Bread and Butter

It is hard to think of something that tastes better than fresh homemade bread and butter. This bread recipe has become my family’s daily bread loaf. It has a moist crumb and a crackling crust. The bread is very easy to make and the results are fresher and most likely better than what you can buy in your local bakery. For the butter I like to culture my cream with buttermilk before churning it. It makes a higher yield and has a wonderful flavor more like European butter. Give it a try.

Basic Overnight Bread

Yield = 1-11/4 lb. loaf

3c (400grams) bread flour

2t salt

1/4t yeast (instant or active dry)

1 1/3c (300 grams) water (around 60°)

cornmeal, bran, or flour for dusting dough

1. Mix all ingredients until they just come together. I use my kitchen aid but mixing by hand works well too. This dough will be very wet and sticky.

2. Cover and let sit overnight or for 12-18 hours and up to 24 hours.

3. Dough is ready when it has expanded to fill the bowl and has a flat surface dotted with holes.

4. Use a handful of cornmeal, bran, or flour to top your dough and scrape the sides of the bowl to loosen the dough into a ball. Handle lightly. Place your shaped dough in a tea towel or covered bowl to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

5. Dough is ready to bake when you poke it and your finger mark stays.

6. Preheat a deep cast-iron pot with lid in your oven at 475°about ½ hour before your dough is ready. Be sure the knob on the lid to your pot will withstand this hot temperature, if not simply remove it.

7.Carefully take the hot pot out of the oven. Remove lid. Quickly roll your dough into the bottom of the hot pot seam side up. Replace lid.

8. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, and then remove the lid and bake for 15 minutes more. For best flavor your bread be close to a chestnut brown color but not burned. Most bread is not baked long enough and is missing the wonderful flavors that you get from baking a bit longer.

9. Carefully remove bread from hot pot and cool completely before eating. The inside of your bread is still cooking from residual heat.

10. For rye or whole wheat variation: use 2 1/4c (300 grams) bread flour and 3/4c (100 grams) whole wheat or rye flour and double your yeast to 1/2 t.

*Adapted from “My Bread” by Jim Lahey

Cultured Butter

Yield = about ½ lb.

1 qt. heavy cream

1/4c cultured buttermilk

salt (to taste)

1. Mix cream and buttermilk in a glass mason jar with lid.

2. Set out at room temperature for overnight or about 12 hours.

3. Chill cultured cream to 60°. You can use it at this point just as you would use crème fraiche.

4. Shake cream using a container that is half full or use a butter churn. Shake or churn until butter forms a mass and separates from the buttermilk. This usually takes about 10 minutes. You may stop and re-chill your cream if it warms up.

5. Strain off buttermilk and reserve for another use (wonderful to use for making biscuits).

6. Rinse butter by squeezing it in a strainer under cold water until water runs clear. This removes all traces of the buttermilk which will make your butter sour prematurely if not removed.

7. Stir in salt to taste if desired. Salting will make your butter last bit longer.

8. Keeps about two weeks in refrigerator.