If I could compare my kitchen appliances to cars my favorite appliance, my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, would definitely be an Army Humvee. It’s neither graceful nor streamlined but it can be counted on to be there when the going gets tough (such as chocolate chip cookie dough) or when my whisk hand falls asleep (such as whipping cream). It’s stood guard on my kitchen countertop for more than 15 years now and it shows no signs of aging, much to my dismay, because I’d like nothing more than to get an even bigger one and in a different color other than white. Short of dropping my mixer out of the second floor window I don’t think I’ll be purchasing a new one anytime soon.
My Kitchen Aid mixer is a pro when it comes to heavy duty mixing. It’s doesn’t even break a sweat with cookie doughs and I’ve discovered that it’s a champ when it comes to kneading bread dough. In fact, the following recipe is designed specifically for a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. If you don’t have one, you can certainly give the recipe a try using the tedious and time consuming hand kneading method but I have no idea what to tell you for kneading time. If you’re brave enough to make it by hand then you’ve probably made other yeast breads and know better than I do what you need to do. And one word of advice if you’re using a mixer….don’t leave your mixer unattended while it’s kneading the dough. The first time I made this recipe I walked away from my mixer and came back to find it had almost “walked” its way off the counter.
This recipe comes from the Ina Garten’s book “The Barefoot Contessa At Home” (Random House 2006). I’ve written in previous blogs how much I enjoy Ina Garten and her Food Network show “The Barefoot Contessa” so I won’t go into it again – save to say that she’s one of the few Food Network celebrity chefs that I can truly identify with as a home cook. An autographed picture from Ina graces a wall of my kitchen and she’s my inspiration when I find myself up to my elbows in flour that’s flown out of the bowl from my mixer and turned my counter (and me) into a winter wonderland.
This recipe makes two loaves and, although Ina's recipe says it freezes well, I’ve never had the opportunity to put another loaf in the freezer because my family goes through it in just a couple of days. It’s great for toast and I love making BLT sandwiches with it too. It’s just dense enough to hold up to the tomatoes and bacon but not so heavy that it overpowers the other ingredients.
Give it a try. Your Humvee will thank you for the work out.
Ina Garten’s Honey White Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
- 2 packages dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm whole milk (110 degrees)
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 extra-large egg yolks
- 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
Directions
Place the water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. If the bowl is cold, be sure the water temperature doesn't drop below 110 degrees F. Add the yeast and sugar; stir and allow them to dissolve for 5 minutes.
Add the milk, butter, and honey. Mix on medium speed until blended. Add the egg yolks, 3 cups of the flour, and the salt. Mix on low speed for about 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low speed, add 2 more cups of flour. Raise the speed to medium and slowly add just enough of the remaining flour so the dough doesn't stick to the bowl. Add the flour slowly; you can always add more but you can't take it out. Knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary.
Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a minute, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl with butter, put the dough in the bowl, then turn it over so the top is lightly buttered. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow it to rise for one hour, until doubled in volume.
Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans with butter. Divide the dough in half, roll each half into a loaf shape and place each in a prepared pan. Cover again with the damp towel, and allow to rise again for an hour, until doubled in volume.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. When the dough is ready, brush the tops with the egg white and bake the breads for 40 to 45 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped. Turn them out of the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Recipe from "The Barefoot Contessa at Home."
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