Taste Meter
Ease Meter
Kitchen Kit
- a bread machine
- any (approximately 2 qt) oven proof dish
Simple Ingredients:
For a 1 1/2 lb loaf
- 2/3 c water
- 1 egg
- 1/4 c butter, cut up
- 3 c flour
- 3 tbs sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp yeast
Directions:
- Add all ingredients into your bread machine pan in the order which is recommended by the manufacturer (usually wet ingredients are placed first, followed by the dry ingredients).
- Select the dough cycle.
- When dough cycle is finished – remove dough, punch down, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Now, shape dough into a ball or a football, and place dough into a well greased 2 qt casserole dish.
- Let rise 30 or more minutes in a warm place (hints: a sunny location, a warmed oven turned off, covering the dough with a clean dish towel, avoid drafty areas).
- Optional: If you want a shiny & fancy looking crust… lightly brush a bit of the mixture (egg yolk + 1 tbs water) over the loaf. I don’t always do this… seems a waste of a perfectly good egg.
- Bake loaf in a 325 degree oven for 40 minutes.
Brushing the Top of a Loaf
The first photo below: shows the loaf baked in a round dish, brushed with the egg yolk & water mixture, as well as my lame attempt at braiding (which in my opinion is a total waste of time).
The second photo below: is a loaf baked in a more traditional shape and not brushed. My preference.
Inspiration
The original recipe came from a book I borrowed from the library.
Here’s a photo of the Better Homes & Gardens book’s cover:
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