Angel Food Bread (with Sage)

“Bread with herbs” is the theme for bbd#01 (bread baking day #01), as proposed by Zorra . The warm fragrance of Sage (Salvia Officinalis) is well suited to this bread with a thin, crisp crust and a chewy, airy crumb very similar to Italian focaccia.

Here is the link to the bbd#1 Roundup.

From the original recipe by Aunt Babette

In “‘Aunt Babette’s” Cook Book” 1889–USA

Ingredients

1 lb (454 g) bread flour, sifted

2 tsp (8 g) active dry yeast

1/2 tbsp (6 g) sugar

1/2 tbsp (9 g) salt

2 cups (475 ml) whole milk, divided

2 oz. (60 g) fresh sage leaves

1 tbsp (30 g) melted butter to glaze the loaf + extra to grease the pan

Wash and dry the sage leaves, then mince them quite fine.

Take 1 cup of milk from the total and scald it, dissolve the sugar in it then set aside to cool. When the milk is lukewarm (100°F–38°C), add the yeast and let it ferment.

Scald the remaining milk, add the salt, then set aside until lukewarm.

Sift the flour in a stand mixer bowl, add the minced sage leaves and mix well; pour in the yeast milk mixing on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment, then add the remaining milk.

Stir well on the lowest speed, the mixture will have the consistency of a cake batter. Then beat with the paddle attachment for 15 minutes. Cover the bowl and let raise until doubled in bulk and bubbly.

Gently pour the dough onto a lightly greased board, and work it lightly with a dough scraper, gathering the dough always towards you and being careful not to deflate it.

Grease generously with melted butter one 9.1 x 5.4 inch (13.6 x 23.2 cm) loaf pan and gently pour the soft dough in it. Cover and let rise until the bread has doubled and reached the rim of the pan. Brush carefully the surface of the raised loaf with melted butter and bake in a preheated oven at 400 F (200C) for about 45 minutes, until golden.

Take the bread out of the pan and cool on a wire rack.