Deli Bread

Today is March 21.....and according to the calendar,spring has sprung! But, unfortunately, according to my thermometer and my window, winter is doing its best to hang on! I probably should have gone out and shoveled a path through the snow to my door earlier today, but, in rebellion, I did not. I have hung my spring wreaths on the door (as ridiculous as forsythia blooms look when it's 25 degrees out and snowing) and I've put my turtle neck sweaters in storage (I might be a bit chilly the next few days..) . I KNOW that soon....very soon.....spring will be here for certain and I will happily be spending a LOT of time outdoors. Not that I'm much of a gardener - never picked up those skills from my mom, though now I wish I had paid more attention. I just like things looking "pretty". I can't wait to: grab a leaf rake and clean up those lingering reminders of last fall; fill a few planters for my porch; sweep out the wind-blown debris in the garage; drag out the picnic table....etc., etc., etc.  I'm sure everyone's feeling about the same - we'll work all day outside and then come in and think, "I'm starved!  What's for dinner?"

Here's a delicious, speedy bread that is great served just as your "bread", or can be sliced in half and used to construct a large, lovely deli sandwich. It's a tasty, airy, unique-shaped loaf that won't take too much of your time to make.....so you can be back outside in no time!

Deli Bread

1/2 Cup warm water

1 Tbsp/ packet Red Star Platinum yeast 

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 Tbsp. warm water

3/4 Cup warm milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 Cup unbleached all-purpose flour, or bread flour

1 Tbsp. cornmeal 

Pour 1/2 Cup water into EZ DOH bucket and stir in yeast to dissolve. Let rest 1 minute. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in the 1/2 Tbsp. water. Add remaining ingredients to EZ DOH bucket, then dissolved baking soda mixture. Turn EZ DOH handle until mixture is smooth. The dough/batter will be smooth, but sticky and thick. Spray 2 - 9" pie or cake pans with cooking spray and dust bottoms lightly with cornmeal. With a spatula, transfer half of the dough to each pan. Spray top of dough lightly with cooking spray. Cover and let rise for one hour. Preheat oven to 375. Spray tops of loaves again with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden. Let cool totally before slicing. 

Deli Bread