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Artisan Bread Baking & Usage Tips

Change the look of your bread.

• Vary how your bread looks simply by cutting a unique shape into the dough before baking. After shaping the dough into a loaf, dust top of the loaf with flour. Use a serrated knife to cut a pattern such as a tic-tac-toe shape.

• Unleash the gourmet in you, and garnish the dough with a sprinkling of kosher salt or chopped herbs before baking.
  

Customize your bread with simple additions or toppings.
No additional bake time is required.

• Dill Bread: Add 1 tablespoon dried dill to Country White or Sourdough Bread Mix.
• Zesty Lemon Bread: Add 2 tablespoons lemon zest to Country White or Sourdough Bread Mix
• Oatmeal Bread: Add 1/4 cup oatmeal to Cracked Wheat or Honey Wheat Berry Bread Mix.
• Onion Bread: Add 1 teaspoon onion powder to Cracked Wheat or Honey Wheat Berry Bread Mix. Sprinkle top of dough with finely chopped rosemary before baking.
• Parmesan Cheese & Herb Bread: Add 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese to Italian Herb Bread Mix. Sprinkle top of dough with finely chopped rosemary before baking.
• Sun-dried Tomato Bread: Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes to Italian Herb Bread Mix.
• Orange Raisin Bread: Add 2 tablespoons orange zest to Cinnamon Raisin Bread Mix.
• Cinnamon Pecan Bread: Add 1/3 cup chopped pecans to Cinnamon Raisin Bread Mix.
  
  

Leftover Bread?

We can't imagine that this is possible, but homemade croutons or crostini appetizers might be worth saving the bread for.

• Croutons: Cut the bread into cubes, approximately 1-inch square. For every  2 cups of bread cubes, drizzle with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with dried herbs to taste. Toss lightly and place on a baking sheet, spreading bread cubes into a single layer. Bake at 400°F 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir to ensure even browning. Return to oven for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. They will crisp up as they cool.

• Crostini: Slice the loaf into thin, 1/4-inch slices. Brush with olive oil and broil until toasty. Top with your favorite savory spread or cheese. Here are a few of our favorites.
      - Olive spread and herbed goat cheese.
      - Sliced fresh mozzarella, tomato slices and fresh basil leaves.
      - Cream cheese, smoked salmon and fresh dill.
  
  

Not enough time to bake your bread after it rises?

• After your dough has doubled in size, punch it down and cover it with plastic wrap.  Place dough in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you are ready to bake your bread, shape the dough as directed and allow it to rise for an additional hour to compensate for the temperature change. Another advantage of refrigerating your dough is that it will be less sticky and easier to shape into a loaf.
  

Dough is very sticky

• All bread dough does have a tendency to be sticky. The key is to flour the surface of the dough and your hands, continuing to sprinkle flour over the dough as necessary. Another idea is to refrigerate the dough for a while. Cold dough is less sticky and much easier to shape into a loaf. It may be necessary to add additional rise time to compensate for the temperature change.