Bread Machine (115 page)
To make the lemon icing, if you are using it, whisk the sugar and the lemon juice in a small bowl. Place the rack with the hot bread over a piece of waxed or parchment paper to catch the drips. Drizzle the glaze over the entire loaf, letting some drip down the sides. Let the loaf stand at room temperature until it is completely cool and the glaze is set.
M
y favorite herb bread recipe that I adapted for the bread machine was a gift from my friend Connie Rothermel, who got it on one of her skiing jaunts to the then little-known resort of Crested Butte, Colorado, almost twenty years ago. It is a delicious, simple dinner or sandwich loaf deeply speckled with a complex combination of dried herbs and wildflower honey, giving the effect of having been an inspiration of the moment.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
1
1
/
4
cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1
/
4
cup wildflower honey
2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon gluten
1
1
/
2
tablespoons minced
fresh parsley
1
1
/
2
teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoons dried summer savory
3
/
4
teaspoon dried marjoram
1
/
2
teaspoon dried tarragon
1
/
4
teaspoon dried thyme
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
1⅔ cups water
2
1
/
2
tablespoons olive oil
1
/
4
cup wildflower honey
2
3
/
4
cups bread flour
1
1
/
4
cups whole wheat flour
1
/
4
cup light brown sugar
1
/
4
cup nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon plus
1 teaspoon gluten
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
1
1
/
4
teaspoons dried dill weed
1
1
/
4
teaspoons dried summer savory
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
3
/
4
teaspoon dried tarragon
1
/
3
teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
2
1
/
4
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
3
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on dark and program for the Basic cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with the Delay Timer.)
When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
BUTTERMILK BREAD WITH LAVENDER
T
his recipe was inspired by a stunning book called
The Lavender Garden
(Chronicle Books, 1998) by Robert Kourik, which gives lore and growing information for all types of lavender suitable for home gardens like my own. Lavender, which grows as a shrub, has long been used for culinary purposes. If you think this odd, remember that lavender is a member of the mint family and is the dominant flavor in the combination
herbesde Provence,
from the area in France known for its lavender fields. For the sweetest effect in baking use just the corollas, or inner petals, rather than the entire flower head, which is quite tough and woody. This bread is made using the petals and some fresh leaves, which makes it more pungent than it would be with the flowers alone. It is a perfect bread for summer entertaining.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
1
/
3
cup water
3
/
4
cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lavender leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh lavender flowers
Grated zest of 1 small lemon
1 tablespoon gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
1
/
2
cups water
7
/
8
cup buttermilk
1
/
4
cup olive oil
4 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lavender leaves
1
1
/
4
teaspoons finely chopped fresh lavender flowers
Grated zest of 1 small lemon
1 tablespoon plus
1 teaspoon gluten
2 teaspoons salt
2
1
/
4
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
3
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on dark and program for the Basic cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with the Delay Timer.)