Bread

How to Make Homemade Bread

Nothing smells better than homemade bread!

Nothing tastes better than homemade bread!!

I wish I could transport you to my kitchen
so you could take in the aroma of baking bread.

My favorite smell!

My family and I have moved from place to place for my husband's job.

And a new house just isn't home until there is bread

baking in the oven.

I make bread at least once a week.

And so have been perfecting this recipe over years.

My bread has only 6 ingredients - one of which is water!

I hope you enjoy it. *big grin*

Need

Mixer with capability of mixing heavy bread dough

Large measuring cup or medium bowl

Spatula

4 Bread/loaf pans

Cooling racks

Ingredients

4 cups Hot water (from the tap is fine)

1 3/4 tbsp of Quick Rise Yeast

2 tbsp Salt

4 tbsp Oil (I use canola but vegetable will do)

4 cups Whole wheat flour

6 cups All purpose flour

How To

1.  Measure out 4 cups of hot water into the large measuring cup (or bowl).  Pour 2 cups into the mixer leaving 2 cups in the measuring cup (or bowl).

2.  Add the yeast to the water in the mixer.   Allow to sit 5 minutes to proof yeast.  Add the salt and oil to the measure cup/bowl.  Stir to dissolve salt. 

Yeast added to 2 cups hot water in mixer.

Adding oil and salt to the 2 cups hot water in the large measuring cup.

3.  Pour contents of measuring cup/bowl into the mixer.  Turn mixer on low (or stir).

4.  Add 4 cups of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of the all purpose flour.   Allow ingredients to mix completely.  Stop mixer and scrape down sides with a spatula from time to time.

5.  Add remaining 4 cups of all purpose flour.  Once all the flour has been incorporated, and the dough has formed a ball, allow mixer to knead the dough for 5 minutes.  If dough is still sticking to the sides of the mixer add more all purpose flour 1/4 cup at a time.

6.  Once dough is well kneaded remove from mixer.  Coat the mixing bowl with a small amount of oil.  Return the dough to the bowl.  Rotate the dough to coat it in oil.

Bread dough removed from mixing bowl so it can be coated in oil.

Dough rotated in bowl to cover it in oil too.

7.   Place a damp towel over the dough and bowl.  Leave in a warm place to rise for one hour.

Where I live, in Northern Canada, I have found it difficult to get dough to rise properly -- even in the summer months!  A friend suggested, "Use the oven method.  Heat your oven to 170F.  Once the temperature is reached, turn off the oven and place the bowl, dough and damp towel inside."  This works perfectly and is what I do every time I make bread.

Rising dough for 1 hour using oven method.

 8.  While dough rises grease 4 loaf/bread pans.  I have found lard to work the best. 

9.  Dribble a small amount of oil on your work surface to keep the dough from sticking.  Remove the dough from the mixing bowl onto the work surface.  Flatten the dough into a large oval shape and cut into 4 even pieces.

Dough risen under damp dishcloth using oven method.

10. Roll each piece into a loaf and pinch rolled edge to the loaf.  Place each bread loaf into a bread pan with the pinched edge down.  Cut slits across the top to allow greater rising of the loaf while baking.  Return the loaves to a warm place to rise for one hour.

Return loaves to the oven if using the oven method.

Tearing the dough oval into 4 even pieces then rolled into loaves.

Second dough rising for 1 hour using oven method.

 11.  Place loaves in oven and heat to 350F. Bake for 35 minutes. 

Yes!! Have the loaves in the oven before you turn it on! Yes!  Do it!!   

If using the oven method simply leave your loaves in the oven and turn it on!

12.  Remove loaves from oven and let cool a few minutes, allowing the crust to harden slightly.   Remove loaves from pans (they should slide out when properly greased) and allow to cool completely on cooling racks.  This prevents soggy bottoms.  Moisture from the cooling loaves condenses on the bottom of the bread pans thereby making the loaves wet on the bottom.

13. Store in a sealed plastic bag.  Freeze or eat fresh.  Will last one week at room temperature.

 Whew!  That's a ton of steps!!

It takes time but it's much easier than you'd expect.

So go ahead.

Make bread!

'Cuz yeah you can!!

Happy thoughts,

Andrea