How to Cheat at Baking
Posted by Danielle Bean in Food on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 10:00 AM
“You made bread?” my 13-year-old son said to me yesterday afternoon as I pulled two loaves of freshly baked batter bread from the oven. “Awesome!”
His enthusiasm was enough to convince me I should bake bread more often.
Years ago, I used to make homemade bread several times a week. These days, though, I store my yeast in the freezer and months go by without it seeing a single use. Life just got a little too busy and big for so much baking.
But something about fall makes home baking almost irresistible. Yesterday, I was thinking of baking some biscuits to go with dinner when I suddenly remembered a recipe for “batter bread” I used years ago.
Never heard of batter bread? Well it’s time you did.
Batter bread is simply homemade bread you bake from a wet batter—not a dough. You mix it in an electric mixer (or by hand if you’re old fashioned like that) and put it directly in a loaf pan. Let it rise a bit and bake it in the oven—no kneading, no shaping loaves—none of the stuff that makes novice bakers tremble in their aprons or busy bakers run screaming from the room.
Batter bread is as easy as mixing up a quick bread! You can even skip the “rising in the pan” step and have hot, homemade bread in less than an hour.
The resulting loaf of bread is different from raised and kneaded yeast bread made from dough—it has a much softer texture and a firm, dark crust. It’s yummy, though, and just the smell of it baking is sure to please your family.
Here’s the recipe I used, taken from one of my favorite baking primers, The Fannie Farmer Baking Book
Easy Batter Bread
1 package dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk, warmed
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and butter in a large mixing bowl, stir, and let stand to dissolve for a minute or so. Add the salt, sugar, and 2 cups of the flour. With a wooden spoon, beat vigorously for 2 minutes, or with an electric mixer for about 1 minute. Add the remaining flour and beat well. Pour batter into a greased 8 1/2” x 4 1/2” x 2 1/2” loaf pan and smooth top with wet fingertips. Cover lightly and let rise to top of the pan, about 30-45 minutes. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 45 minutes. Turn loaf out of pan and onto wire rack to cool.
Serve to your family and take a bow.
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