Whole-wheat bread basket - country living

1 basket

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Whole-Wheat Breadstick dough

Directions

1. Prepare Steps 1 through 3 of recipe for Whole-Wheat Breadsticks as directed. Do not prepare Egg Glaze.

2. Heat oven to 375'F. Invert two 8-inch metal bowls on a small baking sheet or pizza pan. Very generously grease outside of each bowl.

3. Roll out dough to a 16- by 10-inch rectangle. With sharp knife, cut three ½-inch strips from 16-inch side of rectangle; braid into a 16-inch strip for handle. Center braid over one greased bowl; trim off excess. If desired, if bowl is flat rather than round on the bottom, place a greased ball of aluminum foil under braid on top of bowl to make handle rounded.

4. Repeat to make another 16-inch braid; set aside. Cut remainder of dough into seven 16-by 1-inch strips. Cut 4 strips in half and place the 8 half-strips, spoke-fashion, over second greased bowl, meeting loosely in top center of inverted bowl. Trim off and reserve any excess dough at bottom where bowl meets baking sheet. Stretch reserved braid around bottom of bowl, pinching together where ends meet.

5. Weave a strip of dough through dough "spokes," 1 inch above braid.

Repeat weaving 3 more strips at 1-inch intervals pinching off excess dough and joining ends of strips. Pinch ends of "spokes" together and flatten at what will become the bottom of the basket. Shape excess dough into a roll; let rise and bake with basket. Let rise in warm place, away from drafts, until double in size-about 40 minutes.

6. Bake, still on inverted bowls, 30 to 35 minutes or until bread is well browned and sounds hollow when tapped on top. Cool bread on wire rack at least 20 minutes. Gently remove bread from bowls and cool completely. For serving, attach handle to basket with toothpicks, and, if desired, fill with other breads.

Country Living/Jan/94 Scanned & fixed by DP and GG

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