Bread Machine (163 page)
To bake in the machine:
After Rise 2 ends on the Basic cycle, or when the display shows Shape in the Variety cycle, press Pause, remove the pan, and close the lid. Immediately turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; pat into an 8-by-12-inch fat rectangle. Brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon, leaving a 1-inch space all the way around the edge. Starting at a short edge, roll the dough up jelly-roll fashion. Tuck the ends under and pinch the bottom seam. Coat the bottom of the dough with cooking spray, remove the kneading blade, and place the dough back in the pan; press Start to continue to rise and bake as programmed. When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan.
To bake in the oven:
Preheat the oven to 350 ºF. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan (for 1
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pounds dough) or two 7-by-4-inch loaf pans (for 2 pounds dough).
When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, remove the pan and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the 1
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pounds dough into one, or the 2 pounds dough into two 8-by-12-inch rectangles. Brush the rectangle(s) with melted butter. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon, leaving a 1-inch edge all the way around. Starting at a short end, roll up jelly-roll fashion. Tuck the ends under and pinch the bottom seam.
Place the single large loaf in the prepared 9-by-5-inch pan or the two smaller loaves in the 7-by-4-inch pans. Spray the top(s) with cooking spray and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and the sides have slightly contracted from the pan. If the crust browns too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top.
Place the bread on a rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing. Dust with plain or vanilla confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
O
nce in the early 1980s I took a baking class in San Francisco from Bernard Clayton, a prodigious food writer when it comes to bread and pastry. He made this bread in the class. I couldn’t have been more uninterested in a bread with crushed sugar cubes baked into it, but one bite and I had an epiphany. It was fantastic! There were these moist pockets of sweet goo. Use white or brown sugar cubes. I use Ala Perruche brand with the parrot on the box, imported from France and made from African sugar cane. The cubes are a bit less refined than regular C & H sugar cubes. This is a great breakfast bread.
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-POUND LOAF
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cup sugar cubes
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teaspoons ground cinnamon
Small pinch of ground cloves
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cups fat-free milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon gluten
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teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
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teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
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cup sugar cubes
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Small pinch of ground cloves
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cups fat-free milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces
4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
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teaspoons salt
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teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast
Place the sugar cubes in a heavy clear plastic freezer bag and, using the smooth side of a meat hammer, crack the cubes. Don’t crush them; you want the chunks to be no smaller than quarter cubes, smaller than quarter cubes, if possible. Add the spices to the bag and toss to coat. Set aside.
Place the ingredients, except the spice-coated sugar cubes, in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on medium, and program for the Sweet Bread cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with the Delay Timer.) Five minutes into the kneading segment, press Pause and sprinkle in half of the sugar cube mixture. Press Start to resume the cycle. Three minutes later, press Pause and add the rest of the sugar cube mixture. Press Start to resume the cycle.
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, or sugar syrup will ooze out.
I
use quick-cooking imported Irish oatmeal for this recipe. The flavor of Irish-grown oats is the richest of any I have eaten, and the loaf retains a characteristic nubby texture. There is a good dose of maple syrup in this bread, the luscious sweetener made of the boiled-down sap of a maple tree—I like to taste its flavor distinctly in the finished loaf. I look for B Grade maple syrup, which is sometimes labeled “for baking.” It is a bit more concentrated, better for baking than for pouring over pancakes. Oatmeal and maple syrup is a combination made in baker’s heaven.
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-POUND LOAF
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cups buttermilk
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cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 cups bread flour
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cup rolled oats