Bread - Loaves, Rolls, Buns, Pizza Dough, Naan and Bagels

Preparation time 2 to 3 hours. Makes about 12 servings.

Ingredients:
1/2 C water
2 t dry yeast
1/2 C sugar (1 C for breakfast bread only)
~3 C white flour
1/2 C olive oil (butter substitute)
1-1/2 C Silk cashew almond pea milk
~3 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C ground flaxseed (egg substitute)
1 t salt
Naan bread only:
1 t baking powder
1 t lemon juice

Directions:

1. Put 1/2 cup of the water in a 2 cup measuring cup and heat up in the microwave to 100 +/- 5 degrees F. Heat the water 10 seconds at a time and check with a thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, check it with your finger and make sure it feels like warm but not hot bath water. It took 40 seconds when 70F inside, 58F outside.

Note: getting the water to the correct temperature is critical to getting the yeast to activate and eat the pure sugar and the sugar from the flour and excrete the carbon dioxide that makes the dough rise without killing it.

2. Pour warm water in to big bowl. Add yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup of the white flour. Stir, smashing clumps on sides of bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes. If the yeast is active and the water is at the right temperature, it will froth up and bubble. If this doesn’t happen, you can make flat bread instead :)

3. In measuring cup warm up olive oil and milk to 100 +/- 5 degrees F and add it to the bowl. (alternatively melt 1/2 C butter instead of olive oil.)

4. Pour warm oil and milk in to big bowl. Stir in 1/2 C more of the white flour, 1 C of the whole wheat flour, flax seed and salt. (Alternatively you can add 2 eggs.) If making naan bread also add baking powder and lemon juice. Add more white and wheat flour evenly and slowly as needed until you can knead the dough over the bowl and it barely doesn’t stick to your hands. First add 1/2 cup of each type of flour, then 1/4 cup, then 1/8 cup as many times as needed until the desired consistency is established.

Note: don't add too much flour; if the dough gets too dry, the bread will be crumbly and won’t stick together.

5. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes on a lightly floured board until nice and rubbery. Flatten the dough by pressing moderately with the palms of your hands, then fold it over, rotate 90 degrees, and repeat many, many times.

Note: this is a critical step in making the dough stick together. If under-kneaded the dough will easily tear. If over-kneaded it can crumble, but that’s only a problem with motorized kneading, since you will get tired before you over-knead the dough.

6. Wash, dry and oil bowl. Roll dough in to big ball and put it in the bowl. Cover with matching lid or a plate and let rise for at least 45 minutes until doubled in size. Temperature is key:
- If the house is warm, you can leave the covered bowl out, or put it in a cold oven.
- If the house is cold, heat up the oven to 100 degrees, then turn the oven off and put the covered bowl in the oven.

7. Form the dough:
- For 4 medium sized loaves of bread, make 4 even pieces and then hand roll them in to loaf sized tubes about 8" long and put them on 2 baking pans.
- For 36 small dinner rolls, make 3 even pieces, roll in to ~15" diameter, cut 12 pie shaped wedges and roll them on to themselves, pinching the ends to the roll to keep them together and not unroll during re-rising. Space them evenly on 3 baking pans.
- For 12 large burger buns, cut dough in to 12 even pieces, roll in to balls, then flatten to match the diameter of your patties and put them on two baking pans.
- For hot dog buns, make them long and skinny.
- For 3 pizza crust doughs, make 3 even pieces, roll in to ~15" diameter and put them on 3 oil sprayed pizza pans.
- For 12 bagels, cut dough in to 12 even pieces and roll in to balls. Use your thumbs and forefingers to form the center holes.

8. Put the pans back in the turned off oven and let them rise 45 more minutes until they double in size again. Then remove from oven.

9. For bagels only, boil them up to two at a time next to each other 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove with turner and let dry for a few minutes on a drying rack on top of a pan with sides.

10. Bake the bread:
- For loaves, dinner rolls and buns, preheat to 350 degrees, then bake for at least 12 minutes. Remove when turning golden brown or when the center is 180 degrees.
- For pizza, preheat oven to 400 degrees, add toppings per recipe, and bake for at least 10 minutes. Remove when crust turns golden brown.
- For bagels, preheat to 400 degrees, then bake for at least 12 minutes. Remove when turning golden brown or when the center is 180 degrees.