14.2 Yeast Bread and Pizza Recipes

Ingredients

• 1¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
  or fast-acting yeast*
• 2 Tablespoons warm water (46°C, 115°F)
• ½ cup scalded milk** (92°C, 198°F for 1 min.)
• 2 teaspoons shortening
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ – 1¾ cups bread flour

Instructions

Hydrate yeast in 46°C (115°F) water. If milk is refrigerated, warm it to 27°C (81°F).

Blend milk with shortening, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. It is okay if not all of the shortening melts.

Add all the hydrated yeast and approximately ¾ cup bread flour to the milk mixture. Beat with a spoon until batter falls from the spoon in “sheets.”

Stir in enough bread flour to make a soft, easily handled dough. This is typically 3/4 to 1 cup of bread flour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and let rest for 5 minutes.

Knead until the surface of the dough is smooth with small blisters, about 10–15 minutes.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning once to grease the top of the dough. Cover with a clean, moist towel and let rise in a warm place (26–32°C, 79–90°F) until the dough doubles in size, 45–60 minutes, or 30 minutes if using fast-acting yeast.

Punch down and shape the dough into a loaf.

With fingers, flatten the dough and work out any large bubbles. Press flattened dough into a rectangle about 5″ × 10″. Starting at the narrow end, roll the dough toward you; seal the end of the dough to roll, pinching the seam. Seal the ends of the roll with the edge of your hand to form a thin strip about ½ inch wide. Tuck the ends of the roll under and place the loaf, seamed side down, in a greased 6 × 3¼ -inch pan.

Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°F or 29°C) until almost doubled, 25–30 minutes or 15 minutes if using fast-acting yeast.

Bake loaf at 425°F for 25 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and let cool on a cooling rack. Once cool, slice carefully with a serrated knife.