Everything I Know about Bread I learned from the ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES

Not only was Vincent Price a pretty good actor in his day(with a Yale education to boot), but he was also an avid art collector and  gourmand.  He, with his second wife Mary, wrote a few cookbooks which have become quite collectible.

I have an original copy of  "A Treasure of Great Recipes" that was given to me by my mother. (There were 2 copies in our family but I don't know whatever happened to the other copy.)  This cookbook has some of the (at the time)world's foremost restaurants specialties' recipes adapted for the American homecook.  Published in 1965, this tome is quite the 'hoot' now with it's full color photographs of Mr. Price and his wife in some of the classiest Restaurants in the civilized world, the food and replicas of menus from their travels.

As a young newly married wife in the early 1980's, I drew inspiration from many of it's recipes, as it was the only cookbook I owned and this was long before the days of instant recipes via the internet.
I had the nerve to attempt recipes like classical French Onion Soup, Beef Wellington with Yorkshire Pudding, Coq au Vin, Steak au Poivre, Bookbinder's Cheesecake and more.   I wasn't intimidated because being a novice, I didn't know any better, so I just cooked what sounded good and most of them came out ok if not very well.  And that's the point....don't be afraid to try something new or difficult.

This cookbook has a yeast bread recipe that Vincent Price used to make for his house breads.  It makes a very good loaf, whether you make the classic French Bread batard shape or plop it into a loaf pan to make a conventional American shaped loaf.  I use this bread recipe as a starting point for all my yeast breads(except for sweet dough breads, brioche, danish or coffee rings).

Here it is....

YEAST BREAD
makes 4 loaves, 4 dozen rolls or 4 coffee rings

1. Soften: 2 packages active dry yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water.

2. Scald: 2 cups milk and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add: 4 Tablespoons sugar, 4 teaspoons salt, 4 Tablespoons shortening*, and 1.5 cups likewarm water.  Cool to lukewarm. (*I use vegetable oil instead of Crisco or solid shortening.)

 
3. Stir in: 2 cups flour.  Add the softened yeast.  Then add: 4 cups flour and beat with a wooden spoon until batter is smooth and elastic.

4. Add more flour(about 6 cups)to make a dough that is light but does not stick to the hands, beating it in until the beating gets rough, then working it in with the hands.

5. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board, cover and let rest for 10 minutes, then knead until dough is smooth.  

Shape dough into a ball and put it in a lightly greased bowl. 

Brush surface of the dough with melted shortening, cover, and let rise until double in bulk, about 2 hours.  

6. Punch dough down and divide into 4 equal portions.  Shape each part into a smooth ball, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

7. Shape each part into a loaf, put loaves in greased bread pands(3 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 2 3/4 deep), cover and let rise for about 1.5 hours, or until sides of dough reach top of the pans and the center is well rounded above it.

8. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 50 minutes.

To make this Yeast Bread recipe into traditional French batards(the long think loaves), when you get to Step 7, do this....
7. Shape the dough into long thin loaves. 

With kitchen shears, make gashes on top of the loaves about 3 inches apart and 1.5 inches deep.  

Place loaves several inches apart on a greased baking sheet and let rise until double in bulk. 

Brush tops with slighly beaten egg white....

and bake in a preheated 425 degree F oven for 40 minutes.  If desired, brush again with egg white and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.  Return to the oven for 10 minutes longer, or until seeds are brown.

The finished product you want to AVOID!lolol

Sluggy