Does anyone have a recipe for home made bread? I'm looking for one of those KISS (Keep It Simple Silly) recipes. I suppose in a way I could have put this under home schooling - this is some of our hands on math for Andrew... Brenda
1 cup water 2 3/4 cups flour 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast I use this recipe for French baguettes in my bread maker (it does all the kneading, rising, etc.), then take it out and shape the dough into two baguettes, let rise for an additional 30 min., then bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. I suppose without the breadmaker, you would mix the ingredients, knead for quite a while until smooth, let rise for about an hour and then shape into two loaves, let rise 30 min. (I put the cookie sheet the loaves are on the stove top and preheat the oven during the half hour) and bake. Okay, I may not be making any sense..... :lol: HTH Blessings,
I was talking to Glenda earlier today and we roared laughing about my first experience baking bread. I though you all would enjoy a laugh so let me describe it for you... I had been living on my own (with our oldest son) in a tiny apartment. I worked part-time at a grocery store in the bakery department. Mom had given me some recipes and I had this incling I was going to make some bread. I wasn't sure how much yeast to use (it said something about a yeast cake - I had the power stuff). I called Sobey's (my employer) and asked for the equivalency in terms I would understand (not even thinking that they make massive piles of bread). He told me to use a full can of yeast - that's what they use when they make their bread. So off I go making bread, using the entire can of yeast. I mixed up the recipe like I was instructed put it on the table (in a bowl) and went out while it was rising (remember I had a tiny apartment). When I came home the dough was rising alright :shock: It had risen so much it was over flowing the table and onto the chairs. So I kneeded it back into the bowl and then put it in pans - then off to the oven. OH YEAH Rise again baby! It looked awesome (huge yes)! I waited for it to cook, waited (patiently) for it to cool off and then dove into it. I was proud of myself... I wrapped some up and took it to mom and my step-Dad to try it out It was heavier than heavy - it would have been better suited to be a book shelf weight and yeasty!! :wink: That was my first (and last for a long time) expereince making home made bread - then we bought a bread maker - I hardly ever used it so I gave it away last summer when we moved so now, we're going back to the good 'ol days. Hopefully with more success this time. Glenda and I laughed our fool heads off at the remembrance of this story - hope you all laugh about it too. I'm so thankful no one remembered this one when I was married Brenda
I have tuaght myself to make bread. After years of trying various recipes (including bread machines) I finally found one about a year ago that is CONSISTENTLY good!!! It is fairly easy, but of oourse it is time consuming. It makes two loaves at a time, and I bake it sometimes two times a week. The one loaf is gone almost as soon as it comes out of the oven! One word about kneading bread. Like I said, I am self-taught. Recipes always say to knead bread until it is "smooth and elastic" or some such. That never meant anything to me, and I would quit early. Then one day, by accident, I actually kneaded it long enough, and it DID turn "smooth and elastic"!!! All I can say is that there IS a change in texture at one point. I can't describe it, but you will notice when you get there. (Iknow...very vague, but that's the best I can explalin it!!!) OK! Here's the recipe I use. (I actually just put some in the oven to rise before I came here.) Place in a large bowl (the one you want to actually mix in): 1 Tbs. (or two pkg.) dry yeast (NOTE Brenda: Two SMALL packages, NOT two boxes ) 1Tbs. sugar 1/2 cup hot water (about 120°...I don't like it to be less than 110° or more than 130°) 1/2 cup flour Stir it just for a second to mix it, and then let it sit for a few minutes, while you mix up the other stuff: In a small bowl, mix: 3 Tbs. sugar 2 Tbs. butter (it says to melt it, but then you have to wait until it cools to about 120°, so I just cut it up with a knife, andthe hot water will melt it fine!) 1 Tbs. salt 2 cups water (again, about 120°) Mix this up. By now, the yeast mixture should be a bit bubbly. Add this stuff in with the yeast, and give it a little stir. Then add 6 cups flour (can use two cups of it wheat flour!), one cup at a time. If, by the end of the six cups you think it's still too sticky, you can add another 1/2 cup. But the dough WILL BE a bit sticky! Flour your counter top, and knead it until it's "smooth and elastic". Turn your oven on to preheat on low. When it's preheated, turn off the oven. Put the dough in a greased bowl, then cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1/2 hour. Punch it down, let it rise again for 15 minutes. Repeat this for three more 15 minute risings. Then punch it down, put in two greased pans, and let it rise for 30 minutes. Bake 30 minutes at 400°. If you want a softer crust, you can brush the loaves with melted butter when it comes out.
Jackie, I'll have to try your recipe, it sounds yummy! I LOVE bread! I could live on bread and butter and Diet Coke. (Yeah, real healthy!) :lol: Brenda, I'm cracking up at your story! :lol: :shock: :lol: I can just pictures this I Love Lucy moment! ROFLOL My first attempt (and last attempt for years and years) to make yeast bread was dinner rolls for my in-laws the first time they came over for a meal. Our apartment was rather cool that winter and I didn't realize the yeast dough would not rise if it was too cool. (Grew up in the tropics, Mom never had a problem! Plus, she knew what she was doing! LOL) Anyhoo, they wouldn't rise, so I thought the rolls would rise while baking.... when I pulled out little rocks, I got all upset and my dh burned the steaks he was grilling when he came inside to comfort me. My in-laws were great, never complained and bravely ate the charred meat and little baked rocks!! I learned a neat trick at a Tupperware party: you can use a large covered bowl to help the dough rise. This is great when the house is chilly. Half fill a sink with hot water, put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with the lid, "burp" it and set in the sink to float on the water. When the dough has risen, it will pop the lid open! I use this all the time with pizza dough. The kneading by hand is great exercise, I should go back to doing it, but the breadmaker spoils me. I rarely use the baking feature, just let the machine knead and raise the dough, then I bake the bread in the oven. Blessings,
Anne, I adapted this recipe to mix in the bread machine. Would you believe that I busted the paddle? And try as I might, I couldn't buy a replacement!!! So I went back to kneading it by hand. I'll ask Amanda if I can post a picture of Rachael, at age three, "helping" me make bread. Little girl, big smile on her face, wearing a gigantic green apron and covered all over with flour!
Woa! Thanks for the warning, I won't use the breadmaker when I try your recipe. I need to start working out, I'm sure kneading dough burns a lot of calories!!!! (Which I'll replace when I eat the bread! :lol: )
