Recipe: Yeast Bread Mini Loaves (3)

Note: These may not work in an Easy Bake Oven

POPPY SEED MINI LOAVES

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water (105 to 115)
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. poppy seed
2 tbsp. shortening
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour*
Butter or margarine, softened

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixer bowl. Add sugar, poppy seed, shortening, salt and 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Blend 30 seconds on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. (Or beat by hand 300 strokes.) Stir in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape batter from side of bowl. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 30 minutes. Grease 6 miniature loaf pans, 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches. Stir down batter by beating about 25 strokes. Divide evenly among pans. Cover; let rise until batter just reaches tops of pans, about 40 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until loaves sound hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove loaves from pans. Brush tops with butter; cool on wire rack. 6 loaves. *If using self-rising flour, omit salt. Dill Mini Loaves: Substitute 1 to 2 teaspoons dried dill weed for the poppy seed.

YEAST MINI LOAVES

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 c. all purpose flour, unbleached
2 tsp. coarse (Kosher) salt
1 egg
1 tbsp. water

Sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup of the warm water in a measuring cup. Gently mix to moisten yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes to soften. Combine 3 1/2 cups of flour and salt in a bowl. Stir to mix well. Pour yeast mixture into flour. Add remaining 1 cup water. Stir to form ball. Add a little water if too dry, or flour it too wet. Knead dough on lightly floured surface, with heel of hand, stretching dough away from you. Fold dough back over on itself. Turn the dough a quarter turn. Repeat. Lightly greased a bowl with margarine. Place the dough in the greased bowl. Turn the dough around in the bowl so it is evenly coated. Cover the bowl with a clean towel or away from drafts, until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. To test, lightly stick a finger in the dough. The dent should slowly fill in when the finger is removed. Punch the dough down. Divide in half. On lightly floured surface, roll half into 12 inch long rope. Cut. Cup your hand over one of the lightly floured surface. Repeat the rolling and the shaping with the remaining pieces of dough to form a total of 24 mini loaves. Place mini loaves on lightly greased baking sheets. If you wish, cut slashes in top of each loaf with thin knife. Cover and let rise in a warm place, away from drafts, until doubled in volume, 20-30 minutes. Combine the egg if you wish. Bake the mini loaves in preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and crusty. Remove with spatula to wire rack to cool briefly. Serve with lots of butter. Shapes and Variations: To make one large loaf: roll dough to 12 x 8 inch rectangle. Roll up from short side. Press ends to seal; fold under loaf. Place in greased 8 x 4 x 2 loaf pan, seam side down. Cover; brush top with t tablespoon melted butter. Bake 10 more minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan to rack to cool. Crescent or "Baquette": After halving dough, roll half into a 6 inch rope. Divide into thirds; shape into crescents or cigar-shapes. Repeat with other half. Let rise 30-40 minutes. Bake 25 minutes.

Whole Wheat: Combine 1 cup all purpose flour with 2 1/2 cups whole wheat. Cheddar Cheese: After first rise, and you punch dough down, knead in 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Continue recipe.

MINI LOAVES

1 tbsp. dry yeast
1 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. salt
2 c. warm water

Dissolve yeast, honey and salt in water. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in 4 cups bread flour and turn onto a floured surface. Using a spatula, turn and scrape until it coheres enough to knead. Knead 10 minutes adding more flour if necessary. Place in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 45 minutes in a warm humid place. Remove, pat flat and fold in half. Return to bowl, again cover with plastic and let rise another 30 minutes. This helps bread to be light. Turn out and cut into 4 equal pieces. Allow to rest 5 minutes. Shape each ball into a mini loaf and place in French bread pans or cookie sheets dusted with cornmeal. Cover with towels and allow to rise until double. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Brush with a well-beaten egg mix if desired and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. This bread is crusty and delicious! These can go right into the basket with no unusual wrapping needed. Makes 4 loaves.