English Country Bread
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Author Notes: This recipe comes from my aunt, Ann, who was a superb baker. Today is her birthday and I thought I'd honor her memory by submitting this "receipt", as she used to joke. It makes terrific toast. - Lizthechef
Food52 Review: This recipe is amazingly simple -- it's quite possibly the easiest bread I've ever made. Putting the bread dough together takes only 5 minutes. By combining boiling water and cold milk, Lizthechef creates an ideal temperature for the yeast to get to work and the dough rises in less than an hour. The recipe is so fast that I even made it twice to test the difference between active dry yeast and instant dry yeast. I preferred the results with instant, but the active also worked. The bread only takes 25 minutes to bake, but that's plenty of time to fill the house with the wonderful aroma of baking bread. I'd recommend the recipe as an easy way to bake bread when you are short on time. You could whip it up in the morning and have it warm with a little butter and jam for breakfast. - Stephanie - A&M
Serves 1 loaf
- 1 package dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups unsifted, unbleached all purpose flour
- 3/4 cups boiling water.
- 1/2 cup cold skim milk
- Stir dry ingredients together and set aside. Add boiling water to cold milk in a large bowl. Add half the flour mixture and beat well by hand. Stir in the rest of the flour mixture. You will have a stiff batter.
- Turned the batter into a greased loaf pan. Cover with a clean towel and allow to raise in a warm place for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool. Makes about 20 thin slices.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Brown Bag Lunch
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best (Savory) Yeast Bread
Tags: delicious
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2 months ago FoodFanaticToo
This is delicious and exceptionally easy! Thank you for sharing your Aunt's recipe. I've been craving this sort of bread for over two decades -- as long as I've been part of my partner's British family -- and have never found the "right" recipe, until now. The crust is crispy, and the bread itself is substantial and dense, just how I like it. I would not call the unbaked preparation a "batter", as mine was very stiff and I had to knead the last of the flour in. I could not believe how fast this recipe was from start to finish! I think it will become a Standard recipe in our house. Next loaf will be made with whole wheat bread flour...
2 months ago Lizthechef
Thanks so much - people either love this or hate it - never had so many differing opinions on a recipe I submitted.
3 months ago Swimkitty
Fantastic recipe. I made English muffins out of this dough. I felt since I had to griddle cook the muffins that I add around a tablespoon of organic cannola oil to prevent drying. They rose beautifully and were not as 'hole-y' but I was pleased. A huge time savings as well. Oh, I used quick-rise yeast. Thank you.
3 months ago Lizthechef
A great twist to my aunt's recipe - I will have to try this - thanks.
11 months ago kerrylow
just want to say that i've made this tons of times - with various flour mixtures - and it always works! I usually add some spices/herbs/pesto/sun-dried tomatoes. very flexible!
11 months ago Lizthechef
Glad you liked it - people either rave about it or hate it.
over 1 year ago stevea66
This is not a batter bread. Even with vigerous kneeding, the dough would not accept all the flour. This recipe sounded like it should be a spoon bread but was not. Seeing as the yeast had to be added to the dry ingrdients and all the flour couldn't be incorporated, makes me wonder what my bread is going to turn out like. I make bread all the time, that's all we eat, and thought this might be a quick bread. I'll go back to my old recipe.
over 1 year ago Lillasyster
Bread makes me nervous but I thought to try this recipe out; so simple how could I go wrong, right? I forgot the sugar (my poor staving yeast) but forged ahead anyway. Then I lost the bottom crust (stuck to the bottom of the pan). Despite the mishaps, my daughter declared it "Delicious!".
So Thank You for sharing this simple, forgiving bread recipe.
over 1 year ago Susan
What a clever recipe! I'm wondering, have you ever tried giving the bread a second rise? How did that turn out?
Thanks for this, Lizthechef!
over 1 year ago Lizthechef
Nope - give it a shot...
over 2 years ago drbabs
Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Hi Liz. My project for the fall and winter is to learn to make bread, and I decided to start with your recipe. I used 2 cups whole wheat flour and one cup of white flour. It was as easy and everyone says it is, and it is really delicious with a nice crumb and a crackly crust. Thanks for a great recipe!!
over 2 years ago Lizthechef
I hope MyCommunalTable sees your comment - thanks, drbabs!!
over 2 years ago MyCommunalTable
Love this recipe. I have a big bag of dry yeast. How much yeast is in a packet? two or three teaspoon? Have you ever used part whole wheat flour? Saved and I will make it.
over 2 years ago Lizthechef
Net weight for one packet is 1/4 oz. I have never mixed in ww flour - see my whole wheat bread recipe? Mixing flours in bread recipes can be tricky and I am no expert.
over 2 years ago drbabs
Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.
LOL--I tried it and it came out fine; I figured the worst thing that would happen is that I'd throw it away. I would have liked a little more sweetness in the WW bread and was thinking to add honey next time--but I'm sure that could throw the whole chemistry off.
over 2 years ago MyCommunalTable
Hey thanks, Liz and Drbabs! I am going to be a total radical and make this with partial whole wheat flour and bread flour, then use rice milk because of my sons allergies. I will let you know how it turns out. I do know that honey placed in the yeast and water in my pizza dough recipe is suppose to help feed the yeast. We will see. Looks like a great recipe. Good foundation to start with. I love the idea of the hot water and cold milk. I will let you all know
over 2 years ago Lizthechef
This is an easy recipe for a first-time bread-baker. Would make a great sandwich for this week's theme...
over 2 years ago matthewddsg
I baked this today; it was officially my first successful load of bread. Thanks so much the easy and tasty recipe!
over 2 years ago Lizthechef
Thank you for making my day, no, my weekend!!
almost 3 years ago lapadia
Just made this recipe; I love playing with yeast dough, have made many loaves of bread but have never seen a bread recipe that goes this fast...I love it! I used instant yeast, 1/2 cup of King Arthurs white whole wheat and mixed in 1/3 cup dry powdered milk in place of the sugar and for the extra bit of flavor it gives. Love the texture and flavor, can't wait to make some toast with it, this is a recipe I will go to when pressed for time. Thanks for sharing your aunt's bread legacy!
almost 3 years ago Lizthechef
Thanks - I am thinking about my sweet aunt, having her best fruit tart recipe at the ready, and you warmed my heart. Keep your eyes peeled for her fruit tart - thanks, Liz
about 3 years ago Lizthechef
Thank you for all your effort(s), Stephanie. Not much of a baker, even I can manage this one!
about 3 years ago AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
I'm definitely trying this one!! ;o)