Have you ever looked at the ingredients on the bag of bread you buy from the store? I’ve counted them! There’s 20-30 ingredients in the recipe, and a lot of them are unhealthy chemicals and preservatives! There’s no way a bread that’s good for you would use that many ingredients. I try my best to make bread on a regular basis, whether in the oven (which I prefer), or in the bread machine (when I want something easier). Here’s a recipe and some great tips that I got from Homestead Revival.
2 C. warm water (110 – 115 degrees)
Tip: bring all ingredients to room temperature so that a cold ingredient doesn’t deactivate your yeast. It’s sometimes hard to remember this ahead of time, but the only thing I have from these ingredients that’s normally cold is the egg. Yesterday I got one fresh from the chicken house – the perfect temp.! 🙂
~I would love to have a mixer someday with a dough hook – but I don’t right now, so I did this by hand, using two separate bowls for the dry and wet ingredients. It turned out well!
Combine water, oil, honey, and egg in mixing bowl.
On the sixth cup, add only as needed. Add just a bit more flour here and there until the dough leaves the side of the bowl as you stir.
Tip: several factors will determine how much flour you must add at this point. Try not to add any more than necessary as it will make your bread heavy. It should be a bit sticky, but not so sticky as to leave dough on your hands when you touch it.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a dishtowel and put it somewhere warm. (In the oven but not on unless you have a gas stove and use only the pilot light, or if your oven has a special feature for rising bread. You also can use the top of the fridge, I just placed mine in the oven and shut the door.)
After the bread has doubled in size – 45 min. to an hour, punch down. Knead dough for minutes.
Start on the narrow end and roll dough tightly, to keep it from growing longer than the loaf pan. (I forgot to take a picture of this!)
I have been trying to make my own bread- for those exact reasons you listed. I tried a “1 hour bread” and an “Amish bread recipe” and both didn’t work out too well- didn’t bake through, too heavy, etc. So I am definitely trying this!
Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
It worked out great Jill, thank you so much!
Awesome, Nicole! Thanks for the update! 🙂
My daughter went to her dads over the Christmas break and we had about a 1/3 of a loaf of the commercial ‘white wheat’ bread left. Just out of curiosity, I left it in the bread bin in its own bag. It took till the middle of February to get a spot of mold on it!! I was so disgusted that I have started making my own bread that she now has every day. I bought a ‘pullman loaf’ pan off of Amazon to create the square loaves you see in the store and she loves it. Honey wheat is her favorite and we have to eat it within about four days for freshness. Thanks for the recipe, mine uses butter instead of olive oil. May have to try that next time.
That is disgusting that bread lasts so long without molding! Think of the preservatives we’re putting in our bodies!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I will have to try your recipe! I am starting to want to venture into makin gour own bread. With the boys in school, we will probably go through a lot of sandwich bread. And the healthier bread isn’t cheap. Do you ever make your bread & freeze it? I’m curious if it turns out ok.
I have never frozen bread, but I have heard of those that do and they say it is fine! I need to try this also!
My first batch attempt is in the oven rising now. Hoping it turns out 🙂 Thank you for sharing your recipe!!
Yay! I love homemade bread! 🙂