Friday, February 18, 2011

Peter Reinhart's Buttermilk White Bread

White bread always reminds me of freshly-baked breads in bakeries, back in my hometown, Kottayam. I think most families have their own favorite bakeries, where they pick up their goodies. Like white breads, rusk and cup cakes were some of our favorites which we always brought. Talking about which, I remember vendors carrying baked buns and dilkhush in bamboo baskets, and selling them door-to-door. My granny would buy us children whatever we point at! You know, the things most parents would stir away from. Grandparents are like that! They are here to pamper grand kids and spoil them! Right? I wouldn’t have it any other way.


Buttermilk White Bread


I have tried several bread recipes, some of them are posted on this site. But I have never tried baking white bread, so far. We (my family and I) do not like the usual store-brought white bread. Then again, when you bake them, it is a different story. This is why I started searching for a white bread recipe, and yet not the usual, but something different, something special! Bingo! I found it in the recipe I am sharing with you today. The butter, buttermilk and egg that goes into this recipe gives the bread a die-for-it flavor nobody can resist. I saw this recipe was recommended by many other sites when I decided to give it a go myself. I would not talk about the recipe to you unless everyone in my family loved it. Great recipe!

I made buns using half the dough and they came out great as well !


Buttermilk White Bread

Serve it with your favorite spread or with soup


Buttermilk White Bread



Ingredients:

Bread flour- 4 cups +1/4 cup if necessary
Salt- 1 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 3 Tbsp
Active dry yeast- 2 tsp (approx 1 packet)
Butter- 1/4 cup at room temperature
Buttermilk- 1 1/2 cup
Egg,slightly beaten,optional,for brushing on top- 1

Method:

1.Stir together the 4 cups of flour,salt,sugar and yeast using a spatula or your mixer.(yes,you don't have to dissolve the yeast in anything)
2.Add the softened butter,buttermilk and lightly beaten egg and mix well, till the dough comes together.
3.Knead well for 6-7 minutes using your kitchenaid.
4.If you are using hands, then transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead well for at least 10 minutes.(the dough is a little bit on harder side )
5.Spray or coat with oil and cover the dough. Keep in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
6.Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and divide the dough into 2 equal parts, if you are making bread and cover with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.(I divided one part into 6 and made some buns too)
7.Divide the dough into 12 equal parts if you are making buns .
8.Shape them and cover with a towel and let rise for about 90 minutes or until doubled.
9.Meanwhile preheat the oven at 350 degree F, if you are making bread,400 for rolls and 450 for buns.
10.Give an egg wash, using an egg beaten lightly with some water or use some milk, just like me, to brush on the top.
11.You could use sesame or poppy seeds to sprinkle on the top.
12.Bake the bread loaves for about 35-40 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.Bake the buns for about 15 minutes
13.Cool on a wire rack.Serve with the spread of your choice


Sending this for Yeastspotting at Wild Yeast
and Foodpaltette series Brown at Torview







Buttermilk White Bread


Contributor: Namitha
Recipe Courtesy:Mainly from here.But basically it's from The Bread Baker's Apprentice, by Peter Reinhart.

62 comments:

  1. lovely and perfectly baked bread and looks very tempting.

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  2. I like peter reinheart's recipe, very nice perfectly baked bread.

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  3. looks perfect... nicely done...
    Reva

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  4. Looks fabulous dear,perfectly baked..love it.

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  5. just beautiful, luscious home made bread!

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  6. Beautiful pics chechi..!!!
    looks so perfect and yummy!!

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  7. wow beautiful clicks and perfectly baked cake.

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  8. I have just eaten a big plate of noodles but I'm sure I can stuff myself with one of your buns...looks irresistible...mmm. I need to bake bread this year. Have been talking about it too long :P Hope you have a wonderful day. MaryMoh at http://www.keeplearningkeepsmiling.com

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  9. the bread looks absolutely perfect!....i am too tempted!:)Smitha
    http://smithasspicyflavors.blogspot.com/

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  10. ..yummy n perfect bread with wonderful pics

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  11. Perfect bread and looks absolutely tasty,loved it.

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  12. Perfect white bread, loved the beautiful color, wonderful clicks too!

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  13. The first two snaps look gorgeous Namita!
    That book has been sitting for a long time without something in it actually coming to life! :-)
    Your post is very tempting!

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  14. Bread looks really soft and YUM!

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  15. gargeous luking bun and bread! both comes out perfect!

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  16. Bread looks so moist and perfectly baked. Beautiful clicks as always :)

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  17. Omg, this look so beautiful. I must admit that I've tried the recipe but, was not came out as beautiful as yours, so I didn't blog about it. Yours is pretty encouraging, make me want to make it again. Thanks Namita!

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  18. Perfect slice there !! professional and tempting.Gorgeous clicks to accompany..

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  19. This bread looks way better than store bought and those found in bakeries. Bread making is not my thing, yet I have a feeling that this one is gonna turn out grt for me, will try it.

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  20. Loved the look of the bread that you have baked. Pics Look wonderful.

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

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  21. This looks so PERFECT, Nami..Njan kure naalayi try cheyyananmenne vicharikkunnu, ethu vare nadannilla..Loved the clicks!

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  22. What a beautiful looking bread making me hungry:)

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  23. very beautiful clicks! feel like grabbing the bread :)

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  24. wow!!nami...adipoli bread....superbbbb!!!

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  25. cant take eyes from ur click.very yummy and tasty one

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  26. Perfectly baked white bread Nami!!! Bookmarked will make it soon and let you know:)... Lovely clicks too:)

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  27. It has come out very well with golden crust! Loved both the bread and the bun! Lovely clicks!

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  28. wow, that bread looks gorgeous!!!, i think looks better than shop bought ones.

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  29. Both the baked beauties look gorgeous! Love the fluffy look and the soft inside. Perfect...

    Lite Bite

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  30. Love your photographs!!! Awesome!

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  31. I love his book too. Oh and I feel the same about our bakery bread from Kerala.
    We used to eat with istew, meat curry chicken curry etc.....this one looks so so good.

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  32. The bread looks so cute, that I want to pinch it.

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  33. This looks great. Can you tell what is bread flour? Can i use maida?
    Thanks

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  34. Yes very true,the white breads that we buy here are also not good.I will save this recipe for future.Just one doubt Nami..No need of sugar for the yeast to ferment ??

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  35. Such fluffy delicious bread with buttermilk and the buns are just adorable!

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  36. A perfect fluffy loaf of bread. I can finish that love all by myself.

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  37. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  38. Thanks guys ! You are the sweetest ever :-)
    @Elra: Thanks:-) I know how good a baker you are.So I'll take this as a huge compliment :D
    @Thas:Go ahead. You will surely get it right :-)
    @Swapna: I am waiting to hear your result :-)
    @Reena: Yes, you could replace maida(All purpose flour) with bread flour. But the results may not be this good. Bread flour is more glutinous and is used in most of the bread recipes.I haven't tried AP flour for breads yet.

    @Vineetha: Thanks a ton for pointing out. Somehow I missed to type it.Yes it needs sugar and now I have corrected the recipe :-)

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  39. Nami...Speechless, wordless. ethu njan undakitte ullu ketto...

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  40. Un magnifique pain blanc.
    j'aime beaucoup .
    See soon.

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  41. bread looks so soft and perfect/...YUm yum

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  42. OMG OMG bread looks greatttt, must try recipe, super post!!!

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  43. mmm...there's nothing like fresh, homemade bread!

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  44. This looks like quite a moist and rich bread, far superior than store bought.

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  45. Namii.. whenever i make bread top side becomes crusty and innerside becomes a bit soggy .. never like the texture we get from outside.. wt to do? then can i use maida / multigrains?? wtz the difference in bread flour?

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  46. wow!luks soo soft n beautiful pics Nami Dear!!!

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  47. @Lena: I have already mentioned about bread flour in my prev comment:-) It has high gluten. But I read somewhere that you could replace it with maida for making ordinary breads.When you replace the flour with whole wheat or other non-glutinous flour, make sure that there is an equal/little higher proportion of bread flour is there too.Say, you can use 1 cup whole wheat for 1 cup or little more bread flour.

    You haven't mentioned what kind of flour/which bread recipe you used.I have never come across that problem yet. (I make breads at home at least 2 times in a month) I make buns (that Kerala style) with AP flour:Bread flour in 1:1 and they come out perfect.Have tried them with AP flour(maida) alone too.(check Sunitha's recipe in our blog)
    Pl send a mail, if you have more Qs.I will be more than happy to help you :-)

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  48. What a wonderful loaf. It looks so soft and wonderful. I would love to have a slice with jam and tea!
    Blessings,
    Catherine

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  49. Namitha, this looks so good. PERFECT is the ultimate word, can't find a better one.

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  50. I been wanting to bake white bread and was wondering which recipe to use among the thousands out there...looks like this is it...it looks perfect.

    one question...did you use store bought buttermilk? And i have unbleached bread flour...is that good for this recipe??

    wait for you to get back to me before i start keeding the dough;-)

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  51. The bread came out perfect! I adore Reinheart's recipes!

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  52. Wow!! This looks fabulous! I have never baked bread with buttermilk, am gonnna bake this real soon!! home-made bread is definitely something we relish hugely too.

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  53. Can I use milk instead of buttermilk?

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    Replies
    1. I haven't tried that, Annie. But it is easy to make instant buttermilk at home. For a cup of lukewarm milk add one or two teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.Mix and keep it aside for a few minutes and your buttermilk is ready :)

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