Basic White Sandwich Bread Makes 2 loaves 2 teaspoons active-dry yeast 1 cup (8 oz) warm water 2 tablespoons (1 oz)

unsalted butter 1 cup (8 oz) milk - whole, 2%, or skim 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 tablespoon salt 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 cups (1 lb 9 oz - 2 lbs 3 oz) all-purpose flour Make sure the water is warm to the touch. If you can't comfortably hold your finger in the water for several seconds, wait for it to cool. Pour the water into the bowl of a standing mixer or large mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast over top. Let this stand for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in the milk, sugar, and salt. Pour 1 cup of flour and the milk mixture over the yeast. Stir until this comes together into a loose, lumpy batter. Add another 4 1/2 cups of flour, reserving the remaining cup if the dough is sticky during kneading. Stir until a floury, shaggy dough is formed. Using the dough hook attachment on a standing mixer, knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Alternatively, knead the dough by handagainst the counter. If the dough is bubble-gum sticky against the sides of the bowl or the counter, add extra flour a tablespoon at a time until it is no longer sticky. The dough is kneaded when it is smooth, feels slightly tacky, forms a ball without sagging, and springs back when poked.

Clean out the mixing bowl and film it with a little oil. Form the dough into a ball and turn it in the bowl to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about one hour. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter and turn the dough out on top. Divide the dough in two and shape each half into a loose ball. Let the balls rest for 10 minutes. Grease two loaf pans or film them with non-stick cooking spray. Shape each ball of dough into a loaf (see this tutorial for step-bystep instructions) and transfer to the loaf pans. It's important that the surface of the loaves be stretched taut; this helps them rise and prevents an overly-dense interior. Let the loaves rise a second time until they start to dome over the edge of the pan, 30-40 minutes. Heat the oven to 425 F about halfway through the second rise. Slash the tops of the loaves with a serrated knife and put them in the oven. Immediately turn down the heat to 375F and bake for 30-35 minutes. Finished loaves will be dark golden-brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool completely before slicing. Loaves will keep at room temperature for several days. Loaves can also be wrapped in foil and plastic, and frozen for up to three months.

Homemade Hamburger Buns Makes 8 buns

1 tablespoon active-dry yeast 1/2 cup (4 oz) warm water 1/2 cup (4 oz) milk (whole, 2%, or skim) 1 large egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon butter In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl, if mixing by hand), stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit until dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Add all the flour and stir until it forms a shaggy dough. Knead at low speed, or by hand against the counter, for 10 minutes. The finished dough should be smooth, feel slightly tacky, and spring back when poked. Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about an hour. Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn out the risen dough on top. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each into a tight ball. Transfer the balls to a baking sheet and let rise until they look puffy and hamburger-sized, roughly 30-40 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 375F. Melt the butter and brush it over the risen hamburger buns. This helps the tops to brown and keeps the crust soft. Bake the buns until golden, 15-18 minutes.

Let the buns cool to room temperature before slicing and using. They are best if eaten within the next day or two, but will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. Additional Notes: For Whole Wheat Buns - Substitute 1/2-1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and prepare the recipe as usual. The texture of the buns will be a bit more dense, but still very delicious and burger-worthy. Doubling the Recipe - Double all of the ingredients except for the yeast. To make even more buns, it's best to prepare separate batches as the dough becomes too cumbersome to work with easily. Freeze Buns for Later - Wrap the buns in aluminum foil and then store in an air-tight container or freezer bag. Let them thaw in their packaging overnight on the counter. Foil-wrapped buns can also be thawed more quickly or re-warmed in a 300F oven for about 10-15 minutes.

pan de linaza

Ingredientes:

1 kg de harina de trigo, 100 gr de semilla de linaza, 75 gr de margarina vegetal, 50 gr de levadura, 5 dl de agua ( litro), sal. Mtodo: Mezclar la harina con la sal. Integrar la margarina fra a la harina. Disolver la levadura en 3 dl agua tibia (Aproximadamente 37). Dejar remojando la linaza en el resto de agua hirviendo durante 15 minutos. Mezclar todo y amasar bien y formar una bola de masa. Dejar descansar la masa cubierta con un pao hmedo durante 1 hora (en lo posible en un lugar abrigado). Aplastar la masa y formar 14 bollitos o dos panes. Pngalos sobre una bandeja enmantecada o papel para el horno. Dejarlos reposar cubiertos durante 45 minutos. Se pueden pincelar con huevo o leche. Hornear durante 25 a 30 minutos