At our house, Easter eggs are usually elaborate affairs. We chip tiny holes on the ends, blow out the centers, and spend hours creating works of art to keep forever. This year, I had a cold, and so it was decided that my germs would render the eggs inedible. Hence, we had to boil the eggs to be dyed, and then broken soon thereafter for egg salad. So we did a simple dye job. After hiding and hunting, the eggs returned to the refrigerator. Knowing egg salad would call for sandwich bread, I baked a loaf:
This is a delicious -- and foolproof! -- recipe that takes 2 hours from start to finish, including rising and baking times. I've made this four times, messed up the rising temperature, mismeasured the yeast, and still the bread turns out delicious. I didn't make any mistakes this time. It baked up soft, fluffy, and flavorful. I could eat the whole loaf plain! But I didn't (this time).
And voila! Egg Salad with Radishes, Green Onions, and Fennel. Easter Bunny Approved.
American Sandwich Bread
Makes one 9-inch loaf from The New Best Recipe
3 3/4 C (18 3/4 oz) unbleached AP flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
2 t salt
1 C warm whole milk (about 110 degrees)
1/3 C + 2 T warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 T unsalted butter, melted
3 T honey
1 envelope (about 2 1/4 t) instant yeast
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Once the temp reaches 200 degrees, maintain the heat for 10 min, then turn off the oven.
2. Mix flour and salt in food processor. Mix milk, water, butter, honey and yeast together and pour slowly through feeding tube. Process until a rough ball forms, 35 seconds. Turn the dough onto lightly floured work surface and knead by hand until dough is smooth and satiny, 4 to 5 min.
3. Place the dough in a very lightly oiled large bowl, rubbing the dough around the bowl to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the warmed oven until the dough doubles in size, 40 to 50 min.
4. Gently press dough into an 8” square that measures 1” thick. Starting with side farthest away from you, roll the dough firmly like a jelly roll, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side down in a greased 9X5 loaf pan and press it gently so it touches all four sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in a warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 min.
5. Keep one oven rack at lowest position and place the other at middle. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place an empty baking pan on the bottom rack. Bring 2 C water to boil and pour into empty pan on the bottom rack. Set loaf on middle rack and bake until thermometer reads 195 degrees, inserted at an angle from the short end just above the pan rim, 40 to 50 min. Remove from pan, transfer to wire rack, cool to room temp. Slice and serve.
Egg Salad with Radishes, Green Onions, and Fennel
adapted from The New Best Recipe
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
1/4 C mayonnaise
3 minced radishes
2 T finely chopped green onion
1 T minced fresh fennel
1 celery rib, chopped fine
2 t Dijon mustard
2 t lemon juice
1/4 t salt
ground black pepper
Mix everything together and add pepper to taste.
