Rise Up: The Twins

It's raining, it's pouring, and so I'm baking. Made Butter Bread, choosing it mainly because I had all the ingredients on hand. The dough was so soft, as a baby's bottom, you might say. And the final bread is very, very tender. And oh so buttery. Bud had two huge slices with jelly. Sis hasn't had any yet but liked the name of it, which is also les gameaux, or "the twins," because traditionally this bread is two loaves baked side-by-side. Kinda looked like a big baby's bottom, too!

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Butter Bread

1 1/8 cups water

1 large egg

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon bread machine yeast

[Note: there are long instructions about making les gameaux, or "the twins," by stopping the machine midway, making two separate pieces of dough, and baking them side by side in the bread machine pan. I used the machine for dough and then divided the dough, made two long loaves, put them together in the 9 x 5" bread pan, rose again for 45 minutes, and baked at 350F for 40 minutes. I also had brushed the top with a tablespoon of butter.]

adapted from Beth Hensperger, The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook