Bread Breakthrough: A "Kneadlessly Simple" Technique

(NAPSI)-Savoring a warm loaf of fragrant, just-from-the-oven bread can be one of life's great pleasures. Now you can experience the joys of home-baked bread using a breakthrough technique.

Taking bread making to a whole new level, award-winning cookbook author Nancy Baggett has developed a "Kneadlessly Simple" method that helps even complete novices bake bread easily in their own kitchens, with no kneading and no mess.

The secret is to allow the yeast to grow slowly and develop the same full, satisfying flavor of traditional bread. The technique can be used to produce a wide variety of breads, from Pull-Apart Butter-Top Rolls to Easy Oat Bread and Rosemary Focaccia.

Here's an amazingly easy example to try. Don't let the length of this recipe alarm you as Baggett offers detailed instructions for best results and various rising options to fit your schedule.

"Kneadlessly Simple" Very Cherry-Streusel Coffeecake

Dough:

2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Fleischmann's® RapidRise or Bread Machine Yeast

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons ice- cold water, plus more ice water if needed

Streusel and Filling:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter (not margarine), melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup slivered almonds, optional

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

First Rise: In large bowl, thoroughly mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast. In large measuring cup, whisk oil into water. Thoroughly stir liquid into flour, scraping down sides until thoroughly blended. If mixture is too dry to mix in all the flour, stir in just enough water to blend ingredients; don't overmoisten as dough should be almost stiff. If necessary, firm it by adding more flour. Brush or spray top with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. For convenience or fullest flavor, hold dough in the refrigerator 3-10 hours if desired. Then let rise at cool room temperature (about 70° F) 8-16 hours.

For Streusel: In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon, finely crushing any sugar lumps. Stir in butter and vanilla until evenly incorporated and mixture forms small clumps. Refrigerate, covered, until firmed up and cooled, at least 30 minutes and up to a week. If cold, let warm up slightly before using. Before using, break up any large clumps.

Second Rise: Set aside 1½ cups streusel for topping. Vigorously stir remaining streusel into dough, leaving little patches of streusel throughout. Turn out dough into well-oiled 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Spread or press until evenly thick using an oiled spatula or fingertips. Spread cherry filling evenly over top. Sprinkle nuts and reserved streusel evenly over dough top. Cover baking dish with nonstick spray-coated plastic wrap. Let rise using any of these methods: For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in turned-off microwave along with 1 cup boiling-hot water; for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, 4-24 hours, then set out at room temperature. When dough nears plastic, remove it and continue rising until dough is ½ inch below pan rim.

Baking: 15 minutes before baking time, place rack just below center of oven and preheat to 350° F. Set coffeecake on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until top is nicely browned and a paring knife inserted in center of the dough comes out with just a few crumbs on tip (or until center registers 205-207° F on instant-read thermometer). Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Then cut into rectangles and serve warm. Yield: 1 large coffeecake, about 12 portions.

Storing: Cool completely before storing airtight in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

Fleischmann's Yeast is offering a book with some of Baggett's many recipes. To order a copy of the book for $1 to offset shipping and handling, visit www.breadbreakthrough.com.

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Recipes Make It Easy To Get Recommended Amount Of Whole Grains And Fiber

(NAPSI)-When it comes to eating healthier, whole grain breads provide a good start. Breads made with a variety of whole grains can help you get the daily recommended three servings of fiber your body needs.

A high-fiber diet can provide fewer calories and it tends to help you eat less. In addition, the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend increasing intake of whole grains due to their role in cutting the risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, certain cancers, diabetes and obesity.

It's getting easier to eat high-fiber breads that all will enjoy by making them yourself coupled with choosing convenient recipes. One choice of convenient whole grain bread requires no kneading, namely Irish Wheaten Bread. Just combine the ingredients, form the dough and let it rise. Another great time-saver is to use Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast, as the dough needs to rise only once.

RapidRise Yeast can also be used in bread machines, another convenient way to make tasty high-fiber breads such as Multigrain Bread. The machine can make a loaf from start to finish or, once the dough has been mixed, you can remove it to shape into virtually anything from pizza crust to dinner rolls and more.

Find other recipes and bread-making tips by visiting www.breadworld.com. Under the goodfibes seal there are about 100 recipes with a minimum of 0.8 grams of dietary fiber per ounce, enough to be designated as high fiber.

Irish Wheaten Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 envelope Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

¼ cup water

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, cut up

2 to 21/2 cups whole wheat flour

In large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt and baking soda. Heat buttermilk, water and butter until very warm (120° to 130° F); mixture will curdle. Stir liquids into dry ingredients. Stir in enough whole wheat flour to make stiff dough.

Remove dough to lightly floured surface; form into smooth 5-inch ball, adding additional whole wheat flour if needed. Place in greased 9-inch pie pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 to 60 minutes.

With sharp knife, make an "X" (1/2 inch deep) on top of the dough. Bake at 375° F for 35 to 40 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.

Multigrain Bread

Makes one 11/2-pound loaf

11/3 cups water

2 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 tsp. salt

2 cups bread flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup rolled oats, toasted*

3 Tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder

3 Tbsp. cornmeal

3 Tbsp. toasted wheat germ

1 envelope Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast

Add ingredients to bread machine pan in order suggested by the manufacturer. Recommended cycle: whole wheat/whole grain or basic/ white bread cycle; medium/ normal color setting. (If basic/white bread cycle is used, add 1 tablespoon gluten to recipe.) Timed-bake feature can be used.

*To toast oats, spread thin layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350° F for 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring often.

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