Toast for the New Year

Ok, I know this looks bad. I have cooked since October! Practically all I did from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day was cook and bake. I also made a kajillion cookies and batches of dough for gifts. So many recipes, so little time. We slowed down this week when it snowed 6 inches and school was canceled. On one of our snow days I made this yummy, practically too easy to turn out this well bread. I have started using the King Arthur Flour and it has really made a difference in my baking. Here is the recipe for this wonderful bread that toasts up like no other I have ever made.

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon instant yeast 1 cup milk 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan 12 3/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1/2 ounce sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon instant yeast 8 ounces milk 2 ounces water 7/8 ounce vegetable oil or olive oil cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan Directions 1) Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl. 2) Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. The liquid will feel very hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would scald you. As a reference point, the hottest water from your kitchen tap is probably around 120°F (unless your tap water is so hot that it burns you). 3) Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. 4) Beat at high speed for 1 minute. The dough will be very soft. 5) Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal. 6) Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible. 7) Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn't very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F. 8) Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 20 to 22 minutes, till it's golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F. 9) Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

Recipe summary Hands-on time: 8 mins. to 12 mins. Baking time: 20 mins. to 22 mins. Total time: 1 hrs 28 mins. to 1 hrs 34 mins. Yield: 1 loaf