Seasoned Terracotta Baking Pots (Follow these instructions to season your pots)
Electric Mixer w/ Dough Hook
Baking Sheet
Baking Mix
Yeast
1 Egg
4 Teaspoons Milk
3/4 Cup Warm Water
Vegetable Oil
Start off by proofing your yeast.
In a small bowl, combine your full yeast packet, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 3/4 cups warm water. Stir gently. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a large mixing bowl if you're kneading by hand), add baking mix.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and 4 teaspoons milk. Add in the proofed yeast and water solution and whisk to combine.
Add the liquid mixture to the flour and mix with your hands until a shaggy dough forms.
Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium-low for 7 minutes (or knead by hand). Dough should be smooth, pliable and soft but not sticky.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Form the dough into a loaf by tucking the back side of the dough into itself and turning clockwise and repeating until you have a a nice round smooth ball of dough.
Divide the dough evenly into as many sections as you have flower pots (4 if you are using the standard set, 8 if you are using the minis). Repeat the above action of tucking and turning with each of the balls of dough so you have enough mini round loafs.
Coat the inside of your seasoned terracotta baking pots thoroughly with vegetable oil. Place one ball of dough in each baking pot. Cover baking pots with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm area for 1 hour. After an hour, dough should be about the height of the baking pots.
Cold Weather Tip: Make sure to let your dough rise in a warm area. Yeast (much like the rest of us) is a bit sluggish in the cold and it may take 15 to 30 minutes longer for your dough to rise.
Preheat oven to 350˚F and continue to let rise until the dough is above the lip of the baking pot. Place baking pots on a baking sheet and bake on the center rack for 18 minutes.
Let cool. When the bread and baking pots are cool enough to handle turn over and using a knife, scrape any dough off the bottom of the pot. Remove each loaf from the baking pots and let both cool for 5-10 minutes. Return bread to terracotta baking pot, serve with homemade lavender butter.
Wash terracotta baking pots with warm water and plan your next flower pot loaf. Elastic doughs work great with a well oiled baking pot. For runnier doughs (like quick breads) line your baking pot with parchment paper.
