recipes@glacier.UUCP (01/31/86)
Copyright (C) 1986 USENET Community Trust Permission to copy without fee all or part of this material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage, the USENET copyright notice and the title of the newsgroup and its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of the USENET Community Trust or the original contributor. .RH MOD.RECIPES-SOURCE SOUR-FRENCH B "3 Jan 86" 1986 .RZ "SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD" "An old-fashioned sourdough French bread" This is a hearty bread, possibly heavier than many people are used to. The flavor is wonderfully tangy, and complements just about any meal. Try it with garlic butter! .PP This bread is slow raising. I usually spend two days on it\(emstart the dough one day, let it rise overnight, then form the loaf and bake the next day. This recipe is from \fIThe Complete Sourdough Cookbook\fR, by Don and Myrtle Holm. .IH "1 loaf" .IG "1 cup" "sourdough starter" .IG "\(12 cup" "milk" (any type, but I prefer whole milk) .IG "1 Tbsp." "sugar" .IG "2 tsp." "salt" .IG "2 Tbsp." "shortening" .IG "2\(12 cups" "flour" .PH .SK 1 Combine milk, sugar, salt, and shortening in a pan. Heat until shortening melts, then cool to lukewarm (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit). .SK 2 Stir milk into starter. Add flour gradually, forming dough that pulls away from sides of the bowl. .SK 3 Kneed until smooth (about 15 min.), adding flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the board. When done, the dough will be fairly heavy, but smooth in texture. .SK 4 Place in a well-greased bowl and raise in a warm place until doubled. .SK 5 Form into a long loaf (about 16" long). Place on a greased baking sheet and let rise again, until almost doubled. .SK 6 Cut diagonal slits in top of loaf with a sharp knife, and bake in a 400 degree oven until done, about 30-35 min. .SK 7 Remove from pan, and let cool in a draft-free location. .NX Be careful that the milk mixture has cooled before adding it to the starter. If it's too hot, you'll kill the starter and the bread won't rise. .PP Since the dough rises for a long time, I usually cover it with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. .PP If you want a chewy crust, brush the top of the loaf with a mixture of corn starch and water before baking. Also, placing a pan of water in the oven while baking will make the crust a little softer. I usually brush the loaf with butter after baking. .SH RATING .I Difficulty: moderate. .I Time: 1 hour preparation, long rising time, \(12 hour baking. .I Precision: measure the ingredients. .WR From the kitchen of Bill Turner {hplabs!}hppsdc!bill Hewlett-Packard Personal Software Division 3410 Central Expressway Santa Clara, CA 95051 (408) 773-6434