Yield: 1 extra large loaf
Ingredients
- 6-7 cups flour all purpose flour, divided
- 3 tbsp gluten
- Omit the gluten if you're using bread flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp shortening
- 4 1/2 tsp dry yeast
- 2 1/4 cups warm water
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, gluten, sugar, salt, shortening, and yeast. Mix well.
- Add the warm water and mix until you've got a slurry, scraping the sides occasionally.
- Add enough remaining flour to form a dough.
- Knead for 10 minutes.
- Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.
- Punch to dough down and place it on the countertop. If it's sticky, use a little flour so you can handle it.
- Divide the dough into 1/3 and 2/3 pieces. Knead the larger portion, and then form into a round loaf with the seam-side down. Place on parchment paper and set aside.
- With the remaining 1/3 dough, knead and then roll into a large rectangle. Use a wire cooling rack to press straight lines into the dough. Then use a pizza cutter to cut into narrow strips. You'll need 18 pieces.
- (This Youtube video shows the assembly steps)
- Layer three strips of dough across the top, and three three strips perpendicular. Next, lay three strips in the diagonal, and three strips on the opposite diagonal.
- Life up one of the trio of strips, and put the end of three strips underneath. Wrap the trio around the loaf, alternating over/under.
- Repeat step #10, switching the how the pattern was alternated.
- At the bottom edge, take the left & right piece of each trio and twist them together. Tuck underneath the loaf.
- Take the remaining "middle" piece and tuck under the loaf.
- Place somewhere warm to rise for 30-45 minutes. Optionally, you can place a springform pan ring around the loaf to keep it contained, though that will "squish" the pattern on the edges.
- Bake at 425°F for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Adapted from Betty Crocker and Scrumdiddlyumptious.
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