By bonus younger son and daughter-in-law are taking the plunge and getting a bread machine. They want their son to have good, healthy bread but were dismayed by the cost. He asked about recipes, which gives me an excellent opportunity to try some single loaf recipes to send to them. I remembered that Zen had done a scaled version of the three-loaf recipe for Grandma A's Ranch Hand Bread (posted at Nebraska Kitchen from the defunct King Arthur Baking Circle), so I looked it up, then looked at how I had adapted the three loaf recipe and made some changes to the single loaf so that it is two-thirds whole wheat with some flax meal, as well as buttermilk and some special dried milk. I replace the butter with olive oil. I am not going to experiment with raising the dough or baking it in the bread machine, but if they want to do it, that is fine. At least they will have good bread! I'm giving them volume measurements but will also tell them about scales.
I have a second reason for this experiment. When we take our next extended trip, I plan to take along the small bread machine (a first generation one!), as it is lightweight and more compact than the Zo, even though the Zo does a better job and can handle more dough. That way, we can have good bread away from home. I will package up ingredients for the recipe and take along a small dough bucket.
I will add to this post after the loaf, which is on its second rise with the oven heating, has baked.
Addition: The loaf did not have the oven spring that this bread has when I bake three loaves, so I must have done something to affect that. I'll see how it is tomorrow when we cut into it. I know that Zen, in her notes on scaling it down mentioned that she had used just 1 1/2 tsp. of yeast but thought that 2 to 2 1/2 tsp. was probably needed. I used 2 tsp. If I try it again, I will increase the yeast.
.
