Knowing I had all the ingredients available, I wanted to bake some bread from scratch today. My go-to cookbook is the old Better Homes and Gardens one. I couldn't find that cookbook so I thought I'd jog my memory and look up some basic bread recipes.
I looked at a half dozen recipes, averaged the measure of ingredients, and put together the various directions based on what I remembered from the BH&G Cookbook. The following recipe is what I came up with after baking two loaves just now.
Basic White Flour Bread Recipe
Cooking Implements:
2 bread pans
A large mixing bowl and mixing spoon
A measuring cup
A teaspoon and tablespoon
A rolling pin
A cooking thermometer
A clock, watch, or cooking timer.
A clean surface to work on
An oven large enough to bake two loaves of bread.
Ingredients:
5 cups all-purpose white flour
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water not over 110°F
2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil or butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Mix the yeast, sugar, and water in the mixing bowl and set aside for about 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes stir in 2 tablespoons oil, and one teaspoon salt. Now slowly add flour to the liquid and mix
thoroughly until the dough stiffens and pulls away from the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, flatten it into a circular shape with a rolling pin,
and knead for about 5 minutes.
Knead It by folding the far edge of the dough back over on itself
and pushing it down with the palms of your hands. Rotate and repeat.
Clean the mixing bowl and grease it with a few drops of oil or nonstick baking spray.
Knead the dough again for another few minutes, form it into a ball, then return it to the bowl,
making sure to grease the top of the dough ball.
Cover with a damp towel and keep warm until the dough doubles in size (about 1 hour in a room at 80F).
Punch down the dough with your fists and briefly knead out any air bubbles.
Cut the dough in half & shape it into two loaves (cylinder-shaped with ends pinched down).
Place the loaves in two greased bread pans, cover them with a damp towel,
and keep them in a warm place to rise. Once the dough rises just above the top of the pan (this may take 45 minutes at 80F room temperature), begin baking.
Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes until the loaves are golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
Allow bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Total time from start to finish: Around 3 hours.
I looked at a half dozen recipes, averaged the measure of ingredients, and put together the various directions based on what I remembered from the BH&G Cookbook. The following recipe is what I came up with after baking two loaves just now.
Basic White Flour Bread Recipe
Cooking Implements:
2 bread pans
A large mixing bowl and mixing spoon
A measuring cup
A teaspoon and tablespoon
A rolling pin
A cooking thermometer
A clock, watch, or cooking timer.
A clean surface to work on
An oven large enough to bake two loaves of bread.
Ingredients:
5 cups all-purpose white flour
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water not over 110°F
2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil or butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Mix the yeast, sugar, and water in the mixing bowl and set aside for about 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes stir in 2 tablespoons oil, and one teaspoon salt. Now slowly add flour to the liquid and mix
thoroughly until the dough stiffens and pulls away from the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, flatten it into a circular shape with a rolling pin,
and knead for about 5 minutes.
Knead It by folding the far edge of the dough back over on itself
and pushing it down with the palms of your hands. Rotate and repeat.
Clean the mixing bowl and grease it with a few drops of oil or nonstick baking spray.
Knead the dough again for another few minutes, form it into a ball, then return it to the bowl,
making sure to grease the top of the dough ball.
Cover with a damp towel and keep warm until the dough doubles in size (about 1 hour in a room at 80F).
Punch down the dough with your fists and briefly knead out any air bubbles.
Cut the dough in half & shape it into two loaves (cylinder-shaped with ends pinched down).
Place the loaves in two greased bread pans, cover them with a damp towel,
and keep them in a warm place to rise. Once the dough rises just above the top of the pan (this may take 45 minutes at 80F room temperature), begin baking.
Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes until the loaves are golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
Allow bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Total time from start to finish: Around 3 hours.
A trail goes two ways and looks different in each direction - There is no such thing as a timid woodland creature - Whatever does not kill you leaves you a survivor - Jesus is NOT a bad word - MSB
