Americas Test Kitchen Bread Machine Recipes

ALMOST NO-KNEAD BREAD FROM AMERICA'S TEST KITCHENS

Steps:

• Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using a rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature 8-18 hours.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured board; knead lightly 10-15 times to form a smooth, round ball; shape into round by pulling edges of dough up onto the middle. Lay on the counter 12" x 18" sheet of parchment; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough round on parchment, seam side down and gently place in a dutch oven. Mist lightly dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise about 2 hours, until double. (If you poke a finger into the dough and the dent remains, it's double.)
• Lightly flour top of the loaf (I forgot to do this -- still worked) Using a sharply serrated knife, cut ½ -inch X into the top of the loaf (Yes, I forgot this too). Remove plastic wrap from dough
• Adjust oven rack to the middle position. Cover the pot and put it in a cold oven. Heat oven to 425F. Once the oven reaches 425 degrees, bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove lid and bake, uncovered, 20-30 minutes longer, till bread is deep brown and the center of the loaf registers 210F on an instant-read thermometer. Carefully remove bread from the pot and place it on a wire rack to cool. Let cool 2 hours before slicing.
• Note: This bread is best eaten the day it's made, but will keep wrapped in a double layer of plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. To re-crisp crust, place unwrapped bread in a 450-degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN MONKEY BREAD

Steps:

• For the Dough: Adjust oven rack to medium-low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Butter Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside.
• In large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Mix flour and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook, (see below for making Monkey Bread without a mixer). Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
• For the Sugar Coating: While dough is rising, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in bowl. Place melted butter in second bowl. Set aside.
• To Form the Bread: Gently remove dough from bowl, and pat into rough 8-inch square. Using bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces.
• Roll each dough piece into a ball. Working one at a time, dip balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into bowl. Roll in brown sugar mixture, then layer balls in Bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers.
• Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough balls are puffy and have risen 1 to 2 inches from top of pan, 50 to 70 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap pan and bake until top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• For the glaze: While bread cools, whisk confectioners' sugar and milk in small bowl until lumps are gone. Using whisk, drizzle glaze over warm monkey bread, letting it run over top and sides of bread. Serve warm.
• Monkey Bread Without a Mixer: In step 2, mix flour and salt in large bowl. Make well in flour, then add milk mixture to well. Using wooden spoon, stir until dough becomes shaggy and is difficult to stir. Turn out onto lightly floured work surface and begin to knead, incorporating shaggy scraps back into dough. Knead until dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. Shape into taut ball and proceed as directed.