Sunday, September 16, 2007

Use-up-the-buttermilk Scones and Bread

Monday, September 17, 2007

Yesterday I wrote a whole blog entry about baking buttermilk currant scones and buttermilk bread to use up the rest of a quart of buttermilk. Today I read a comment from Melinda, asking for the recipe for the bread, so I was obligingly typing away an addition to the post, and talking to Elizabeth on the phone at the same time, and suddenly the whole post--pictures, comments, and all--disappeared.
Now I am very irritated at my computer, and at Blogger, but I am still going to try to type the damned recipe.



BUTTERMILK SANDWICH BREAD
(I'm just writing the recipe as given, but I modified it by using instant yeast, giving the dough a business-letter turn after the first rising and letting it rise a second time before shaping it).

1 envelope active dry yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1/2 t. sugar
1 c. warm buttermilk
1 T. honey
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 1/2 t. salt
2 c. all-purpose flour
3 to 4 c. bread flour
Egg Glaze

In a small bowl, stir 1/2 c. of the water and the yeast together, add the sugar, and set aside until foamy. In a larger bowl, combine the buttermilk, remaining water, the honey, oil, and salt, then stir in the yeast mixture. Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, work in the flour a cup at a time until you have a shaggy, heavy dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn it out onto a lightly floured counter and gradually knead in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and resilient. Put it in a deep oiled bowl, turning it so that the top is oiled too. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk,.

Deflate the dough by pressing down on it, then divide it into two equal peices and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, oil two bread pans. Flatten the dough into two rectangles the length of the pan. Roll it up tightly, pinch the seams together to seal the ends, and place in the pans, seam side down. Cover again and let rise
until the dough is just above the edge of the pan,. Preheat the oven to 375. Brush with the egg glaze (whisk one egg together with 1 T. cream) and bake until browned and pulling away from the sides, about 40 minutes. Set on a rack to cool.

The egg glaze makes the crust nice and shiny.

7 comments:

pinknest said...

oooh, buttermilk! i love buttermilk. and that sandwich bread looks scrumptious.

Anonymous said...

The scones do look very pretty! Did you whip up your own butter too, Laura?
Can you share recipe for buttermilk loaves via E mail?

Marie said...

Pinknest,
I like buttermilk--in things, but definitely not plain. I first tasted buttermilk at my grandmother's house, and I thought it would taste like a vanilla milkshake because it was all nice and thick and frosty. Ugh. It was extremely traumatizing.

Melinda,
If I had made my own butter, I would have leftover buttermilk, and then the whole cycle would start all over again.

Anonymous said...

Those scones make me want to buy buttermilk and do some baking. The bread looks pretty darn good also.

jini said...

it appears that blogger liked your scones and bread so much that it ate the whole thing! that is scary.
i have had the experience of several photos i posted going bye bye, but not the whole post!!
i LOVE buttermilk in baking. gives things such a rich texture. i have a chocolate brownie/cake recipe and a ginger scone recipe that i make frequently. yummmmmm

Anonymous said...

Uhhh...am I in trouble? I am sorry your beautiful scones have disappeared.
Thank you for the recipe. I only noticed today you had written it out for me. You are very kind to do so.
My husband would find your lost post for you. I am always losing something and he magically finds it somewhere/somehow. He hates Microsoft, so he always blames them for when I lose something on my computer.
I am going to do the simit this next weekend. I am just proofing a Pugliese loaf at present. It called for 2oz. of mashed potato. I had some 5 month old frozen left over mash potato in the freezer. If it fails I am blaming that!

Marie said...

Jini,
At least Blogger had discriminating taste--the scones and the bread were both quite good. Buttermilk must be magic--if you smell it, you really wouldn't think it would be a likely ingredient for anything.

Melinda,
No, you're not in trouble, but you'd better bake that bread someday. I don't think even Ian could have found that missing post, but I may not be giving him sufficient credit. I can't wait to see your simit!