Ham Bread

[kirra]

Ham Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 packages dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups (about) flour
1 to 2 pounds of cooked turkey ham or regular ham, ground or finely chopped
1 egg white

Preparation:

This is a big draw in bringing family and friends to our home. It is especially good hot from the oven with rose hip jelly or huckleberry jam and morning tea. It's even better in the evening as a snack with an Alaskan amber beer. It's fun to make with friends, too.

In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine water, sugar and yeast. After the yeast has softened, stir in 2 teaspoons salt. Beat in 4 cups, one at a time, of regular or high gluten flour. Add 1/2 cup more flour to knead by machine or hand. Add more flour if needed.

Knead firmly and thoroughly until smooth and dimpled. Form into ball and place in clean, warm bowl. Cover with damp towel and let rise until doubled.

Punch dough down lightly and divide into 4 roughly equal parts. Let rest 10 minutes. Roll each on a lightly floured surface to a 10"x18" rectangle.

Begin rolling the rectangle of dough from the wide side, sealing (by pressing) the roll against the rectangle with each 1/2 roll. After the first full roll, sprinkle a few tablespoons of ground ham along the sealed edge. Roll 1/2 roll and gently, but firmly seal roll against rectangle. Again, sprinkle a few tablespoons of ground ham along the sealed edge, roll over and seal again. Repeat until the entire rectangle has been rolled. Seal the edges and the final edge well. Place seam side down on lightly greased long baking sheet which has been sprinkled with corn meal.

Repeat the three other dough parts. Shallowly slash top diagonally in several locations. Paint top with 1/2 of a mixture of 1 slightly beaten egg white and 1 tablespoon water. Let rise until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 365 degrees for 20 minutes. Paint with remaining egg white/water mixture. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on racks.