Sunrise over Carter's:
The calm before the storm,
Red snowpocalypse dawn
On my way to and from Carter's Mountain, I ran by Food Lion, which was really crowded even at 8:00 am with people stocking up for the big one. And I knew there'd be no bread there anyway, so I went through all the bread machine recipes at the Bob's Red Mill website, just because that's where I found the Russian Black Bread recipe I really like.
I picked out a simple recipe that's one-third whole wheat. It's a low-rising, dense loaf so it's good for grilled cheese, which is what I made for Cassie and me (Brad wanted a plain cheese sandwich).
I have never liked mayonnaise, but I recently discovered it's the perfect way to make grilled cheese—even coverage, no waiting for the butter to soften, and it browns and crisps perfectly without burning as easily as butter. But you have to use good mayo or the sandwich will just taste like bad mayo. Homemade mayonnaise is best and quick to make, but it doesn't last long, so I keep Duke's Mayonnaise in the fridge just for making grilled cheese sandwiches.
Adapted from Bob's Red Mill
You can find general instructions for making this bread by hand here.
295 grams (1¼ cups) warm water
3 tablespoons (40 grams) neutral-tasting oil
1 tablespoon (12 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon potato flakes
1½ teaspoons sea salt
272 grams (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
152 grams (1 cup) stone ground whole wheat flour
1¼ teaspoons instant yeast
1. Add the ingredients to your bread machine pan in the order listed. Set the machine for a 1.5-pound loaf, "Basic" cycle, and "Medium" color, and press "Start."
2. The first kneading cycle lasts 10 minutes (on my machine). Near the end of that time, check the dough. If it feels a little sticky and there's a slight smear of dough under the knead blade(s), the dough is fine. If the dough is very sticky and clinging to the sides of the bread pan (which is what I found with this loaf), add 1 tablespoon of flour. Allow the flour to be mixed in completely before making any more adjustments. If the dough is dry and very firm and the machine appears to be laboring, add 1 teaspoon of lukewarm water. Allow the water to be mixed in completely before making any more adjustments. The dough is just right when it is smooth and soft, and the bottom of the pan is clean. Because I found this to be a very sticky dough, I checked again during the second kneading cycle (about 45 minutes in, when the alert sounds), and found that I needed to add another tablespoon of flour.
3. Set a kitchen timer for about 8 minutes shy of the machine's full baking cycle. When the timer sounds, turn the machine off and unplug the power cord. Remove the bread pan, turn it upside down, and shake gently until the loaf comes out. Transfer the loaf to a rack to cool completely. Store the bread cut side down on a piece of foil. Makes one 1½-pound loaf.
Adapted from Gabrielle Hamilton via Food52
Homemade bread is great, but you won't usually have that around. The original recipe recommends "rustic bread." I've made this with pain de campagne from Albemarle Baking Company. It tastes good and gets really crispy, but the bread is too airy for grilled cheese, which is true of most bakery breads. So the easiest alternative is the best bread you can get at the grocery store, which is probably Arnold, unless you have a Trader Joe's, in which case I like Trader Joe's Sprouted Multi-Grain Bread or Harvest Whole Wheat Bread.
You can use whatever cheese you want, including all Cheddar, as long as most of it melts well. Gouda is another good option for a melting cheese—a red wax Gouda is typical, but Trader Joe's has an especially good goat's milk Gouda. I like to use some Asiago because the sharp flavor adds some oomph to the sandwiches. There are plenty of other ways you can sexy up your grilled cheese, including spreading duxelles or cranberry sauce on the inside of the bread before sprinkling the cheese on.
40 grams grated Asiago cheese (see note)
40 grams grated Gouda or Cheddar cheese (not extra-sharp)
Good mayonnaise
4 ½-inch-thick slices of good sandwich bread (see note)
1. Mix the cheeses together in a small bowl.
2. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise evenly over 2 slices of the bread, then place them mayo side down in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat to start. Sprinkle each slice of the bread evenly with the cheese. Spread the remaining 2 slices of bread with a thin layer of mayo, then place them mayo side up on top of the cheese.
3. Cook until the bottom slices are golden brown and crispy. If you start with a cold pan (which you should since you're using an ungreased nonstick skillet), this can take about 10 to 12 minutes, so be patient. Adjust the heat down, if needed, so the bread gets to golden brown as the cheese is starting to melt. Flip the sandwiches over carefully. Cook until the other side is golden brown and crispy and the cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes more.
4. Remove from the heat to a cutting board. Let the sandwiches cool for a minute or two, then cut each in half and serve. Makes 2 sandwiches.
I have never liked mayonnaise, but I recently discovered it's the perfect way to make grilled cheese—even coverage, no waiting for the butter to soften, and it browns and crisps perfectly without burning as easily as butter. But you have to use good mayo or the sandwich will just taste like bad mayo. Homemade mayonnaise is best and quick to make, but it doesn't last long, so I keep Duke's Mayonnaise in the fridge just for making grilled cheese sandwiches.
Sandwich Bread
Adapted from Bob's Red Mill
You can find general instructions for making this bread by hand here.
295 grams (1¼ cups) warm water
3 tablespoons (40 grams) neutral-tasting oil
1 tablespoon (12 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon potato flakes
1½ teaspoons sea salt
272 grams (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
152 grams (1 cup) stone ground whole wheat flour
1¼ teaspoons instant yeast
1. Add the ingredients to your bread machine pan in the order listed. Set the machine for a 1.5-pound loaf, "Basic" cycle, and "Medium" color, and press "Start."
2. The first kneading cycle lasts 10 minutes (on my machine). Near the end of that time, check the dough. If it feels a little sticky and there's a slight smear of dough under the knead blade(s), the dough is fine. If the dough is very sticky and clinging to the sides of the bread pan (which is what I found with this loaf), add 1 tablespoon of flour. Allow the flour to be mixed in completely before making any more adjustments. If the dough is dry and very firm and the machine appears to be laboring, add 1 teaspoon of lukewarm water. Allow the water to be mixed in completely before making any more adjustments. The dough is just right when it is smooth and soft, and the bottom of the pan is clean. Because I found this to be a very sticky dough, I checked again during the second kneading cycle (about 45 minutes in, when the alert sounds), and found that I needed to add another tablespoon of flour.
3. Set a kitchen timer for about 8 minutes shy of the machine's full baking cycle. When the timer sounds, turn the machine off and unplug the power cord. Remove the bread pan, turn it upside down, and shake gently until the loaf comes out. Transfer the loaf to a rack to cool completely. Store the bread cut side down on a piece of foil. Makes one 1½-pound loaf.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Adapted from Gabrielle Hamilton via Food52
Homemade bread is great, but you won't usually have that around. The original recipe recommends "rustic bread." I've made this with pain de campagne from Albemarle Baking Company. It tastes good and gets really crispy, but the bread is too airy for grilled cheese, which is true of most bakery breads. So the easiest alternative is the best bread you can get at the grocery store, which is probably Arnold, unless you have a Trader Joe's, in which case I like Trader Joe's Sprouted Multi-Grain Bread or Harvest Whole Wheat Bread.
You can use whatever cheese you want, including all Cheddar, as long as most of it melts well. Gouda is another good option for a melting cheese—a red wax Gouda is typical, but Trader Joe's has an especially good goat's milk Gouda. I like to use some Asiago because the sharp flavor adds some oomph to the sandwiches. There are plenty of other ways you can sexy up your grilled cheese, including spreading duxelles or cranberry sauce on the inside of the bread before sprinkling the cheese on.
40 grams grated Asiago cheese (see note)
40 grams grated Gouda or Cheddar cheese (not extra-sharp)
Good mayonnaise
4 ½-inch-thick slices of good sandwich bread (see note)
1. Mix the cheeses together in a small bowl.
2. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise evenly over 2 slices of the bread, then place them mayo side down in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat to start. Sprinkle each slice of the bread evenly with the cheese. Spread the remaining 2 slices of bread with a thin layer of mayo, then place them mayo side up on top of the cheese.
3. Cook until the bottom slices are golden brown and crispy. If you start with a cold pan (which you should since you're using an ungreased nonstick skillet), this can take about 10 to 12 minutes, so be patient. Adjust the heat down, if needed, so the bread gets to golden brown as the cheese is starting to melt. Flip the sandwiches over carefully. Cook until the other side is golden brown and crispy and the cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes more.
4. Remove from the heat to a cutting board. Let the sandwiches cool for a minute or two, then cut each in half and serve. Makes 2 sandwiches.
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