMEDIES FOR THE NOT-QUITE-PERFECT SLICE
•
If your slice sags more than the one on the next page and is soggy to the bite, the dough was not aerated enough. It probably had too much liquid and did not get enough kneading. Next time work in a bit more flour as you knead and keep at it longer.
•
If your dough seems to have a pretty good crumb but tastes damp, it means that it did not bake long enough. Try putting it in the oven at a slightly lower temperature at the start and let it cook longer.
•
If your loaf has really fallen flat and doughy, gooey streaks appear in the slices, the chances are that the second rising was too long and the bread collapsed on contact with the heat. Be careful not to let the loaves rise too much in the pans.
•
If your bread has risen more on one side than on the other, you probably had it in the wrong position in the oven. And if the slice has an uneven crumb, this is certainly true. Next time be sure to place a single
loaf in the center of the oven so that uneven distribution of heat won’t upset the form and shape of the loaf while it is baking. Usually, if you have several loaves in the oven, evenly spaced, this problem will not occur, since the flow of air around the pans will be regular.
•
If your loaf has cracked on one side during the baking, don’t worry. It is likely to be a perfectly good loaf—in fact, it may be utterly delicious—even if it doesn’t look beautiful. This is something that at times even the best bakers can’t prevent.
•
If the bottom and side crusts are pale and soft and the bread is difficult
to slice without having to saw with a very sharp knife, next time remove the bread from the pan and place it on the rack or on tiles in the warm oven to brown and crisp the bottom and sides, turning the loaves once, before cooling. (Also, do not ever wrap loaves in plastic before they are thoroughly cooled.)
•
If your bread has really mushroomed and there is a rather deep indentation around the bottom, it means that the entire loaf has broken away from the bottom crust, probably because you tried to pack too much dough into too small a pan, or, if you were making a free-form loaf, your oven was undoubtedly too hot at first so that the bottom cooked too quickly and as the loaf rose it broke away and mushroomed. In either case you’ll have an uneven slice, denser at the bottom than at the top, but this is no great tragedy.
•
If your free-form loaf spread too much as it was rising, your dough was too soft. Free-form loaves must be quite firm when shaped. Next time remember to add extra flour as you are kneading and if you are still uncertain put the dough in a ring to contain it.
•
If, when slicing your bread, you find that the top crust separates from the rest, it means your loaf was not properly formed and the heat caused instant
B. Roll out the dough, and then roll it up into a sausage shape. Tuck the ends under and fit it, seam side down, in the buttered pan.
8 .When using glass for baking, always set the temperature 25 degrees lower than is specified, since glass heats faster than metal and holds the heat longer.
9. The dough can also be brushed with a mixture of lightly beaten egg whites and water, which colors the crust and makes it very crisp, or it can be brushed with a mixture of beaten egg yolk and milk, cream, or water, which gives the crust a rich brown color.
10. The loaf can also be slashed lengthwise down the center.
VARIATION
• Whole-Wheat Bread: This same recipe can be used to make a whole-wheat loaf. Merely use 2 cups whole-wheat flour and 1¾ to 2 cups white flour. For a slightly richer loaf, add 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil or peanut’ oil to the flour before adding the water, and use slightly less water to compensate for the oil.
REMEDIES FOR THE NOT-QUITE-PERFECT SLICE
•
If your slice sags more than the one on the next page and is soggy to the bite, the dough was not aerated enough. It probably had too much liquid and did not get enough kneading. Next time work in a bit more flour as you knead and keep at it longer.
•
If your dough seems to have a pretty good crumb but tastes damp, it means that it did not bake long enough. Try putting it in the oven at a slightly lower temperature at the start and let it cook longer.
•
If your loaf has really fallen flat and doughy, gooey streaks appear in the slices, the chances are that the second rising was too long and the bread collapsed on contact with the heat. Be careful not to let the loaves rise too much in the pans.
•
If your bread has risen more on one side than on the other, you probably had it in the wrong position in the oven. And if the slice has an uneven crumb, this is certainly true. Next time be sure to place a single
loaf in the center of the oven so that uneven distribution of heat won’t upset the form and shape of the loaf while it is baking. Usually, if you have several loaves in the oven, evenly spaced, this problem will not occur, since the flow of air around the pans will be regular.
•
If your loaf has cracked on one side during the baking, don’t worry. It is likely to be a perfectly good loaf—in fact, it may be utterly delicious—even if it doesn’t look beautiful. This is something that at times even the best bakers can’t prevent.
•
If the bottom and side crusts are pale and soft and the bread is difficult
to slice without having to saw with a very sharp knife, next time remove the bread from the pan and place it on the rack or on tiles in the warm oven to brown and crisp the bottom and sides, turning the loaves once, before cooling. (Also, do not ever wrap loaves in plastic before they are thoroughly cooled.)
•
If your bread has really mushroomed and there is a rather deep indentation around the bottom, it means that the entire loaf has broken away from the bottom crust, probably because you tried to pack too much dough into too small a pan, or, if you were making a free-form loaf, your oven was undoubtedly too hot at first so that the bottom cooked too quickly and as the loaf rose it broke away and mushroomed. In either case you’ll have an uneven slice, denser at the bottom than at the top, but this is no great tragedy.
•
If your free-form loaf spread too much as it was rising, your dough was too soft. Free-form loaves must be quite firm when shaped. Next time remember to add extra flour as you are kneading and if you are still uncertain put the dough in a ring to contain it.
•
If, when slicing your bread, you find that the top crust separates from the rest, it means your loaf was not properly formed and the heat caused instant
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