Best Alices Rustic Country Bread Recipes

RUSTIC COUNTRY BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast, milk, sugar, 1/4 cup semolina flour, whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup bread flour.
• Whisk until creamy and smooth.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 12 to 24 hours.
• Place dough in a large bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a paddle.
• Add remaining yeast, water, salt, butter and 1 cup bread flour.
• Beat at medium speed 3 minutes, or until smooth.
• Add remaining flour at low speed, 1/2 cup at a time, until soft dough is formed.
• Dough will just clear sides of bowl.
• (Process can also be done by hand in a large bowl.) Switch to a dough hook and continue mixing about 3 to 4 minutes, adding flour 1 Tablespoon at a time.
• (If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 5 to 7 minutes, adding flour 1 Tablespoon at a time as necessary.) Dough should barely hold its shape.
• Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until tripled, about 2 hours.
• Gently deflate dough, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a round ball or oblong loaf.
• Roll lightly in flour and place on a baking sheet sprinkled with semolina flour.
• (Or, place dough in a greased 12" x 5" x 3 1/2" loaf pan.) Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 475° for at least 30 minutes.
• Make a slit in top of loaf with a serrated knife.
• Bake at 475° for 10 minutes, 400° for 15 minutes, and 325° for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Loaf is done when slightly domed and browned.
• Cool on a rack.
• Makes 1 large loaf.
• Note: Dough can also be shaped into flatbread, breadsticks or rolls.

RUSTIC COUNTRY BREAD

Steps:

• The day before making bread, place 3/4 cup spring water, 1/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast and 1 3/4 cup bread flour into pan of a bread machine. Select dough cycle and let knead for 5 minutes. Stop machine and let rise overnight.
• The next day, pour starter from bread machine pan into a non-metallic container. Reserve 1/3 cup for this recipe and freeze remainder for later use.
• In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup reserved starter, 1 cup spring water, 1/2 teaspoon yeast, 2 cups bread flour, whole wheat flour and salt. Select Dough Cycle; press Start. After 10 minutes, remove dough from machine and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours. Deflate dough and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a round loaf. Place loaf on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Spray loaf with water and place in preheated oven. Spray loaf again every two minutes during the first 10 minutes of baking. Bake for 40 minutes, until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

RUSTIC COUNTRY LOAF

Steps:

• Line one heavy sheet pan with parchment and dust with cornmeal.
• Dissolve the yeast in 1/3 cup of warm (100-110 F) water and sugar. Allow to rise for 10 minutes.
• Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with wooden spoon to combine. Make a well in the center and slowly add warm water, and yeast mixture. With a heavy wooden spoon, stir mixture until it forms a sticky dough that clings to spoon.
• Using clean, floured hands remove dough from spoon and bowl and place on lightly floured work surface. With both hands knead dough until it is slightly smooth. If dough still remains sticky add a little flour and mix inches Form the dough into a ball and put it back in mixing bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel, let rise in warm place for about one hour or until dough doubles in size.
• When dough has doubled in size, punch it down and return dough to bowl for an additional half hour to rise.
• After the half hour remove the dough and punch it down again. Knead slightly and form back into a ball tucking ends underneath. Place dough on parchment lined sheet pan, cover with kitchen towel, let rise again for 30 to 40 minutes until almost doubled in size.
• While dough is rising, preheat over to 425 degrees.
• When dough has risen, lightly dust with flour and place dough on middle rack in hot oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bread is a deep golden brown. Remove loaf and place on rack to cool.

RUSTIC COUNTRY SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Place the eggs in warm water and let sit for about 10-15 minutes.
• Warm the KA bowl by filling with hot water, dumping it out and towel dry.
• Dissolve the yeast in water in your KA mixing bowl.
• Let stand 5 minutes.
• On speed 1, stir in sourdough starter, sugar, salt, eggs, oil and 3 cups flour.
• Gradually add remaining flour or enough that the dough will separate from the sides of the mixing bowl. This should take about 8 minutes.
• Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees F), free from drafts, 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
• Punch dough down; divide in half and shape each half into a loaf. (These also can be make into dinner rolls.).
• Place loaves in greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pans.
• Brush top with oil.
• Cover loaves; let rise in a warm place (85 degrees F), free from drafts, about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans and brush with melted butter.