Bread Machine (41 page)

2
¹
/
₄
teaspoons sea salt

1 tablespoon SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon plus
¹
/
₂
teaspoon bread machine yeast

Place the sesame seeds in a dry skillet. Cook over medium heat, shaking constantly, until the seeds are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on medium and program for the Whole Wheat cycle; press Start. (This recipe may be made using the Delay Timer.)

When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.

Leftover Bread Cookery: Classic Combinations of Bread and Cheese

My Favorite Grilled Cheese Sandwich

On soup and sandwich night, my mom used to make these in a hinged electric grill, which squished the grilled sandwich perfectly. The sandwich takes on many different characters depending on the cheese you use: an Oregon Tillamook cheddar, a Vermont raw cheddar, a mild Wisconsin Colby, or perhaps the English Double Gloucester. Vary the filling with a bit of crumbled goat cheese, cooked bacon strips, fresh tomato slices, sweet hot mustard, roasted canned or fresh green chile strips, sautéed mushrooms, deli smoked turkey, or Black Forest ham. Serve with a dill pickle spear, sweet pickle chips, or gherkins. The homemade bread makes the sandwich sublime.

Slices of firm-textured homemade white, whole wheat, or multigrain bread, 2 slices per sandwich

Cheddar cheese sliced
¹
/
₂
inch thick

Unsalted butter or butter-flavored cooking spray

Cover a slice of bread almost to the edges with
¹
/
₂
-inch-thick slices of cheese; place a second slice of bread on top. Melt a pat of butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Place the sandwich in the sizzling butter, moving it around to evenly soak the bread. Using a spatula, press down on the bread. Cook for 30 seconds, until golden brown and evenly toasted. Top with a pat of butter and flip the sandwich over to finish cooking on the second side; press once more with the spatula. Transfer the sandwich to a plate and cut in half. Have napkins on hand—a grilled cheese is meant to be eaten with your hands.

Welsh Rabbit

Serves 4

Welsh rabbit, or rarebit, has no bunny rabbit in it. Rabbit is an old name for Old English cheddar cheese, produced near the Welsh border, that was melted and poured over toast. This is as traditional as a homespun British dish can be. I loved this as a kid (use milk instead of beer for the young diners), and my friends who are Brits make it often for lunch or dinner. When topped with a poached egg, it is called a Golden Buck. This recipe comes from Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, where it is served as tavern fare with mugs of cold ale.

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 pound medium or sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

³
/
₄
cup beer, divided

1 large egg, beaten

Dash of hot red pepper sauce

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Coleman’s dry mustard

4 slices toast, plain or buttered, crusts removed

Hungarian ground paprika, for sprinkling

In the top of a double boiler, melt the butter. Add the cheese and all but 2 tablespoons of the beer. Let the butter and cheese melt slowly over low heat.

Combine the beaten egg with the hot pepper and Worcestershire sauces. Moisten the mustard with the reserved beer, and stir to make a paste. Add to the melted cheese, stirring constantly. Spoon over the toast, sprinkle with paprika, and serve at once.

Fondue Neuchâtel

Serves 6

Fondue goes in and out of fashion in this country. But in Europe it is a quintessential winter food for sharing. It was originally cooked communally over an open fire by herdsmen camped out in high Alpine meadows. The name of this fondue comes from the addition of Neuchâtel, a dry, 11-percent alcohol white wine. You can substitute Riesling or champagne. Kirsch is the traditional finishing touch, a strong clear liqueur made from mountain cherries. You can use other clear
eaux-de-fruits,
such as pear or raspberry brandy, if you have one on hand. It is best to start your fondue on the stovetop, and then transfer it to the bowl of a tabletop warmer. Use an earthenware or ceramic fondue pot for this fondue. Long forks are needed for dipping the bread, but provide your guests with regular forks and small plates for eating. This is bread and cheese at their best!

8 ounces Emmenthaler cheese, shredded

8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded

2
¹
/
₂
tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 clove garlic, split

1
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/
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cups dry white wine

3 tablespoons clear fruit brandy

Fresh-ground black pepper

Fresh-grated nutmeg

1 loaf fresh homemade country bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

Combine the cheeses in a bowl. Toss with the flour. Rub the inside of a heavy saucepan with the garlic clove. Add the wine to the pan and heat to a simmer. Stirring constantly, slowly add the cheese a handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next. The melted cheese will be the consistency of a light béchamel cream sauce. Stir in the brandy and the pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Transfer the fondue to a fondue pot, chafing dish, or
caquelon
(a Swiss earthenware casserole glazed on the inside). Keep moderately warm over a low flame. Serve the fondue immediately, accompanied by the cubes of bread.