Here are some of the bread recipes we made this past week in the Forum Paney Camp held in North Carolina.

French-Style Country Bread

Sponge Starter (Begin 2 to 16 hours ahead)

1 cup cool-lukewarm water, preferably spring water (90 to 100F)

1/2 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast

1 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Dough

All of the sponge starter (above)

1 cup lukewarm water, preferably spring water (l00 to 115°F)

3/4 teaspoon active dry or 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

3 3/4 to 4 cups unbleached bread flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

To Make The Sponge: Stir all of the sponge ingredients together to make a thick, pudding-like mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on a counter overnight or for at least 2 to 4 hours. If you're making this in a bread machine, place the sponge ingredients inside, and turn the machine on for just a few seconds to mix the ingredients together. Turn the machine off and close the cover. Let the sponge rest for 4 hours or overnight (anywhere between 2 and 16 hours is fine, the longer the better).

To Make The Dough: Stir down the sponge with a spoon and add the water, yeast, sugar, most of the flour (hold back about 1/2 cup to use if required), and salt. Knead the dough, adding more flour as necessary, to make a soft dough, 10 to 12 minutes.

Note: You may also do this in your bread machine, using the Dough or Manual setting. After the dough has finished kneading, place it in a lightly greased bowl, and continue as directed below.

Big Tip: Mix ingredients together using up to 80% of the flour called for. Mix into a loose, messy mass. Let the dough rest for 12 minutes. Then continue, kneading and adding additional flour as required. Overall, the dough handles better, having had a chance to absorb the flour while resting and relaxing, and you'll tend to add less flour.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or plastic container, cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and a damp towel, and let it rise until almost doubled (depending on the weather, this could be l to 2 hours). If you're going out, or if you prefer, let the dough rise slowly in the fridge. If your dough has been refrigerated, allow it to come to room temperature; it'll warm up and rise at the same time. After its first rise, deflate the dough gently, but don't knock out all the air; this will create those "holes" so important to French bread. Form the dough into a round ball. Place two cookie sheets atop one another, and place a semolina- or cornmeal-dusted piece of parchment paper on top. Gently place the ball of dough on the cookie sheets, seam-side down. Cover it lightly with a tea towel, and let it rise the second time until it's puffy and about 40% to 50% larger, anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes (depending on the weather, luck, and magic). Slash or cross-hatch the bread with a sharp knife or lame. Dust it with a little flour.

Preheat your grill to High. Place the bread (on the doubled-up cookie sheets) on the grill, and close the cover. Immediately reduce the heat to Medium (400°F), and allow the bread to bake for 25 minutes or until it's well browned. Reduce the heat to Low, and carefully place the bread directly on the grill. Continue to bake until completely done, about 5 minutes.

For Regular (Oven) Baking: Preheat the oven to 475°F. Slash the bread, spritz water into the oven with a clean plant mister, and place the bread in the oven. Reduce the heat to 425°F and spritz with water every few minutes for the first 15 minutes of baking. Bake the bread for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until it tests done. Yield: 1 large round bread or two medium breads, 10 to 12 servings.

Variation for Herb Bread:

Add when making the dough -

2 TB dried parsley flakes

1 t. dried Italian Herbs, or a mix of oregano, marjoram, or basil

1/2t. or more fresh rosemary, snipped or chopped into small bits

Fresh herbs could be substituted for the dried; brushed with olive oil before baking and sprinkled with coarse salt this bread tastes a lot like the herb bread served at Macaroni Grill Â.yum!

Source: King Arthur Flour

Struan Bread

Makes 1 large loaf or 2 small loaves

Soaker

3 tablespoons polenta

3 tablespoons rolled oats

2 tablespoons wheat bran

1/4 cup water

Dough

3 cups unbleached bread flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon instant yeast

3 tablespoons cooked brown rice

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup water

topping

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Mix together the ingredients for the soaker. Cover and allow to soak for at least half an hour or as long as overnight.

In a larger bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then stir in wet ingredients and soaker. Add more flour or water until the dough can be formed into a ball that is tacky but not sticky. Place the ball of dough on a clean work surface and knead it for 10 to 12 minutes, then return it to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to ferment until doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl, degas it gently, and split it for two loaves or shape it as is for one. Place the loaves in greased bread pans, spritz or sprinkle water on top, and sprinkle a handful of poppy seeds on top.

Cover the pans loosely with plastic and allow the loaves to rise until doubled in size again, approximately 90 minutes.

Bake these loaves at 350 for 40 to 60 minutes, until the internal temperature is around 190 degrees. When ready the loaves will be quite brown on top and will make a hollow thud when tapped on the bottom.

Source: Brother JuniperÂs recipe, Peter ReinhartÂs Bread Bakers Apprentice

Orange Sweet Buns

1 TB yeast or 2/3TB instant yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 small (5.3oz) can evaporated milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 t. ground mace

1/4 t. ground ginger

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 3/4 cups unbleached flour

Mix yeast and water in a large bowl. Stir and allow to proof. Add remaining ingredients except flour. Beat well. Add in 2 cups flour, mix well; then add in 1 1/2 cups flour. Knead dough with 1/4 cups flour for 6 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour.

Roll out dough into a 12"x22" rectangle.

Filling:

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup grated orange rind (choose firm oranges)

Brush butter on rolled dough; sprinkle with sugar and orange rind. Roll up from long side of dough. Cut about 24 1/2" slices of the dough. Place in a buttered (or parchment paper lined) 9"x13" or larger pan. Allow to rise until doubled (45 min. to 1 hour). Bake at 350 until light brown.

Frost while warm with:

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1 TB soft butter

2 1/2 TB orange juice

2 t. grated orange rind

Mix together and frost warm buns. These are best served warm. But are also good at room temperature.

Source: Salisbury NC newspaper, The Salisbury Post, date unknown.

Look for other postings later.

Teresa