Best of Bran Muffins

These are from my favorite cookbook ever - Jane Brody's Good Food Book

and these are my favorite muffins

INGREDIENTS

·       3 cups shredded bran cereal (e.g. All-Bran, 100% Bran, etc.)

·       1/2 cup vegetable oil

·       1 cup raisins

·       1 cup boiling water

·       2 eggs, lightly beaten

·       2 cups buttermilk (or milk plus a few TBS lemon juice)t

·       1/4 cup molasses

·       2 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour

·       4 teaspoons sugar

·       2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

·       1/2 teaspoon salt

(I leave out the raisins and add chocolate chips and nuts)

PREPARATION

1.     1. In a large bowl, combine the cereal, oil, and raisins, and pour the boiling water over them. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly. 2. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, and molasses. Add this to the partly cooled cereal mixture. 3. In another small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the cereal mixture, stirring just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Cover the batter with plastic wrap, wax paper, or a damp towel, and let it stand for at least 15 minutes, preferably for 1 hour. 4. Preheat the oven to 400. Grease 24 muffin cups (I use liners), and divide the batter among them filling each cup about three-fourths full. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the muffins from the oven, and, when they are slightly cooled, take them out of the tin and place them on a rack to cool completely.

Best Soft Fluffy Dinner Rolls

Delicious!!! Made these for two Easter dinners this year

Thanks to Mom On Time Out for the wonderful recipe Ingredients

• 4 -5 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp rapid rise, instant yeast
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk , 110 degrees
• 5 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 egg , room temperature
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

• Combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, warm milk, butter, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and mix until flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
• Add Delicious!!! Made them for two Easter dinners this year 1/2 cup flour and blend with the dough hook until incorporated. And another 1/2 cup flour and repeat, mixing at medium speed for another 2 minutes until a ball of dough is formed.
• Add additional flour as necessary. The dough should be slightly sticky and soft and pulling away from the edge of the bowl. 
• Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Remove the towel or plastic wrap and deflate the dough by punching down lightly. 
• Pinch off pieces of the dough and form 24 rolls. You can weigh them to keep the rolls close to the same size. Mine were about 2 ounces each but this will vary depending on how much flour you added.
• Transfer the rolls to a lightly greased quarter baking sheet or 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for an additional 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. If the rolls are getting too brown, just tent the rolls with foil.
• Remove rolls and brush hot rolls with the melted butter. Serve immediately or store cooled rolls in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.

French multi-grain flour

A friend gave me two packages of Bio Village Preparation pour Pain Multi-Cereales.

I've used it to make pizza crust and muffins and LOVE the results.

Of course I can't find it here so I'm thinking about making the flour blend myself. I wanted to get the ingredients from the label down here:

whole wheat flour
cracked wheat
rye flour
malted barley flour
gluten

Banana Bran Muffins

I've made these twice this weekend - a big hit!

from one of my favorite cookbooks: Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet (the other fave is Jane Brody's Good Food Book)

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 medium - I keep a bunch of frozen ones in the freezer for smoothies and used them)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I used milk with a few spoonfuls of lemon juice)
2 cups shredded bran cereal (100% bran or All-Bran)
1 egg white and 1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup raisins (I used chocolate chips)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour (Instead of the two flours, I used a mix of whole wheat, rye, cracked wheat)
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar (forgot it the second time, muffins taste great)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves.

Preheat oven to 375

1. In large bowl combine banana, buttermilk and bran cereal. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Add beaten egg and oil and raisins (if desired).
3. In small bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add to banana mixture, stirring until moist (I had to add extra milk because the mixture was too dry. It should be halfway between cookie dough and pancake batter).
4. Distribute the dough into 24 muffin cups (I use liners).
5. Bake until they feel firm, about 25 minutes (mine took 20).

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

These are my favorite bran muffins - I've been making them for years.

You can keep the batter in the refrigerator for weeks - so warm, fresh muffins are just 15 minutes away!

They are from Jane Brody's Good Food Book - my favorite ever cookbook

3 cups whole bran cereal (all-bran or bran buds)
1 cup boiling water
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins, other dried fruit, or chocolate chips (my favorite)

In medium bowl, soak cereal in boiling water. Let cool. Stir in buttermilk

In large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs, and then mix in the bran-buttermilk mixture.

Sift or stir together the flours, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the bran mixture, stirring just enough to combine. Add dried fruit or chocolate chips.

Either refrigerate the batter in a tightly closed container for later use or divide it among 23 muffin cups (or 24 large ones) - filling each cup about two-thirds full.

Bake 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Pizza Dough

I received this recipe from the owner of a Chicago pizzeria - it's the best!

Pizza Dough

4-5 cups flour
2 Tbs (or packages) yeast
2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil)

(I use rapid rise (instant) yeast. If you use the active dry yeast that comes in the packages, follow more traditional bread making steps where you hydrate the yeast in water and mix in with the liquids.)

• Combine and mix 2 cups of the flour with all dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large mixer fitted with a bread mixing blade. 
• Add water and oil and mix until combined. Add the rest of the flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. 
• Let rise until double. This dough rises quickly but timing depends on many factors so expect 20-40 minutes.
• Briefly mix dough to deflate it and then divide into portions. This makes 2 large or 4-8 smaller pizzas (depending on size).
• Shape pizzas - I roll out the dough with a rolling pin or your can stretch and pat it into shape in lightly oiled pans. I like my crusts quite thin but this recipe works with any style crust.
• You can top and bake the them right away or partially pre-bake the un-topped pizza crusts and finish them in the oven or on the grill later. The crusts can be frozen at this point too.
• Bake at 500 for about 5 minutes for pre-baking (take them out just before they start to brown) and 15-30 minutes, until browned, for a topped pizza (timing depends on the toppings).

These crusts make amazing grilled pizza. I bought the book Pizza on the Grill for cooking and topping ideas. It's great.

Fermented European Bread

Justin found this recipe years ago in the New York Times. It's probably my all time favorite recipe find. The bread is easy to make, incredibly delicious, and always impressive.

Don't be discouraged by the sticky dough - it may look like it won't work, but it does - and it's worth it!

Fermented european bread

3 c flour

1/4 t instant yeast

1 t salt

cornmeal or wheatbran

1. Combine flour, yeast, salt. Add 1 5/8 c water, stir until blended. Dough will be sticky (you may need to add a little extra flour – it should just form a soft ball). Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise 12-18 hrs at room temp (if you need it faster, double the yeast – I’ve made is with a 6 hour rising time).

2. When surface is dotted with bubbles, dough is ready. Flour your work surface. Put dough on it. Sprinkle a little flour on the dough and fold it over itself once or twice. The dough will be very sticky and you will wonder how it will ever form into a loaf – have faith.

3.  Gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball using lots of flour and a flour covered spatula if necessary to fold the loaf a few times. Coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put dough, seam side down, on towel and dust with more flour. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise 30-60 minutes. When ready, dough will be double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with finger.

4. Heat oven to 450 1/2 hr before backing. Put a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, pyrex or ceramic, corning) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under the towel and turn dough over into pot.  It may look like a mess but that's ok. Gently shake pan once or twice if dough is uneven.  It will straighten out as it bakes.  Cover with lid and bake 30 min. then remove lid and bake another 15-30 until loaf is beautifully browned.  Cool on rack.

Sour dough option – add ½ cup of sour dough starter and decrease water to 1 ½ cups. You may need a little extra flour.

Makes one 1.5 lb loaf

Multi-grain scones

I haven't tried these yet - but I want to
From Dr Weil

Multi-Grain Scones

Description

These scones are the perfect answer to the morning rush. Unlike a lot of low-fat** foods, which can be so loaded with sugar that you feel hungry soon after eating them, these are quite filling - you can eat just half of one and still satisfy the need for morning sustenance. Plus, you'll get in a nice amount of bran for the day, an appropriate source of roughage. Food as Medicine One meta-analysis of seven studies, encompassing some 150,000 people, showed that those with the highest intake of dietary fiber - such as one finds in whole grains - had a 29 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those with the lowest consumption.

Ingredients

1 egg 1/2 cup sugar 5 tablespoons grapeseed or expeller-pressed canola oil 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 cup oatmeal (not instant) 1/4 cup wheat bran 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour 2 tablespoons millet 2 tablespoons poppy seeds 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup milk ZESTY LEMON TOPPING: 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk the egg, sugar and oil together in a bowl. Mix the lemon zest and all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until all of them are evenly dispersed throughout. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the egg, sugar and oil, and mix to create a thick dough. Add the milk and mix well. Lightly grease a baking pan. Scoop up tablespoonfuls of the dough and drop them one by one in mounds onto the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between. You should have about 10 scones. Bake for 15-20 minutes, just until the crust is barely golden brown and the dough is dry. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. With a fork, mix the Lemon Topping ingredients until the sugar is completely incorporated. Drizzle 1 tablespoon ever each scone. ** In light of recent research, Dr. Weil no longer recommends reduced-fat dairy products unless you happen to prefer the taste.

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

I made 2 loaves of this yesterday and it is great!  Next time I will play around w/ the proportions and try more whole wheat flour and see what happens.  

1 package (2 1/4 tsp.) yeast

2 T. unsulpured molasses

1 T. honey

2 cups warm water

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 cup rolled oats

4 T. butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 1/4 tsp. salt

in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups warm water, the yeast, molasses and honey. stir briefly, and then allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. add the flours, oats, and butter, and stir to mix (i used a whisk). the dough will look rough and shaggy. cover with a towel, and let stand for 30 minutes.

attach the bowl and bread hook to the mixer. add the salt, and mix on medium speed for 6 minutes. the dough should come together around the hook and slap around the sides of the bowl without sticking. (sprinkle 1-2 more tablespoons of flour down the sides of the bowl if dough is sticking.)

place dough in a greased bowl and let rise 1 hour. when dough has doubled in size, shape it in your hands and place in a greased loaf pan, seam side down, and press it gently into the corners of the pan. cover with a towel, and let rise again for about 1 hour. while it's rising preheat oven to 400 degrees. when dough has finished its second rise, bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. the loaf is ready when top and bottom crusts are nicely browned, and sounds hollow when thumped on top. remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting, so that the crumb has time to set.

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

I made this yesterday and it was YUMMY!!  Very moist and lemony but not too sweet.

For the Loaf:

1. 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2. 2 teaspoons baking powder
3. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4. 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
5. 1 cup sugar
6. 3 large eggs
7. 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
8. 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
10. 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

1. 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2. 1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

1. 1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2. 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
5. While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
6. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
7. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Yields: 1-9x5 loaf

Note:

1. This recipe will also yield about 12 standard muffins or 36 miniature muffins, baking time adjusted.
2. It could be doubled and baked in a well-greased and floured bundt pan, baking time adjusted.
3. This recipe could also be baked in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round, to create a thin cake (approx. 1 1/2 inches tall), baking time adjusted.

Bran flax seed muffins

(from allrecipes.com)

 These taste fantastic and they get wonderfully nutritious flax seed into our bodies.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup ground flax seed
3/4 cup oat bran
1 cup brown sugar (I cut way back on this - to about 1/2 cup and I added an extra egg)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup skim milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups shredded carrots
2 apples, peeled, shredded
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup chopped mixed nuts

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, flax seed, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the milk, eggs, vanilla and oil; mix until just blended. Stir in the carrots, apples, raisins and nuts. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
3. Bake at 350 F (175 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Chocolate German pancakes

We've been making what we call "German Pancakes" in our family forever - and I just now found out they're also known as Dutch babies.

Here's our original recipe:

German Pancakes

1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 Tbs butter.

Mix all ingredients except for butter in blender. Preheat oven to 450. Put butter in a glass pie pan or casserole dish and put in oven until butter melts. Then pour in batter and bake until it puffs up and is golden - 15-20 minutes. We like to drizzle it with fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Now here's the chocolate version from marthastewart.com

Chocolate Dutch Baby

3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a blender, combine milk, eggs, flour, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and granulated sugar. Blend until foamy, 1 minute. In a large cast-iron skillet (I think a glass dish would work), melt butter over medium. Pour batter into skillet and immediately transfer to oven. Bake until puffed and set, 20 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

Someone try this and let me know how it tastes!

Ok - I tried this recipe and it's delicious.

Here's my pictures:

Double quick dinner rolls and buns

I've had this little cookbook for about 35 years. The price sticker says $2.50! It has some great bread recipes.





One of my favorite recipes from the book is:

Double Quick Dinner Rolls (and buns)

I was also able to find the recipe on the Betty Crocker website

2 1/4 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package regular or quick active dry yeast
1 cup very warm water (120°F to 130°F)
2 tablespoons shortening (I use oil)
1 egg

Mix 1 1/4 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast in large bowl. Add water, shortening and egg; beat with spoon until smooth. Stir in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape batter from side of bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until double.

Grease 12 regular-size muffin cups. Stir down batter by beating about 25 strokes. Spoon into muffin cups. Let rise 20 to 30 minutes or until batter rounds over tops of cups.

Heat oven to 400ºF. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Hamburger buns variation

Increase flour to 2 3/4 cups. After stirring down batter, turn unto floured surface. Divide into 12 equal parts (24 for slider buns). Shape each part into a smooth ball with lightly greased fingers. Place about 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet. Beat 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water slightly; brush over buns. Sprinkle with finely chopped onion, sesame seed, or poppy seed (egg wash and topping is optional). Bake as directed for rolls.


Also be sure to see our recipes for Well done burgers done well and  Burger sauce.

Favorite bread, favorite cheese

We traveled through Europe this summer and I feel in love with German rye bread in Berlin.

I've searched and searched for a good authentic rye here in Utah - no luck until today at Whole Foods Market. I found Crumb Brothers old world rye bread - it's delicious.



We also visited France this summer (and many times before). My absolute favorite French cheese is a goat cheese called Bucherondine. I keep an eye out for it any time I see a good cheese display and today I finally found it - also at Whole Foods Market. It's slightly firmer than the grocery store goat cheese and has more bite. I love it!

So dinner tonight was simple - a couple of salads from Whole Foods served with fabulous bread and cheese.

Perfect!

Naan and crockpot chicken tikka masala

From my mission:

Here is what I cooked for the new elders last Tuesday night




Garlic Naan

* 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
* 1 cup warm water
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 3 tablespoons milk
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 4 1/2 cups bread flour
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
* 1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

and



Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala

1.5 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast diced into large cubes
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (my substitution for mustard seed oil)
2 ounces milk
5 ounces natural yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 small can of tomato sauce
5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garam masala*
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Whisk together all of the ingredients minus chicken in your crockpot. Then mix in diced chicken. If you want to marinate at this point, place mixture into the fridge to marinate for 24 hours. It may not be safe to leave chicken which has previously been frozen for longer than 24 hours, but fresh chicken should be left to marinate for 48 hours for best results. If you do not wish to leave the chicken to marinate, simply continue to the next step. Turn the crockpot on low until the chicken is cooked throughout. Most people serve over Basmati rice.

They liked it!

5 minute whole wheat bread

I really want to try this recipe for easy european style whole wheat bread from the Former Chef blog.

The concept is from the book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Indian Bread - The recipe Dad used to follow

2 cups of flour
1 t of baking powder
1/2 t of salt
water

When the 5 J's were young, they loved this!

European Bread - A favorite of our missionary couples

Also known as "No-Knead Bread"


(Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery)

Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising


3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.