Fearless Bread

This recipe,  more commonly known as Hot Cross buns, provides an excellent accompaniment  for the holiday table. With these rolls so rich with butter, eggs, and a hint of orange, you wont have to worry about leftovers!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup butter, soften
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. salt
2 TBSP active dry yeast or 1 1/2 TBSP instant yeast
3 large eggs (room temp)
6 cups bread flour (approx)
1/2 to 1 cup currants
1 TBSP grated orange peel

Directions:
1. Heat 3/4 cup of juice & pour over butter, sugar, cinnamon, & salt in mixing bowl, set aside until lukewarm.

2. Warm remaining 1/2 cup juice in separate bowl, cool to warm (105-110 F)  and add yeast, mix well until dissolved and set aside 5-10 minutes to proof.

3. Add eggs to butter mixture and blend well, add 2 cups of flour 1 cup at a time and mix well, add yeast mixture when foamy and mix well.

4. Add currants and orange peel and continue to mix adding only enough of remaining flour 1 cup at a time until you have a smooth dough that begins to pull from sides of mixing bowl,  approx mixing time should be 6-8 minutes by mixer or 10 minutes by hand.

5. Place dough in large greased bowl or bucket, cover and let rise in a warm draft free area until doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2  to 2 hours.

6. Gently punch down dough, shape into 2-3 oz rolls, place on baking sheet with parchment paper, cover with oiled plastic wrap and rise for 30-45 minutes until almost doubled.

7. Bake in preheated 375 F oven 15-20 minutes or until done, remove from sheet immediately and cool on rack.

Tips:
For shiny golden crust - mix 1 egg with 1 TBSP water and brush rolls just before baking.

For shiny clear crust - mix 1 egg white with 1 TBSP water and brush rolls just before baking.

For soft crust - brush rolls gently with milk before baking or with butter right after they come out of oven.

These golden delights will make you the star at any dinner table! Every buttery bite is loaded with  a hint of honey and the richness of eggs and buttermilk.

Ingredients:
1 stick plus 2 TBSP butter (melted & divided)
1 TBSP.  active dry yeast
1/4  cup warm water (105-110F)
2  TBSP honey (divided)
3  cups bread flour
1  1/2  tsp. salt
3/4  cup buttermilk
1 egg


Directions:
1.  butter a standard 12 cup muffin tin with 1 TBSP butter, set aside.

2.  in a small bowl, mix yeast, warm water and 1 TBSP honey until well combined, set aside 5-10 minutes until foamy.

3.  add yeast mixture to large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of flour and mix well.

4.  add buttermilk, 1 TBSP honey, egg, 6 TBSP butter, 1 cup of flour, and salt, mix just until combined.

5.  add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix 6-8 minutes until soft elastic dough forms, form into ball and place in large oiled bowl or rising bucket, turn the dough so it's entire surface is coated, cover with oiled plastic wrap or lidded bucket, let rise in a warm draft free area 1 - 2 hours or until doubled.

6.  gently punch down dough and empty out onto lightly oiled counter, divide dough in half, roll out first half with lightly oiled rolling pin to a 12 inch square, keep other half covered and set aside.

7.  brush 12 inch dough square with 1/2 TBSP of melted butter and cut into 6 equal strips, stack strips buttered side up and cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces, turn each piece on it's side and place into prepared muffin tin, slightly separate outer layers of each roll to fan outward, repeat procedure with other half of dough.

8.  cover rolls with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft free area 1 hour or until doubled.

9.  preheat oven to 375F, bake rolls on middle rack for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown, transfer to cooling rack and brush tops with remaining butter.

Get ready for all 5 senses to be blown away with this loaf! Russenzopf is a European sweet bread made from rich buttery laminated dough. The name is literally translated "russian braid." It's flaky golden layers, nutty sweet filling, and caramelized swirls will surely have your guests craving for more! Thanks to a baking blogger named "Bakerina," this loaf is not as intimidating to make as it sounds. Read all the directions before starting, follow them step by step, and you will do just fine. Shoot me an email with your results or questions.

Dough
4  cups all-purpose flour  approx 3  TBSP butter - unsalted 4  TBSP sugar 2  1/4  tsp. salt 1  TBSP active dry yeast or 2  1/2 tsp. instant yeast 2  eggs 8  oz. whole milk  (heated to 105-110 F)

Beurrage  ( rolled in butter )
2  1/2  sticks butter - unsalted 2  1/2  TBSP all-purpose flour

Filling
1   cup toasted skinned hazelnuts
1  1/4  cup toasted walnuts 1  1/8  cups granulated sugar 2  egg whites 1  TBSP  ground cinnamon  1  TBSP  vanilla extract
grated zest of 1 lemon (use a micro planer for fine grade)

Egg Wash
1  egg & 1 TBSP water well mixed

Directions:

1.  add yeast to 1/4 cup of warm milk, mix well and set aside 5 minutes until foamy

2.  Add remaining milk and dough ingredients to mixer bowl and mix on medium for 1 minute, add yeast mixture and mix for 2 minutes, do not mix enough to fully develop the gluten, it only needs to get past the initial texture and be somewhere between shaggy and elastic, cover and refrigerate 3-4 hours. 
3.  20 minutes before taking dough from the fridge, make beurrage by placing butter and flour between 2 sheets of parchment paper, pound butter and flour together until they are combined, pound the beurrage into a  7 x 7 inch square. Butter should be pliable and cool but not too soft or mushy.

4.  Remove dough from fridge and roll into a square just large enough to cover the beurrage when it is placed in the center of the dough, Work the beurrage into the dough by folding the edges over the beurrage, then roll the entire package into a long rectangle, fold the left side of the rectangle 2/3 of the way over, then bring the right side of the rectangle over to meet the fold on the left edge, this is referred to as a "book fold" or "single turn" and will produce 3 layers, roll it out again and give it one more single turn, Wrap in plastic and place in fridge for 30 minutes to relax the gluten and chill the butter in the dough, remove from fridge and roll it out to a rectangle again, fold the left edge to the middle of the rectangle, fold the right edge over to meet the left edge, fold both sides together just like closing a book, this is called a "double turn" and will produce 4 layers." Wrap again with plastic and place in fridge for overnight chill.

5.  prepare filling for overnight chill as follows:  grind nuts together with a small amount of the sugar to keep them from turning to paste, pour into a bowl along with the other filling ingredients and mix, cover and place in fridge until next day.
 
The Next Day:

6.  preheat oven to 425 F with rack in center of oven for 30 minutes.

7.  take filling from fridge and set aside, take dough from fridge and cut in half, set 1 half aside and cover with plastic, roll other half out to a rectangle at least 16 inches in length, spread half the filling on the dough, make sure to keep a 1 inch border around outside edges of dough clear of any filling, starting with a long side of rectangle, roll the dough up into a long cylinder and pinch the seam, cut the cylinder in half lengthwise, twist the halves together into a 2-strand braid,  leave the cut side of each half facing up as much as possible during braiding for a great swirled look on the finished loaf, place in a prepared 9 x 5 loaf pan, repeat process with remaining half of dough, cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until approx. 1/4 inch below top of the pan.

8.  gently remove plastic and gently apply egg wash to loaves with pastry brush, bake for 15 minutes then lower heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, cover with aluminum foil if browning too quickly, rotate the pans half way through the baking time to expose the loaves evenly to the different temperature variations in your oven. (hot spots)

9.   remove pans from oven and run a thin knife around edges of loaves, remove loaves from pans and place on wire racks to cool, the loaves should be caramelized if exposed to proper temperature, a good idea is to purchase a simple and inexpensive oven thermometer to guard against scorching loaves with a high sugar content.

*Alternate Filling
in step #7, spread a thin layer of brown sugar over the rolled out dough leaving a 1 inch border clear of any sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon, chopped nuts, raisins, candied orange peel, etc., (be creative, you are the mad baker!)

If you like a good crisp loaf on the outside, and a soft tasty crumb on the inside, this is an Indiana prize winning version for you! For a twist, it has a few more ingredients than the standard 4 ingredient traditional recipe for french bread. I have also included tips if you want to try this on a baking stone to achieve that elusive extra crispy crust. Set your expectations high for the authentic look, feel, and taste of this artisan loaf.

Ingredients:
1  scant TBSP active dry yeast
1/4  cup warm water (105-110 F)
1  3/4  cup hot water (120-130 F)
2  TBSP non fat dry milk
1  TBSP sugar
1  TBSP butter (room temp)
1  TBSP salt
5  1/2  -  6  cups all purpose flour approx.

Wash: 
2 TBSP cold water,  1/2 tsp. salt

 Directions:
1.   mix yeast in warm water until dissolved and set aside 5-10 minutes until foamy.

2.   in the large mixer bowl, add hot water, milk, sugar, and butter, stir until butter is melted, add 2 cups of flour and mix on medium speed for 1 minute with paddle attachment.

3.   add yeast mixture and mix for 2 minutes, blend 1 TBSP salt with 1 cup flour, add to dough and mix for 2 minutes.

4.   stop mixer and switch to dough hook, mix in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, 6-8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic, dough will be shaggy and begin to clean the sides of the bowl as the gluten develops, to test if gluten has has been properly developed, pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a quarter, begin to gently stretch it in all directions, it should form a paper thin membrane (windowpane) allowing light to pass through without tearing, this is referred to as the windowpane test, if it tears quickly, continue to knead by hand for 1-2 minutes until it can pass the windowpane test.   Note: you may not need to add all the flour if the kitchen climate is cold and or dry

steps 2 thru 4 can be done by hand with kneading time closer to 10 minutes, mix with a large wooden spoon until too stiff to continue, use the push-turn-fold method for kneading

5.   oil a large bowl or bucket, place the dough in and turn it so it becomes coated on all sides, cover with oiled plastic wrap or loosely fitting lid, move to a warm place near 80 F and let dough rise till doubled, or approx. 1 hour 30 minutes.

6. gently punch down dough and place on lightly floured work surface, lightly knead dough for a few seconds to rid it of excess air bubbles, divide dough into 2 equal pieces and shape both into balls, cover with oiled wrap and let rest 10 minutes, shape each dough ball into a rectangle and roll to 10 x 16 inches each, start with the long side and roll up into a cigar shape, pinch the seam tightly and tuck the ends under.

7.   place loaves seam side down on a baking sheet lightly lined with corn meal, cover with oiled plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place until nearly doubled (approx. 30-45 minutes) preheat oven to 500 F while loaves are rising.
      
 If using a baking stone: moderately dust a large baker's peel with corn meal and cover it with parchment paper, place loaves seam side down on parchment and cover with oiled plastic wrap, set aside to rise in a warm place until nearly doubled (approx. 30-45 minutes), place baking stone in the oven on the lower middle rack and preheat oven to 500 F while loaves are rising.,

8.   carefully remove plastic wrap from loaves so they wont deflate, brush loaves gently with cold water salt wash, make 3 diagonal slashes on top of loaves no deeper than 1/4 inch.

Standard Baking: place sheet pan with loaves in oven and close door, turn heat down to 400 F, bake for 10 minutes and use a clean squirt bottle to mist loaves and sides of oven with water to create steam, take care not to mist heating element or oven light, bake an additional 30-35 minutes until golden brown, be sure to rotate the pan half way through the bake cycle to expose the loaves evenly to the different temperature hot spots in your oven.

Hearth Baking: use peel to slide loaves and parchment directly on the stone and close oven door, DO NOT SPRAY WITH WATER-SUDDEN TEMPERATURE CHANGE MAY CRACK THE STONE!    Turn heat down to 400 F and bake for 15 minutes, use peel and rotate loaves to expose them evenly to the different temperature hot spots in your oven, bake additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

9.   turn loaves over and tap on the bottom, a hollow thud means it is done, if no thud place it back in oven for 5-10 minutes, remove sheet pan from oven and loaves from pan or use peel to remove loaves from baking stone and place on wire cooling racks, do not slice hot or bread will be soggy where you cut it.

Foccacia is the king of flatbreads and this is an easy recipe without sacrificing the artisan flavor. Allow for the full resting period of the first and second rising of the dough if you want maximum flavor. This bread is perfect plain, with toppings of your choice, or split to make grilled panini sandwiches.

Starter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp instant yeast
1/3 cup warm water
Mix thoroughly, cover, and let ferment at room temperature 8 hours or overnight

Dough
1 1/4 cups warm water
all of starter
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast

Directions
In a large bowl or dough bin, add water to starter and mix well

In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and yeast together. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix just until no dry flour spots remain

Cover and let rise 30 minutes

Use an oiled spatula or wet hands to do 8 stretch and folds. Cover and rest 30 minutes

Do a second set of 8 stretch and folds. Cover and rest 30 minutes

Do a final set of 8 stretch and folds. Cover and rest 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450F

Add some olive oil to coat a parchment lined sheet pan. Lightly empty dough onto the middle of the sheet pan without degassing it. Cover with oiled plastic wrap or domed cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

With oiled hands, gently spread dough so it mostly fills the pan. Pop any large air bubbles and drizzle entire surface with olive oil. Dimple with your fingertips and add favorite herbs and seasonings.

Bake at 450F 15-20 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Remove pan from oven, remove focaccia from pan, place focaccia on a rack to cool.

Here is a classic from the windy city for those who believe pizza should require a knife and fork to be eaten. This is a classic master dough recipe topped with all the hearty goodness of meat, cheeses, and fresh tomatoes.

Ingredients:
Pizza dough for one 10-12 inch pizza  (see Chicago pizza dough recipe)
10-12 inch deep dish pizza pan
12 oz. ground pork or sausage (uncooked)
1 TBSP fennel seed
1 tsp. salt (omit if using sausage)
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. grated Romano cheese
1 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
10-13 slices of mozzarella cheese
2 tsp. each of Romano and Parmesan cheese for final sprinkling

Preheat oven to 475F

1.  Use your palms to press pizza dough across bottom and up sides of the pizza pan.

2.  Lightly mix pork, fennel, salt, pepper, and cheeses in a bowl and set aside.

3.  Mix tomatoes, basil, and oregano in a bowl and set aside.

4.  Arrange the mozzarella slices over the pizza dough in a single layer.

5.  Place the pork on a large piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on your counter. Cover it with another piece of waxed paper and use a rolling pin to form it into a thin patty large enough to completely cover the cheese slices. It needs to be less than 1/8 inch thick.

6.  Place pork patty over the cheese slices and spread tomato mixture over the pork patty. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the tomato mixture.

7.  Bake on the middle rack of oven for 25-30 minutes until the crust browns and starts to pull away from sides of the pan.

8.  Remove from oven and allow pizza to cool 5 minutes before slicing. 

Here is a classic master recipe I tweaked slightly from CHEFS catalog. You can use this dough right after the initial warm rise or give it an initial cool rise overnight for maximum flavor. Either way will not leave you disappointed.

Ingredients:
1 TBSP active dry yeast or 2 tsp. of instant yeast
¾ cup warm water 105 – 110 degrees F
1 tsp. sugar
¼ cup olive oil
2 ½ - 3 cups all purpose flour (use 00 Caputo flour for artisan pizza)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. olive oil

1.  In a mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast with the water and sugar. Let stand for five minutes until it begins to foam.
 
2.  Add 1/4 cup olive oil, flour, salt, and mix thoroughly using dough hook for 4 minutes at medium speed, until the dough is smooth and pliable. If kneading by hand, knead for 7 to 8 minutes.
 
3.  Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead by hand for two minutes. Add tsp. of olive oil to a large bowl or rising bucket. Place the dough into the bowl and turn it so entire surface is coated with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

4.  At this stage the dough can be put in the refrigerator for a slow cool rise over night for the best flavor. Make sure you take the dough from the fridge for at least 1 hour before shaping the dough into a pizza.

5.  If you are not opting for the cool rise, set the bowl aside for 2 hours for a normal rise. Do not punch down the dough. Just add it to the pizza pan and spread it across the bottom and up the sides.

 
You can't beat the aroma or the taste of fresh croissants in the morning! These irresistible treats are made with plenty of butter and cream for layer upon layer of  flaky indulgence. Break out the fruit preserves, lemon curd, or have them plain!

Dough:
1/2 cup warm half and half  (105 degrees F)
2 tsp. instant yeast or 1  1/2 TBSP active dry yeast
1  cup lukewarm half and half
1/4 cup sugar
4  1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
2 TBSP softened butter

Beurrage:
1 cup cold butter
3 TBSP all purpose flour

Egg Wash:
1 egg beaten with 2 tsp. milk


Directions:
1.  In a small bowl, mix yeast with 1/2 cup warm half and half and set aside 5 minutes to proof yeast.

2.  In a large mixer bowl, stir the remaining half and half, sugar, 2 cups of flour, salt, and butter. Mix until combined about 1 minute. Add yeast mixture and mix about 2 minutes on medium. Add additional flour 1/4 cup at a time and continue to mix 2-3 minutes just until dough is soft and pulls away from sides of bowl. It is not necessary to fully develop the gluten in the dough at this point so don't over mix. Cover the bowl of dough with a lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3.  While dough is chilling, place the butter on 1 sheet of parchment or wax paper and sprinkle three TBSP of flour over it. Place another sheet of wax or parchment on top and use a heavy rolling pin to pound and roll the butter into a seven inch square. Wrap in plastic and place in fridge to chill until butter is soft enough to bend without breaking.

4.   Lightly flour your work surface and remove dough from fridge. Pat it out to a 10 inch square and place the butter square on top of it diagonally with its corners facing up and down. Bring each corner of the dough over the butter square and to the center. Make sure to overlap the edges to completely cover the butter square. Turn the dough over and use a  heavy rolling pin to roll it into an 8x18 inch rectangle. If butter starts to rip through the dough, dab rips with flour and allow it to rest on counter for 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap.

5.   Mark the dough into thirds lengthwise and fold the left third over to the mark of the right third. Fold the right third over to completely cover the folded left third as you would a tri-fold brochure or letter. This is called a single turn and makes 3 layers. Repeat this procedure once and wrap dough securely in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Remove from fridge, unwrap dough to roll out into rectangle as before, give the dough 2 more single turns. Wrap and chill dough again for 30 minutes. Remove dough from fridge and unwrap. Roll into rectangle as before but this time fold left edge of dough only to the middle, fold right edge of dough to the middle to meet the other edge. Now fold dough in half just as you would close a book. This is called a double turn and makes 4 layers. Securely wrap dough back in plastic wrap and chill at least 5 hours or overnight for best flavor.

6.    Lightly flour your work surface and remove dough from fridge. Roll the dough to 1/4 inch in thickness, approx a   10x25   inch rectangle. If too stiff to roll, allow dough to rest on counter for 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap. Cut the rectangle lengthwise to make two 3x25 inch strips. Mark each strip into triangles 5 inches wide on the bottom. Cut through the dough using a small pizza or pastry cutter and chill the triangles for 15 minutes on parchment lined baking sheets. Roll into traditional croissant shapes by rolling the bottom of the triangle up toward the point. Stretch the triangle slightly as you roll to keep it taut. Place it on parchment lined baking sheet with point on bottom to keep croissant from unraveling during baking. Bend the ends inward to form crescent shape. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise 1 - 2 hours at room temperature or until doubled in size.

7.   Preheat oven to 425F during last 45 minutes of rise. Make egg wash and brush croissants. Place in oven, reduce heat to 400F and bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and done. Tent with foil during last 5 minutes if they start to brown too quickly. Remove from oven and from baking sheet immediately to cool on a rack. Allow croissants to cool 5-10 minutes before tearing into them to allow them to set and hold their flaky texture.

Liege waffles were invented in the eighteenth century by one of the cooks of Prince-Bishop of Liege, Belgium. I was inspired to pursue these after a visit to Sweet Iron Waffles in Seattle WA. If you are looking to taste a good authentic waffle before you make these, go see Adrienne Jeffrey and her crew at their location downtown near 3rd Avenue and Seneca. website

This recipe will give you a batch of quick easy Liege Waffles that won't need any sweet syrup. Top them with whipped cream, fruit, or whatever you're in the mood for.
 
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour 1 cup pearl sugar 1 cup melted butter 3 eggs 1 (1/4 ounce) package yeast 1/3 cup lukewarm water 1 1/2 TBSP granulated sugar 1/8 tsp. salt
 
Directions:
1. Take the lukewarm water and mix in yeast and 1 pinch of the granulated sugar. Let the yeast proof for 5-10 minutes until foamy. In a separate bowl, melt the butter and be careful not to burn it. 2. In a large bowl, add the flour, yeast mixture, eggs, rest of the sugar, melted butter and salt. Knead 6-8 minutes until you get soft elastic dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until it doubles in bulk. 3. Deflate and let dough rest for 15 minutes. Turn on the waffle iron and let it come up to cooking temperature. 4. Pour the waffle dough into the waffle iron and bake for 3-5 minutes. Take care when you remove them from the waffle iron because the caramelized sugar will be very hot and sticky.

Starter

• 219g or 7.7 oz Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 200g or 7 oz water
• 1 pinch instant yeast

For the starter: combine the flours, water, and yeast, stirring until fairly smooth; the mixture will be gooey. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight, 12 to 15 hours.

Final Dough

• all of the starter
• 425g or 15 oz Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 200g or 7 oz water
• 3g or 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 13g or 2 & 1/8 teaspoons salt

1. Combine all the final dough ingredients together in a large bowl or mixing bin with a large wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Lightly flour your counter and empty the dough on top. Stretch the dough into a rectangular shape and grab one side of the rectangle. Fold that side all the way over until it touches and lines up with the opposite side. Flatten the dough into a rectangle again. Repeat this step with the other 3 sides of the rectangle and this will give you a total of 4 folds. Place the dough back in an oiled bowl or bin and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest 30 minutes.

2. Uncover the dough and perform 8 folds with the dough still in the bin. Cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes. Uncover the dough and perform a final 8 folds with the dough still in the bin. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 24hours or up to 3 days maximum.

3. Remove form fridge and gently turn out the dough on a lightly floured counter and divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a cylinder, cover, and rest for 15 minutes. Shape each piece into a baguette and place in the folds of a floured linen couche. Let the baguettes rise for about 45 minutes to an hour or until they pass the fingertip test. Preheat the oven to 500F with a baking stone during the last 30 minutes of the rise.

4. Transfer the baguettes to a peel and score them. Load them on to the baking stone and mist them with water. Cover with a large disposable aluminum pan. Close the oven door and reduce the heat to 450F. Bake for 10 minutes covered, 8 minutes uncovered. Turn off the oven and leave the baguettes in for another 5 minutes with the door ajar if you like a crispy crust.

5. Remove them from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

This is the perfect middle of the road loaf between white and whole grain bread. It has a crumb soft enough for sandwich bread as well as whole wheat flour with milk and honey. Perfect all by itself, warm with butter, or legendary for a club sandwich!

Ingredients:
2  scant TBSP active dry yeast (2 packs)
1/2  cup warm water (105-110 F)
1 pinch sugar or drop of honey
1 1/2 cups room temp milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 - 5 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup potato flour
1/4 cup honey
2 TBSP softened butter
2  tsp. salt

Directions:
1.   Mix yeast and sugar in warm water until dissolved and set aside 5-10 minutes until foamy.

2.   In a large mixer bowl, add 2 cups of whole wheat flour and make a well in the middle of it. Add the milk and begin to mix using the paddle attachment or use a sturdy wooden spoon if mixing by hand. Add the yeast mixture after it becomes foamy and continue to mix or stir in the flour.

3.   Add 2 tsp. of salt to 1 cup of all purpose flour and stir it in to the dough. Add honey, butter, and potato flour to the dough and mix until combined. Add just enough remaining all purpose flour until dough begins to be too stiff to mix or stir.

4.   If using electric mixer, switch to dough hook and add remaining all  purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough begins to come together and clean the sides of the bowl. To knead by hand, sprinkle 1/2 cup of remaining flour on a work surface and spread it out to a thin layer. Place the dough in the middle of your surface and begin to knead until dough is smooth. At this point, incorporate only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your work surface. To test if gluten has has been properly developed, pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a quarter. Begin to gently stretch it in all directions and it should form a paper thin membrane (windowpane) allowing light to pass through without tearing. This is referred to as the windowpane test. If it tears quickly, continue to knead by hand for 1-2 minutes until it can pass the windowpane test.   Note: you may not need to add all the flour if the kitchen climate is cold and or dry

5.   Oil a large bowl or bucket, place the dough in, and turn it so it becomes coated on all sides. Cover with oiled plastic wrap or lid, move to a warm place near 80 F and let dough rise till doubled.  ( approx. 1 hour 30 minutes. )

6.  Gently punch down dough and place on lightly floured work surface. Lightly knead dough for a few seconds to rid it of excess air bubbles. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces and shape both into balls, cover with oiled wrap and let rest 10 minutes. Shape each dough ball into a vertical oval and use a rolling pin to roll to 12 inches long and 8 inches wide. Make sure to roll all the way to each end to ensure you pop any remaining air bubbles. Starting with the short side at the bottom, roll up into a fat cigar shape and pinch the seam tightly, tucking the ends under.

7.   Place each loaf seam side down in a separate 9x5 inch loaf pan lightly greased with shortening or pan spray. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place until nearly doubled (approx. 30-45 minutes)
Preheat oven to 400 F while loaves are rising.

8.   When loaves have risen to 1 inch above rim of loaf pan, remove plastic wrap, place in hot oven, and turn temp down to 350F. Bake 30-40 minutes until well browned taking care to watch for over browning. When loaves are done they should sound like a hollow thud when you tap them on the bottom or read 185 - 190F on an instant read thermometer.

9.    Remove the loaves from loaf pans and place on cooling racks for 15 -20 minutes before slicing to prevent them from warping or becoming soggy. While loaves are still hot, brush the tops with melted butter for a rich and soft crust.

1½ cups milk – 12 oz.
1/3 cup shortening – 2½ oz.
2 scant TBSP active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water – 105-110F
2 eggs slightly beaten
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. nutmeg
1½ tsp. kosher or sea salt
5 cups all purpose flour – 1½ pounds
5 pounds solid shortening or more depending on size of fryer

Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until hot without boiling. Add shortening to a bowl and pour in the hot milk. Set aside until lukewarm.

Add yeast and warm water in a small bowl and stir until well combined. It should foam in 5-10 minutes. If it does not foam, discard it and repeat this step.

Pour the yeast mixture, milk mixture, and 2 cups of flour into a large mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 30 seconds and increase speed to medium for 30 seconds. Add eggs, sugar, nutmeg, and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Mix salt with 1 cup of flour and slowly mix into dough. When the dough becomes too stiff to mix, switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook.

Gradually add enough of the remaining flour while mixing until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. This can be anywhere from 4-6 minutes. Remove the dough and shape into a large ball. Cover the dough with a very light coating of vegetable oil and place in a large oiled bowl or bucket. Cover with oiled plastic wrap or a lid and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.

Flour your work surface and roll the dough out 3/8 to ½ inch thick. Use a 2½ inch doughnut cutter to cut the doughnuts and a 7/8 inch ring to cut out the center holes. Place doughnuts on a floured baking sheet or oiled parchment. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes or until very puffy.

Heat the shortening in a dutch oven or deep fryer to a temperature of 360F. Place a cooling rack inside of some baking sheets and set aside. Gently place the doughnuts in and fry for about 1 minute or until golden brown on each side. Remove from hot oil and place on cooling racks.

1 TBSP Active Dry Yeast
1 cup buttermilk lukewarm
¾ cup warm water 110F
½ stick softened butter
4 tsp. honey divided
1 scant TBSP salt (kosher or fine sea salt)
5-6 cups all purpose flour


1. In a small bowl, add warm water, 1 tsp. of the honey, mix in the yeast until dissolved, and set aside until it becomes foamy. (5-10 minutes)

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add buttermilk, the remaining honey, butter, salt, 2 cups of flour and mix with paddle attachment for 1 minute until well combined.

3. Add the yeast mixture and mix for 1 minute, add enough of the remaining flour ½ cup at a time until dough becomes stiff.

4. Switch to dough hook and continue to mix in enough remaining flour only until you have a smooth, elastic dough; approx. 6-8 minutes or 10-15 minutes if making by hand. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a quarter. Flatten it with your fingers into a circle and gently begin to stretch it. If you can stretch it thin enough to allow light to pass through like a window pane, it is developed. Don’t knead any further or you will over develop the dough and it may not rise well.

5. Lightly oil a large bowl and add the dough, turning it until the entire surface is covered in oil and cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap. Set it aside in a warm and draft free place for approx. 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.

6. Gently use your fist and deflate dough, divide dough in half to form 2 round loaves and place on parchment lined baking sheet. For sandwich bread, form into 2 oblong loaves and place into greased 8x4 or 9x5 bread pans. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and set aside in a warm draft free place until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375F while loaves are rising.

7. Remove plastic wrap, place risen loaves in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. The internal temperature will read 190F on instant read thermometer, or loaves will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from oven and remove loaves from pan. Transfer to cooling rack to rest 20-30 minutes before slicing. Brush hot loaves with butter for softer crust.


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1 TBSP Active Dry Yeast
1 cup buttermilk lukewarm
¾ cup warm water 110F
½ stick softened butter
4 tsp. honey divided
1 scant TBSP salt (kosher or fine sea salt)
5-6 cups all purpose flour


1. In a small bowl, add warm water, 1 tsp. of the honey, mix in the yeast until dissolved, and set aside until it becomes foamy. (5-10 minutes)

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add buttermilk, the remaining honey, butter, salt, 2 cups of flour and mix with paddle attachment for 1 minute until well combined.

3. Add the yeast mixture and mix for 1 minute, add enough of the remaining flour ½ cup at a time until dough becomes stiff.

4. Switch to dough hook and continue to mix in enough remaining flour only until you have a smooth, elastic dough; approx. 6-8 minutes or 10-15 minutes if making by hand. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a quarter. Flatten it with your fingers into a circle and gently begin to stretch it. If you can stretch it thin enough to allow light to pass through like a window pane, it is developed. Don’t knead any further or you will over develop the dough and it may not rise well.

5. Lightly oil a large bowl and add the dough, turning it until the entire surface is covered in oil and cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap. Set it aside in a warm and draft free place for approx. 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.

6. Gently use your fist and deflate dough, divide dough in half to form 2 round loaves and place on parchment lined baking sheet. For sandwich bread, form into 2 oblong loaves and place into greased 8x4 or 9x5 bread pans. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and set aside in a warm draft free place until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375F while loaves are rising.

7. Remove plastic wrap, place risen loaves in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. The internal temperature will read 190F on instant read thermometer, or loaves will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from oven and remove loaves from pan. Transfer to cooling rack to rest 20-30 minutes before slicing. Brush hot loaves with butter for softer crust.


www.fearlessbread.com