Conference turris::cooks

135.0. "BREAD: Italian Feather Bread" by KAFSV2::RHM_MIKE () Tue Jun 11 1985 12:01

	I find that homemade bread enhances any meal! I use this one all 
the time as it is so easy to make and takes so little time. I sometimes 
wait until our guests arrive to make it as it only takes 1 3/4 hrs from 
start, to hot out of the oven.

			Italian Feather Bread

	[2 loaves]

	2 packages active dry yeast
	1 Tablespoon sugar
	1 cup of warm water  [100 to 115 deg F approx]

	1/3 cup butter
	3/4 cup hot water
	2 teaspoons of salt
	5 1/2 to 6 cups flour (I use unbleached white)

	cornmeal
	1 eggwhite,lightly beaten

	stir the yeast, sugar and 1 cup of warm water together in a small 
bowl and let sit until the yeast dissolves and starts to proof.

	While the yeast is proofing,in a large bowl melt the butter in the
3/4 cup of hot water and add the salt (I personally leave out the salt but 
included it as it is in the recipe), and let cool to lukewarm then add 
the yeast mixture. Stirring vigorously with a spoon add the flour, 1 cup 
at a time, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Turn 
out the dough on a floured surface and knead for 2 to 4 minutes (keep 
your hands floured as the dough will be sticky at this point) adding 
flour until the dough is soft and smooth, let rest for 5 minutes.

	Grease (or butter) french loaf pan and sprinkle with corn meal.

	Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a loaf to fit 
your pan. Place the loaves in pan and let them rise in a warm draft free 
place until doubled in bulk (50 to 60 minutes). brush with eggwhite and 
bake in a preheated 425 degree oven 40 minutes until the loaves are a 
rich, golden colour , and make a hollow sound when you tap the crust, 
top and bottom, with your knuckles. Cool on a rack and slice when quite 
fresh.


	This bread is great! But watch out some people like to use it to 
make vast amounts of butter disappear.

					Enjoy!
					Mike Daoust Kanata, Canada 

 Sorry about response .2 I am having trouble using this system.

As stated in the recipe. The bread only has to be kneaded 4 or 5 
minutes. The only rising is in the pan approx 50 to 60 minutes, until 
the loaves are double in bulk. 

 This bread can also be made free form on a cookie sheet if you do not 
have a french loaf pan. Grease the cookie sheet and sprinkle with 
cornmeal, roll each half of the dough into a rectangle approx 12" long by 
8" wide and place on the cookie sheet. The rest of the recipe is the 
same.

 This bread is extremely easy to make.

				Enjoy!
				MD

	The FRENCH loaf pan I use looks like a "w" when viewed from the end 
and is 18" long by 6" wide and will hold two loaves of bread.
	
						MD

	I know of no substitue for the corn meal. It adds a bit of taste 
to the bread. I sometimes leave it out of the recipe when my in-laws 
come over for supper as it tends to get stuck in their dentures. Either 
way the bread tastes great.
 Bon Appetite
Mike Daoust