champagne bread

Adventures with Left Over Mimosa Champagne: Part I

Similar to breads that use beer as the fermenting agent, the champagne both serves as a great leavening agent and creates a soft, open crumb.

While I wish I was living champagne wishes and caviar dreams, a friend brought mimosa fixings over for brunch last weekend and we had a bit of bubbly left and I wanted to get creative. Here's to keeping it classy. :)

Yield: 2 loaves
785 calories per loaf
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 170 minutes

ingredients
3 cups high gluten flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1½ teaspoon salt (I used my rosemary gray mix) 
1 cup champagne, at room temperature
2 teaspoons yeast

preparation 
1. In a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine the lukewarm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.

3. Pour the yeast mixture and champagne into the stand mixer bowl and with the dough hook attached, "stir" until a shaggy dough forms.

4. Increase the stand mixer speed to 2 and knead until a smooth and cohesive dough forms, about 5 minutes.

5. Turn the dough out onto your counter top, shape into a ball, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes.

6. Deflate the dough and shape into two loaves. 

7. Place the loaves on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 

8. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Original recipe found here.