Peter Reinhart's Buttermilk White Bread

It is amazing how almost two years ago when I started the blog, I would find it challenging to write. It was like writing to an empty space. Two years has changed so much ...I can rave and rant and most times I have to hold myself for the fear of overdoing it.  It sounds like a  cliché but  so true, blogging feels like you belong to a community - a community of friends with similar interest.

Now for my update on the week that went by  was........I have been working for a sketch for a while now and I finally got to finish it. Started a new book - The forty rules of love - it is two parallel stories woven into one - one contemporary and the other set in the 13th century. A wonderful story of love and spiritual longing. I met  up with some of my friends over a cup of coffee.  Finally got to bake buttermilk bread -  had bookmarked that in the last century sometime from Collaborative Curry. Collaborative curry is one of my favorite blogs, I love the photography and the clean look of the blog.   Here it is  -- buttemilk bread .




It is getting colder and I am looking fwd to more baking in the coming months. You can make either bread or dinner rolls. I added some dried funugreek, chili flakes and cumin seeds to the original recipe.

4¼ cups (19 ounces) unbleached bread flour
1½ teaspoons (.38 ounces) salt
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons (.22 ounce) instant yeast
1 large (1.65 ounces) egg, slightly beaten, at room temperature
¼ cup (2 ounces) butter, margarine, or shortening, at room temperature, or vegetable oil
1½ cups (12 ounces) buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
1 egg, whisked with 1 teaspoon water until frothy, for egg wash (optional)
sesame or poppy seeds for garnish (optional)
4 tbsp fenugreek leaves (optional)
4 tbsp chili flakes (optional)
4 tbsp cumin seeds (optional)

Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, fenugreek leaves, chili flakes and cumin seeds and yeast in a  bowl. ( no you don't have to mix the yeast in warm milk )Pour in the egg, butter, add the buttermilk until all the flour is absorbed and the dough forms a ball. If the dough seems very stiff and dry add more buttermilk to make it supple.

 Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook), adding more flour, if necessary, to create a dough that is soft, supple, and tacky but not sticky. Continue kneadingfor 6 to 8 minutes. Coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.


 Ferment at room temperature for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

 Remove the fermented dough from the bowl and divide it in half for sandwich loaves and the other half for dinner rolls. Mist the dough lightly with spray oil and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rest for about 20 minutes. Mist the tops of the dough with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap or a towel  for 60 to 90 minutes, or until it nearly doubles in size.

 Preheat the oven to 350° F for loaves or 400° F for roll and buns. Brush the rolls or buns with the egg wash and garnish with poppy or sesame seeds.  Bake the rolls or buns for approximately 15 minutes. Bake loaves for 35 to 45 minutes.

 When the loaves have finished baking, remove them immediately from the pans and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving. Rolls should cool for at least 15 minutes on a rack before serving. Enjoy with breakfast, lunch or dinner....and yes the house smells sooo good :)