TARA BREAD
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" -Albert Einstein

A recipe for learning.
Useful for teaching from a domestic science viewpoint of cooking.
This is a recipe I designed to teach bread making to my granddaughter Tara.
The thought process in the design can be used for any skill.
The key to any skill is terminology, techniques and practice.

I selected three cookbooks on bread making by different authors, [3 viewpoints}
Compare the recipes, for similarities and differences.
The similarities were approximate ratios, and major ingredients.
The differences were options: matters of taste, or presentation.
The neat part is its as simple as counting from 1 to 6
With room for imagination.
HAVE FUN!!

Recipe for TARA BREAD
This is a survival recipe you can make from staples.
SINGLE BATCH			
1 teaspoon salt					
2 cups liquid				
3 Tablespoons Sugar             
4 Tablespoons oil				
5 teaspoons yeast					
6 cups flour
DOUBLE BATCH				
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups liquid
6 Tablespoons sugar
8 Tablespoons oil
3 Tablespoons yeast*
12 cups flour
*(3 tsp =1 tablespoon) close enough


OPTION EXAMPLES:
Liquid = water, Potato water, dry milk and water, milk, buttermilk, yogurt, beer, etc. Or any combination.
Sugar = white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey, syrup, etc.
Oil = olive oil, soybean oil, shortening, butter, lard, etc.(solid oils need to be melted)
Yeast = standard bread making yeast, I buy it in 1 lb bags and keep it in a pint jar in the refrigerator.
You can use sour-dough starter, or make your own from nature, (Yeast on elderberries, etc) These are slow acting.
Flour = 1/2 whole wheat, or up to 1/4 Rye, buckwheat, Oatmeal,
ground nuts, cattail flour, cattail pollen, Lots of other natural grains ground into flour.

INSTRUCTIONS: "on putting it together"
In a small pan put the first 4 ingredients, Bring to 110 degrees. (lukewarm)
Dissolve the yeast in a cup of warm water add to pan after heat is turned off.
In a large metal bowl (dishpan size)put in your combination of flours.
Take a short break, Wash your hands, and clean your fingernails.I'm not joking.
let the yeast work a little, it should be mildly foaming.
Add the pan contents to the flour and stir together.
Start kneading*, I knead it in the pan, sitting in another large pan of hot water in the sink.
Add more white flour by the cupful as needed.
It should be damp and spring back when pressure is applied when its right.
The purpose of kneading is to mix the ingredients, and release the gluten from the white flour.
That makes a nice crust, and forms an elastic cell around the co2 bubbles, the yeast releases.
Pull the ball of dough to the side and oil the bowl. Cover with a clean cloth, let rise to double the volume.
Could be anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hr, *A warm but not hot place is the best.
I leave my bowl of dough in the pan of hot water in the sink.
*Most chemical reactions work faster when warm. Too hot will kill the yeast.
*Kneading--sprinkle with flour to keep your hands from getting gooey,
push down with heel of hand, fold, turn 1/4 repeat.


Next Options: The pans, These need to be oiled no matter which option you choose.
Metal loaf pans 
pyrex bowls of any type.
cake pans
cookie sheets
muffin tins
Pizza pan	
		
Regular loaves
Round loaves
Dinner rolls, braided loaf, special shapes (use your imagination)
Hamburger buns, hotdog buns, pita bread, etc.
Rolls-- 1,2,3 balls/hole, 3 to 5 slices/hole, (use your imagination)
Spread thin to cover. slightly pre bake light brown, freeze or use.


Dump dough onto cutting board, punch down and "cut to fit" pans. Or braid etc.
The pans should be about 3/4 full of punched down dough.

Next Options: Toppings:
Separate an egg into two bowls, yolk and white. These form a glaze and something to hold the toppings to the loaf.
I use a small clean paintbrush for a pastry brush.
After you have punched down the dough and divided it up for your pans,
paint the top of the loaves with either the white or yolk of the egg. (yolk makes it darken some.)
You can use butter after you cook it, for a nice mat browned effect.

SPRINKLE ON:
Sesame seeds
poppy seeds
ground nuts
(use your imagination)
Its your bread! As long as the topping is edible you can't hurt it.

Let rise till double,
Cook in an oven at 350 degrees, till nicely browned (approximately 20 to 30 minutes)
Always figure you will eat one loaf, with butter while its still hot. YUM
Cool on a wire rack.
Keep out what you can eat in 3 days. Double wrap and freeze the rest.
There are no preservatives in homemade bread, so it can mold.

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