Buttermilk Bread (Bernard Clayton)

I love the Laurel's Kitchen buttermilk bread recipe. Not quite as much as I love featherpuff bread, but it's pretty close!

Clayton includes a different take on buttermilk bread in his book. He makes it as a white bread, brushed with an egg glaze and sprinkled with seeds. I liked it well enough, but I think I prefer the Laurel's Kitchen approach. That said, it's nice to have both in your back pocket: a bread for every palate and occasion!

Buttermilk Bread

Slightly adapted from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads

Ingredients

• 500-600g hard white flour (or all-purpose flour), divided
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (or 1/2 Tbsp. instant yeast)
• 1 c. water
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1/3 c. unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• sesame and/or poppy seeds

Directions

1. Combine ~250g of the flour with the sugar, salt, baking soda, and yeast.
2. Warm the water, buttermilk, and butter over low heat until softened and gently warmed through.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and beat for 2 minutes.
4. Add another 100-150g of flour and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Switch to dough hook or kneading by hand from here on out and continue adding flour until a soft dough is formed.
6. Knead until smooth and elastic (5-8 minutes by machine or ~20 minutes by hand).
7. Round the dough and place it in a covered bowl to rise at room temperature for ~90 minutes. (May need somewhat more or less time depending on temperature of room.)
8. Once fully risen, knock back and divide into two equal pieces.
9. Round each piece of dough, cover, and rest for 5-10 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, grease two 21x11cm (8.5x4.5") loaf pans.
11. Shape each ball into a loaf by your preferred method and place seam-side-down in the prepared pans.
12. Cover and allow to rise at room temperature for ~45 minutes.
13. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
14. Beat the egg and brush the tops of the loaves with it. Be careful not to let any egg drip down the sides of the pan or your loaves will not come out of the pan cleanly!
15. Sprinkle tops with sesame and/or poppy seeds as desired.
16. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 30-40 minutes.
17. Allow to cool in pans for 5-10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling.
18. Cool completely before slicing.