Recipes from Fabulous Friday Part 2

My Favorite Bread Recipe (Holly Beth Smiley, adapted from Kathy Summers)

Mix:
4 ½ cups warm water
1 ½ T. brown sugar
4 ½ T. yeast (I use SAF Instant; others may take longer to rise)

When the yeast is “foamy” stir in:
1 cup honey
1 cup light olive oil
1 ½ T. salt
3 1/3 cups raw oats (This is optional. I always add it for moistness and flavor, but—strangely—all quantities remain the same if you leave this out.)

Knead in the flour:
12 cups freshly ground white wheat flour
(If you don’t have white wheat, you can use 10 cups of hard red wheat flour with two cups of bread flour. Or you can use 13 cups of bread flour for truly marvelous white bread.)

Knead ten minutes to develop the gluten. The dough should be elastic, but it is a soft and somewhat sticky dough. Grease five bread pans with PAM spray (or cookie sheets for rolls or long, skinny loaves). Shape the loaves (or rolls) with a little flour and place in pans. Let rise until almost doubled in size—about 20-40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 24 minutes for wheat loaves, 27 minutes for white loaves, 11-14 minutes for small rolls, etc. Cook whole wheat bread until just before it looks done; cook white bread a couple of minutes beyond looking done. Cool on racks and store in bread bags. Freeze what you won’t use within 24 hours.


Basic Yogurt (Holly Beth Smiley, adapted from Harold McGee)

Heat milk (I use whole milk because I enjoy the mild flavor) to 180 degrees F. over medium heat.

Let milk cool to 120 degrees F.

Dilute yogurt starter with warm milk. Use two tablespoons of yogurt for each quart of milk (1/2 cup yogurt for a gallon of milk).

Stir yogurt thoroughly into milk and ladle into pint or quart jars (always use glass). Cover with lids and bands and place in a cool oven with the light bulb on for 4-7 hours. Do not disturb during this incubation! When yogurt is set to your satisfaction (less time will be runnier and milder, longer will be thicker and tangier), move to the refrigerator to chill. Don’t forget to save the last of your yogurt to make your next batch.

Notes:
Yogurt keeps well for two weeks or more in the fridge. The lactic acid prevents the growth of other bacteria, but you do need to watch out for mold. The cleaner your jars and materials are, the longer your yogurt will remain fresh.

Lactic acid bacteria are a group of microbes that convert sugars into lactic acid, which suppresses the growth of their competitors. The lactic acid also causes the fat and proteins in milk to cluster into a solid network, with the milk’s water trapped inside. The protein-fat network is fragile—it’s holding 25 times its weight in liquid—so the watery whey gradually leaks from it. That is why whey pools up in the yogurt container after you scoop the first spoonful, and why manufacturers add stabilizers. Your yogurt has no additives, but if you don’t stir or shake it and spoon it out gently, it will hold its shape nicely. Just pour out the whey on top of the yogurt before serving.

Many types of reduced-fat milks replace fat with milk solids, including lactose. The yogurt bacteria will convert this extra milk sugar into more lactic acid, producing a harsher and bitter-tasting yogurt. If you learn how to make yummy low-fat yogurt, please let me know...

If you want to make thick Greek-style yogurt, spoon it into a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or dishcloth, and let the whey and its lactic acid drain into a bowl for several hours.

If somebody eats your last serving of yogurt (which has happened several times at my house) or you go on vacation and come back to moldy yogurt, you can always get some from me or use a package of Yoplait. The stabilizers and sweeteners will be diluted out in your final product.

This yogurt is delicious with fresh fruit (especially berries or nectarines) and nuts (especially toasted pecans), with a drizzle of honey, with muesli or granola, or in smoothies. I also use it in baking (pancakes and waffles), making fruit dip, vegetable dip, or diluting whipping cream for desserts. I love to substitute it for some or all of the sour cream--and especially mayonnaise (which I dislike)--in recipes. Try it in tuna salad or chicken salad, or to make frozen yogurt or experiment with Middle Eastern or Indian recipes. My kids enjoy it plain in their lunches (with an ice pack). Try to fold it—rather than stir or whip it—so that it will not become too runny.

Plain yogurt has been a kitchen staple in many parts of the world for over 5,400 years. I love seeing the miracle of fermentation in my own kitchen and producing mild, healthy yogurt for just six cents per half-cup serving. Enjoy!