Bread I Baked Yesterday

Baking yesterday was successful and somewhat absurd. Here is what I made:

A giant loaf of whole wheat basil cheddar bread

prep a yeast starter:
a tablespoon of yeast
1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup warm water
half teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients and let sit, overnight if possible.

3 cups whole wheat
2 cups white flour
dash of salt
4 tablespoons (half a stick) of butter, warm

Mix the dry ingredients, then stir in the butter thoroughly.

1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh basil
3/4 to 1 cup cheddar cheese (I used a local New York style cheddar)

Add in the basil and cheese. In the future, I might throw in some walnuts as well.

Then, stir in the starter, mixing well, before gradually adding in more warm water, probably around 2 cups.

Turn out and knead (on clean surface dusted with flour, of course) for five minutes, let rest in a warm place for at least 30 minutes, turn out again and knead further. When smooth, shape into loaves (I suggest two or more because this wasn't at first baked in the middle it was so big) and place on a greased baking stone or cookie sheet. Let rest at least forty minutes before baking at 400 F for about thirty minutes. You may need to cover the bread with foil to prevent the crust from burning. As I baked it in one loaf, the time needed for smaller loaves is likely less, but all ovens are unfortunately variant in their own way.

...

Baguettes with cornmeal

Begin with the same starter

4 cups white flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter, warm

Blend dry ingredients, then mix in the butter. Add starter, then gradually mix in more warm water as needed (about one cup). Knead well about six minutes. The cornmeal makes the dough less sticky to your hands and counter, which means kneading and clean up are much easier. Let rest for thirty or more minutes, then turn out and shape into long baguettes before placing on a greased baking stone or cookie sheet. With the cornmeal, shaping is similar to playing with clay and is pretty fun. Let rest in a warm spot for at least forty minutes, bake at 400 F for about twenty minutes (that is, in the warm spot of the oven, in the middle top). I slashed the top in diagonals before baking.

This bread is beautifully colored and slightly sweet, but generally neutral and flexible for sandwiches or just munching. The wheat is definitely hearty, though mine rose magnificently giving it a happy levity, and can be served on its own. Both of these turned out really well, but baking had a few issues due to the size and variations of the oven.