Laurel's Kitchen

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Add the salt and the remaining flour cup by cup, mixing well. Knead it in the bowl until it's no longer sticky, then turn it out onto a floured board.

As the dough gets stiffer and harder to knead, sprinkle the remaining flour a little at a time on the tabletop or board and knead the dough on top of it.

Knead, push, and fold until the dough is soft and springy to touch, and return it to the bowl. Cover the bowl snugly, allowing room for the dough to double in bulk.

Grease two loaf pans or two 46-ounce juice cans. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into an oblong the length of the loaf pan, or, if you're using cans, roll the dough into an egg-shaped blob, pinching the substance tightly together at the seams. Slide the formed loaves into the pans, or push them down into the cans, and press down all around the sides so that no air is trapped below.

Cover the pans or cans to protect them from drafts and let the loaves rise once more, until they have doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 375° towards the end of this rising period. When the bread is rounded just above the rim, bake it for about 40 minutes. When you remove it from the pan and tap it on the sides or bottom, it should sound slightly hollow. The color should be a rich golden brown. Allow the bread to cool, then slice and serve.

Makes 2 loaves.
VARIATIONS: Knead in 1 cup raisins or a handful of chopped herbs: oregano, dill, basil, parsley, thyme.

Form round loaves, brush with beaten egg, and bake on cookie sheets. Dough should be quite stiff for this.

GARBANZO SPREAD

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 onion (chopped), 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 bunch parsley (chopped fine), salt to taste, 1 teaspoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dash cumin, dash garlic, juice of 1 lemon, 3 cups cooked garbanzo beans or chickpeas (mashed, ground, or blended), 2/3 cup toasted sesame seeds (ground).

This is one of our favorites for sandwiches and cracker dips. Try it as an open-face sandwich with cucumber and tomato slices, or thin it with a little vegetable or bean stock and serve it with whole wheat crackers.

Saute onion in oil until soft. Add herbs and parsley at the last minute, just long enough to soften parsley. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly with a fork.

Makes about 3 cups.

WINTER SQUASH SOUP

INGREDIENTS: 5 cups cubed raw winter squash or 3 cups cooked winter squash, 2-1/2 cups vegetable stock, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 cup dried skim milk, 1 tablespoon torula yeast ... and 1 pound fresh spinach (optional).

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