Tried and True

Instructions

1. Pour water, oil, and honey into mixing bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Mix well. (If you’re mixing by hand, I recommend a whisk at this point.) Add the first 2-3 cups of flour and mix again. It should be fluid, but very thick. Mix in salt. (After the salt is mixed in, switch to a wooden spoon. If you are using a mixer with a dough hook, switch to the dough hook at this point.) Add the remaining 2-3 cups of flour and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should be sticky, but not gooey. Now knead the dough (about 5-10 minutes in a mixer or 10-15 minutes by hand). Place in oiled bowl, turning once as you place it in the bowl, to coat the dough with oil (or leave in bowl of mixer), cover bowl with a dishcloth, and let rise until doubled (about 45-60 minutes). Punch dough down. Using oiled hands on an oiled surface, divide the dough in half and shape into loaves. Place loaves in greased loaf pans, cover with a dish-towel, and let rise until doubled (about 45-60 minutes). Bake in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

VARIATIONS

• Dinner Rolls: Divide into 20 balls and place in greased round cake pan(s). Let rise until doubled, then bake for 20 minutes.
• Sandwich Rolls: Divide into 12-16 balls, place on cookie sheets, and press to flatten. Let rise until doubled, then bake for 20 minutes.
• Cinnamon Rolls: Roll one loaf’s worth of dough out into a 12″ square. Spread with 2 Tbsp. honey and sprinkle with 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Roll up, cut into nine pieces, and place in greased 8″ or 9″ square pan. Let rise until double in bulk, then bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Coat with glaze of powdered sugar and milk.
• Challah: Add 1-2 eggs to dough. Form into regular loaves, or divide into pieces and form braided loaves. Let rise and bake as usual.
• Parmesan Bread Sticks: Add 1/2 c. grated Parmesan, 1 tsp. garlic powder, and 1 tsp. oregano to dough with dry ingredients. Roll one loaf’s worth out to fill a (greased) 9×13″ pan. Cut into twenty pieces (two rows of ten). Let rise until double, then bake for 15-20 minutes at 375. If desired, spray with nonstick spray, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, and broil.
• French Bread: Omit honey and oil. After first rise, divide and form dough into 2 long, narrow loaves. (A French bread pan works great for this.) Let rise again, then bake for 30 minutes at 375, with a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack. (The water steams the bread as it bakes and gives it a chewier crust. I use a pie pan for this.) Please note that, due to the lack of oil and honey, it will not keep as long as regular bread.
• Italian Herb Bread: Add 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 2 tsp. basil, 2 Tbsp. thyme, and 1 Tbsp. minced garlic. Bake as usual.
• Tomato Bread: Add 1/2 c. tomato powder, 1/2 tsp. basil, 3/4 tsp. oregano, and 1 sm. garlic clove (crushed). Bake as usual.
• Onion Bread: Add 1 pkg. onion soup mix. Bake as usual.
• Rosemary Bread: Add 4 Tbsp. rosemary. Bake as usual.
  Note: We really didn’t like this variation, but aren’t sure what rosemary bread is supposed to taste like, so I offer it here for anyone who may be interested in trying it.