The Daily Bread Loaf

The Daily Bread Loaf

Many people have asked me why, in this day and age, do I still make my bread the old fashioned way, from scratch. The simple answer is fresh baked bread just tastes better.

Not only is the bread better than anything store bought, kneading that dough can relieve a lot of frustration. As my kids grew up, they knew that if mom started making bread unexpectedly, the dough I was kneading was called by their name.

While I have no scientific basis for this, I do believe that weather plays an important part in bread making success. If a high pressure front is heading toward us or the humidity is high, those little yeasty beasties almost refuse to work. And when they do, they just don't work hard enough. Pick baking days when the air is dry and the pressure is low.

I buy my yeast in bulk from http://www.bulkfoods.com and different flours and grains from them also. Not only is this easier, it's cheaper also.

Kat's Tension Relieving White Bread (with variations)

2 cups milk
1 tbs. Salt
2 tbs. Butter (or margarine)
1/2 cup warm water (approx. 110 degrees)
6 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tbs. sugar
5-8 cups all purpose flour

Add sugar and yeast to warm water in a large glass or 2 cup measuring cup. (Water should be warm, not hot to the touch.) Stir well, and set aside for ten to thirty minutes. The yeast is ready when the yeast foam fills the cup. If yeast is alive, this mixture will begin to bubble and foam up. If yeast is dead, you'll need to use fresh yeast and repeat this.

Meanwhile, combine milk, salt and butter in saucepan and warm until butter begins to melt. Remove from heat and stir to melt the remaining butter.

In a large bread bowl, measure out two cups of flour and stir in the salt. Add the milk and butter mixtures and stir until smooth. Add the yeasty beasties and stir throughly.

Begin adding flour one cup at a time, stirring until it can no longer be stirred. At this point, dump the dough ball onto a floured board, cover with another cup of flour and begin to knead it into the mass. Continue doing this until the dough no longer sticks to your hands as you knead. Shape into a ball and cover with a dishcloth.

Prepare a large bowl by pouring in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Take your lump of dough and put it into the bowl with the smooth side down. Swish it around in the oil. Turn the dough over and rub the sides with oil.

Place a dishcloth over the bowl and set it aside in a warm place that is free of drafts to rise. When the dough is pushing up the dishcloth, it's ready for the next step.

Bring your bowl back to your workspace. Make a fist with your hand and punch the dough right in the center. Turn the dough out onto a clean board and begin kneading it to remove the air pockets. This only takes about a minute.

With a sharp knife, cut the dough into three equal pieces if using loaf pans. Working one loaf at a time either spread or roll the dough into a rectangular shape not longer than your loaf pan. Start at one end, roll up and place seam down in the pan. Place in a greased loaf pan and repeat for the remaining two pieces of dough.

Cover all with a dishcloth and let rise again until doubled. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes, then remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.

This can also be divided into 6 equal pieces for baking in greased 1 pound coffee cans. (This is what I use most.)

Variations:
Onion bread: Add 1 pkg. (1 3/8 oz.) dry onion soup mix during first mixing.

Light Rye Bread: Replace 2 cups white flour with 2 cups rye flour. Add 1 tbs. caraway seed if desired.

Basic Wheat Bread: Replace 2 or more cups white flour with whole wheat flour.

Garlic Cheese Bread: Add 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese and 1 tsp. garlic powder during first mixing. Serve toasted and buttered with you favorite pasta.

Raisin Cinnamon Bread: Add 1 1/2 cup raisins and 2 tsp. cinnamon during the first mixing.