RealtorIrene Blogs about Northwestern NJ Real Estate - Hunterdon & Warren: Best Bread Ever - Recipe & Video - Irene Kennedy, Warren & Sussex County NJ Real Estate Agent

Many of my home buyers and sellers around Sussex County NJ will be enjoying a loaf of the Best Bread Ever this holiday season.

Whereas most folks simply want me to deliver a freshly-baked loaf, quite a few have asked for the recipe for this breakfast bread. I haven't forgotten your request that followed my thank-you loaf of bread, Mary from the Vernon Building Department

This is a spectacular recipe to make with young children. Yes, many of the ingredients will disappear long before they hit the pan. Yes, you'll have flour everywhere. While I realized kids would like the process, I was unprepared for the real pride they take in the finished product. 

If you would like the recipe alone, just email me and I'll send you the Word version.

From page 445. "Orange Bread with White Chocolate, Apricots and Walnuts" of the Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger. Special thanks to Rebecca Hansen, Harvard Common Press, for her prompt and positive permission to use this recipe!

Best Bread Ever - Recipe for 2 pound loaf

1 ¾ cups mandarin orange segments, liquid reserved (two 11-ounce cans)

3 tablespoons reserved orange liquid or orange liquor

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 cups bread flour

⅓ cup sugar (Irene sometimes substitutes Splenda  - no noticeable difference)

1 tablespoon gluten

2 teaspoons salt

2 ¼ teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 ¾ teaspoons bread machine yeast (Irene uses 1 tablespoon Red Star Active Yeast)

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⅔ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup minced dried apricots (Irene sometime uses mixed dried fruits)

½ cup chopped walnuts (Irene omits for some recipients)

Craisins - Irene adds a handful - about ½ cup

Official Recipe: Add everything above the stars to bread machine. Set crust on medium and program for Basic or Sweet bread, press START. When machine beeps, or between Knead 1 and Knead 2, add the last items. (Irene's cheap machine doesn't beep, so she adds the goodies 10 - 12 minutes into the cycle.)

Irene's Changes: Add everything above the stars but set machine to DOUGH and start. Add goodies below the star at beep/10 minutes later.  When Dough cycle ends, dump in pan. Cover with plastic and let rise for 60 minutes or so. Bake at 365⁰ (use 350⁰ with dark pans) until center reaches 190⁰.  Length of baking varies greatly depending on what pan is used - and whether Irene removes sides of spring-form pan during the baking cycle.  NOTE: This dough will not hold a shape, so really must be baked in a pan.

Copyright © 2009, Irene Kennedy, all rights reserved. This blog post represents Irene's personal musings.

Considering selling a home or looking to buy a Sussex County NJ property? Benefit from creative marketing, top negotiating skills and vast real estate knowledge by contacting Irene via the data to the right. Plus, Irene might just bake you a loaf of the Best Bread Ever once the real estate deal closes...

Irene Kennedy, who is a NJ real estate agent with Weichert, Realtors, lives in Sussex County & works from the Hamburg office. Her primary market includes: Augusta, Branchville, Crystal Springs, Frankford, Franklin, Hamburg, Hampton, Hardyston, Highland Lakes, Lake Mohawk, Newton, Ogdensburg, Scenic Lakes, Sparta, Stockholm, Sussex, Vernon, Wantage.