Big Ole Bills Buttermilk Bread Recipes

EASY BUTTERMILK BREAD

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan, using about 1 tablespoon of the butter.
• In a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one), combine 1 ½ cups (180 grams) of the flour with the sugar, salt, and yeast.
• In a small saucepan, heat the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture reaches about 130 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer (Don't worry if you don't have an instant-read thermometer. The mixture should be warm, but not hot to the touch).
• Remove from the heat.
• Using the stand mixer fitted with the flat beater or a hand-held electric mixer, add the warm buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and combine well.
• Add the egg and beat 1 minute more.
• Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups (210 grams) flour and continue mixing for 5 minutes. If you are using a hand-held mixer, you'll need to scrape the dough off the beaters several times.
• After a few minutes, scrape it onto a board, wet your hands and, without drying them, knead the dough another minute or two. To be honest, the dough will be quite sticky and floppy at this point, so it's more flopping it on top of itself a few times than it is actually kneading. You may need to re-wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking too much.
• Transfer the dough into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out to the corners.
• Cover loosely with a clean dishtowel and place the pan in a warm place (like a sunny windowsill, provided the day is not too hot, or in the oven with the light turned on if your house is chilly) and let rise about 1 hour, until the dough rises above the top edge of the pan.
• While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• When dough has risen sufficiently, make a shallow cut lengthwise down the center of the loaf (this keeps it from pulling away from the sides of the pan as it bakes).
• Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and brush it over the loaf.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, until the top is firm and lightly browned.
• Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.
• Remove bread from pan and cool completely on the rack before slicing.

BUTTERMILK BREAD II

Steps:

• Proof yeast in warm water.
• Place the butter or margarine and buttermilk in a small saucepan. Heat slowly until butter or margarine has melted. Cool to lukewarm.
• Place sugar, salt, baking soda, buttermilk mixture, and yeast in large mixing bowl. Add 3 cups flour one cup at a time, and mix with the dough hook attachment of an electric mixer. Gradually add the remaining flour while continuing to mix. When dough is not sticky, turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for several minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth. Place in a greased bowl, and turn once. Allow to rise until doubled in size.
• Punch down the dough. Divide, and shape into 2 loaves. Place in two well greased 8 x 4 inch bread pans. Allow to rise until dough has risen one inch above pans.
• Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Loaves are done when nicely brown and hollow sounding when thumped.

BUTTERMILK BREAD

Steps:

• In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basil bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).

BUTTERMILK AMERICAN LOAF BREAD(COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Once the oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain the heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the oven.
• Mix 3 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix the milk, water, butter, honey, and yeast in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Turn the machine to low and slowly add the liquid. When the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and satiny, stopping the machine two or three times to scrape dough from the hook, if necessary, about 10 minute (After 5 minutes of kneading, if the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time and up to 1/4 cup total, until the dough is no longer sticky.) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead to form a smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.
• Place dough in very lightly oiled large bowl, rubbing the dough around the bowl to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place it in the warmed oven until the dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Gently press the dough into a rectangle 1 inch thick and no longer than 9 inches. With a long side facing you, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed. Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and press it gently so it touches all four sides of the pan. Cover with damp cloth; set aside in warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size 20-30 minute.
• Keep one oven rack at the lowest position and place the other at the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place an empty baking pan on the bottom rack. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour boiling water into the empty pan on the bottom rack and set the loaf onto the middle rack. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted at an angle from the short end just above the pan rim into the center of the loaf reads 195 degrees, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove bread from the pan, transfer to wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.

BIG OLE BILL'S CIABATTA BREAD

Steps:

• 1. First we make the biga. In a medium bowl mix water and yeast if using regular yeast. Wait 10 minutes or so until yeast has creamy texture. If using instant yeast just mix yeast and water straight into flour in the next step.
• 2. Mix flour and water and yeast mixture into bowl to form sticky and loose dough.
• 3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 3 or 4 hours.
• 4. Once the biga rests it will be bubbly. Pour two more cups of warm water into it a little at a time. Scrape along the edge of the bowl with a spatula.
• 5. Pour mixture into a standing mixer bowl with an oiled dough hook. Mix on low for 1-2 minutes, and continue to mix while slowly adding flour. Add salt with last cup of flour. Mix on medium for 10 minutes. Then mix on high for 10 more minutes. Dough should pull away from sides of the mixing bowl.
• 6. Transfer to dough to a bowl greased with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 40-50 minutes.
• 7. Dip a spatula in warm water. Fold dough from outside to center. Do this 7-10 times. Using hands raise dough out of bowl and until it starts to fold over and put back in bowl. Turn bowl 90 degrees and do this again. Cover again and let rise for another 40 to 50 minutes. Repeat spatula folds and lifting folds again.
• 8. Generously sprinkle work surface with flour, and let dough slide onto it by flipping bowl upside down. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, and gently form dough to a rectangle. Cut dough into 3 elongated loaves. I use a bench scraper to do this.
• 9. Generously sprinkle 3 kitchen hand towels with flour. Transfer one loaf to center of each towel and cover by folding towel ends over each one.
• 10. Preheat oven to 450 degrees while bread is resting in towel. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and sprinkle paper with flour. Flip each loaf gently from towels onto parchment paper.
• 11. Spray the oven with warm water right before you place it in oven to create steam.
• 12. Bake for 450 degrees for 10 minutes without ever opening the oven. Leave bread in oven and reduce heat to 400 degrees and then bake for another 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• 13. Note... In my oven when I bake 2 loaves at a time, I bake for a total of 30 minutes. 1 loaf a total of 20 minutes