Potato Bread

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups cooked potato, put through a sieve
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk, scalded
2 packages active dry yeast or 2 cakes compressed yeast
1/3 cup potato water*
5 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose or bread flour
1 egg white
Seasame seeds

Directions
Add butter to hot potatoes and stir until melted. Add sugar, salt, and milk. Sprinkle or crumble yeast into water. *Use very warm water (105F to 115F) for dry yeast; use lukewarm (80F to 90F) for compressed. Let stand a few minutes; then stir until dissolved. Add to milk misture. Stir in 3 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Gradually stir in remaining flour, or enough to make a firm dough. Knead for 10 minutes.

Put in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and let rise again. Punch down and shape dough into 2 loaves.

Cover and let rise. Brush with egg white which have been slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water. Sprinkle heavily with sesame seeds. Bake in a cold oven 400F for 45 to 50 minutes.

Makes 2 loaves

Purchase your Romertopf Clay Cookware: BigBargainMatrix.com

Oat Meal Bread

Ingredients
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)
2 cups milk, scalded
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup water*
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour

Directions
Put oats in large bowl and cover with milk. Stir and let stand until lukewarm. Sprinkle or crumble yeast into water. *Use very warm water (105F to 115F) for dry yeast; use lukewarm (80F to 90F) for compressed. Let stand a few minutes; then stir until dissolved.

Add yeast mixture, molasses, salt and ginger to oat mixture. Stir in 4 1/2 cups unsifted flour. Cover and let rise in warm place until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Knead on well-floured board and put into 2 loaf pans. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Bake in code oven 400F for about 45 to 50 minutes.

Makes 2 loves.

Purchase your Romertopf Clay Cookware: BigBargainMatrix.com

Oat Meal Bread, originally uploaded by Chef Madd Maxx.

French Bread

Ingredients:
1 Package Active Dry Yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast Water*
1 Cup Boiling Water
1 Tablespoon Shortening
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
6 Cups Sifted Bread Flour
1 Egg White

Directions:
*Use very warm water (105F to 115F) for dry yeast; use lukewarm (80F to 90F) for compressed yeast. Sprinkle dry yeast or crumble cake into 1/4 cup water. Let stand for a few minutes; then stir until dissolved.

Pour boiling water over shortening, salt, and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add 3/4 cup cold water and cool to lukewarm.

Add yeast and gradually beat in enough flour to form a stuff dough.

Turn out on floured pastry cloth or board and knead until smooth and satiny.

Put in greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Shape into 2 oblong loaves about 12 inches long. Place on parchment paper.

Brush with beaten eg white and with knife, make 3 slashes across top.

Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Place in a pre-soaked greased Romertopf French/Italian Bread Baker along with the parchment paper. Bake in a cold oven 425F for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F, bake for 20 minutes more.

Makes 2 loaves.

Purchase your Romertopf Clay Cookware: BigBargainMatrix.com

French Bread, originally uploaded by Chef Madd Maxx.

Buttermilk Bread

Ingredients:
5 1/2 Cups Bread Flour (5 1/2 to 6 cups)
3 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Packages Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast
2 Teaspoons Salt
1/4 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Cups Buttermilk
1/3 Cup Butter, cut-up

Directions:
If you are using a Romertopf Clay Bread Baker, (recommended) soak the lid and base in cold water.

In large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt and baking soda.

Heat buttermilk, and butter until very warm (approx 120 to 130F). Stir into dry ingredients.

Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough.

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 7 to 9 minutes.

Cover and let rise for approx 2 hours, or until double in size.

Punch down dough, shape into round ball. Place round dough onto parchment paper and allow to rise until double, approx 1 hour.

Transfer dough with parchment paper to a greased Romertopf Baker. Cover baker and place in cold oven. Set oven at 450F. Cook for 40 minutes. Uncover clay pot and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Cool on wire rack.

Purchase your Romertopf Clay Cookware and Recipe Book here: BigBargainMatrix.com

Buttermilk Bread
Originally uploaded by Chef Madd Maxx