Bread, ‘the staff of life,’ is a carb essential

Bread has been the staff of life since the beginning of recorded history, holding a place of honor in almost every religion and nationality.

By:Pat Tanner

"The Bread Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum "brings a chemist’s eye for precision to the process of baking, and nowhere is that more helpful than with breads."

   Bread has been the staff of life since the beginning of recorded history, holding a place of honor in almost every religion and nationality. But if aliens dropped in on present-day America, they would never know it from the current craze for high protein diets, where carbs are Public Enemy No. 1.
   If the past is prologue, then Americans will soon come to their senses and realize that what causes obesity is excess calories, not any particular food or group of foods.
   If the smell of bread baking in the oven is still a thing of beauty in your house, I recommend two new books that are ideal for holiday baking and gift giving, particularly if a standing mixer or bread machine is on your list. "The Bread Bible" is the latest work by Rose Levy Beranbaum, whose first book, "The Cake Bible," is in its 30th printing.
   And for good reason: Ms. Beranbaum brings a chemist’s eye for precision to the process of baking, and nowhere is that more helpful than with breads. As in her previous works, ingredients are listed by both volume and by weight, and her directions are meticulous, ensuring success even for a novice. She includes everything from quick breads to sourdough, with segues into bagels, pizza and crumpets. She takes even the most straightforward of breads, such as the popovers in the recipe below, to new heights. Ms. Beranbaum includes instructions for making bread by hand or with a standing mixer, and sometimes by using a food processor.
   In "Celebration Breads: Recipes, Tales, and Traditions," Betsy Oppenneer includes instructions for those three methods as well as for using a bread machine. This master baker and teacher has collected 75 recipes for breads from around the world that play a role in religious feasts, holidays and cherished customs. One of the most endearing traditions is that of Navajo Blue Bread, which is baked on the occasion of a baby’s first laugh.
   Ms. Oppenneer includes recipes for no fewer than 14 Christmas breads. Some, like stollen and panettone, are familiar, but not all, including those of Egypt and Iceland. Ms. Oppenneer’s instructions are minutely detailed, like those of Ms. Beranbaum, making it easy to achieve perfect results — including, not least, the heavenly aroma of good, honest bread baking in a home oven. Below is her recipe for a slightly sweet, orange-flavored rye bread served throughout the Christmas season in Finland.
JOULULIMPPA (Finnish Christmas Bread)
abbreviated from "Celebration Breads," Betsy Oppenneer
(Simon & Schuster, $30)
1 scant tablespoon or 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
   ¼ cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
   1¼ cups buttermilk
   ¼ cup molasses
   1 teaspoon salt
   1 teaspoon caraway seeds
   2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
   ¾ cup rye flour
   ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
   2½ to 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
For the topping:
   2 tablespoons hot water
   1 tablespoon molasses
   
1a. To mix and knead by hand: In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast in the water to soften. Heat the buttermilk and add it to the yeast along with the molasses, salt, caraway, zest, rye flour, whole-wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining all-purpose flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
   1b. To mix and knead by heavy duty mixer: In the mixer bowl, sprinkle the yeast in the water to soften. Heat the buttermilk and add it to the yeast along with the molasses, salt, caraway, zest, rye flour, whole-wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. Using the mixer’s paddle, beat the mixture on medium-low speed for 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining all-purpose flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Change to the dough hook. Continue to add all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just begins to clean the bowl.
   2. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about 1½ hours.
   3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide it in half. Shape each half into a ball and place in 2 well-greased 8-inch round pans. Flatten the center of the dough so it is slightly concave and the edge of the dough almost reaches the side of the pan. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise for 1 hour.
   4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare topping: combine the molasses with the hot water and brush over the top of each loaf. Bake for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 degrees using an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove bread from the pans and place on a rack to cool.
   Makes 2 loaves.
BUTTER POPOVERS
abbreviated from "The Bread Bible," Rose Levy Beranbaum
(Norton, $35)
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons Wondra flour
   ½ teaspoon salt
   ½ teaspoon sugar
   1 cup whole milk
   2 large eggs
   4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled but still liquid; divided
   
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Set a rack on the second rung from the bottom. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. Using a whisk, slowly stir in the milk. Continuing with the whisk or using a hand-held mixer, add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition, then beating the batter until smooth. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. (Small lumps of butter will remain visible.) Transfer the batter to a pitcher.
   2. With a small pastry brush, coat the entire interior of a 6-cup popover pan or a 12-cup standard muffin pan using half the melted butter. Then place 1 teaspoon of butter in each of the 6 popover cups or ½ teaspoon in each of the muffin cups. Three to 5 minutes before baking, place the popover or muffin pan in the oven to heat until the butter is very hot and beginning to brown (don’t allow it to burn). Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on the rack under the tin to catch any bubbling fat.
   3. Remove the pan from the oven and pour the batter on the hot butter, filling the cups half-full. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes for the large popovers, 20 to 25 minutes for the muffin-sized ones. They will pop well above the sides of the popover or muffin cups, rising to about 3 times their original height.
   4. Ten minutes before the end of the baking time, release the steam: open the oven door and quickly make a small slit in the side of each raised popover to release the steam and allow the centers to dry out more.
   5. Cool the popovers slightly. With pot holders, gently lift out the popovers one at a time, holding each one from the top, and set them on a wire rack to cool slightly.
Pat Tanner can be heard each Saturday morning on "Dining Today with Pat Tanner" on MoneyTalk AM 1350 from 9 to 10 a.m.