BUTTERMILK WHITE BREAD

BUTTERMILK ROLLS

BUTTERMILK POTATO BREAD

BUTTERMILK CHEESE BREAD

2            tablespoons yeast
1            cup warm water  (110 degrees)
1            tablespoon sugar
4            cups buttermilk at room temperature
4            eggs, beaten
1/2         cup sugar
1/2         cup butter (1 stick), melted and cooled  (or substitute oil)
2            tablespoons salt
1            cup gluten flour
10-11     cups white flour
1            egg white beaten with one tablespoon water

Mix the yeast, water and sugar in a large measuring cup and allow yeast to foam (proof).

In a large mixing bowl, pour the buttermilk, eggs, sugar, butter and salt. Stir.  Add the gluten flour and stir. Now add the yeast mixture and five cups of white flour, and continue to mix. Add two more cups of flour. You should have a fairly sticky dough.

Spread a cup of flour on your work table and turn out the dough. Begin kneading the dough using the Rhythm Method (push fold turn) and add up to 3 more cups of flour. Knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough is silky and resilient and reaches the Baby’s Bottom Stage.

Wash your bowl, grease it, and put the dough back in it. Cover with a damp towel and let rise until double or triple in bulk—2 to 4 hours.

Punch down the dough. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and turn the dough out of the bowl.  You should have about 8 pounds of dough. Divide the dough into 4 parts and form loaves, fitting them into greased bread pans. (This dough produces great rolls, so you may want to form 3 loaves and make the rest of the dough into rolls.) Cover with a damp towel, and allow to double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 
Using a pastry brush, brush the loaves with the egg white mixture. Place loaves in the oven. Bake 35 to 45 minutes.  Rolls will be done in about 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaves should read 200 degrees. Tip the loaves out of the pans onto a cake rack and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

VARIATION # 1—Add two cups mashed potatoes to the buttermilk mixture and whisk thoroughly. Add one extra teaspoon salt and one or two more cups of white flour.

VARIATION # 2—Add three cups grated cheddar cheese or mixture of jack and cheddar to the buttermilk mixture. (optional—add one teaspoon tabasco sauce.)