I've made three batches of this now and each time it's gotten better and better. The flavor is always tasty, and it's fluffy. I've also improved my technique. I found this recipe on Pinterest. I also followed her link to learn a bit more on the technique. I've gone into more depth to explain the steps and what I've learned. This recipe is amazing, I'm never buying store bought bread again! (Click here for original recipe.)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons of yeast
- 1 cup of milk (Whole or 2% are best, I think.)
- 2 tablespoons of white sugar
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 2 table spoons of butter
- 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 cups of flour
Instructions:
1. In your mix master, put in yeast and warm water. I like to do yeast first, because that way I know all the yeast is activated by the water. Let it sit for 5 minutes
2. Meanwhile, melt butter. Measure out milk, and set aside sugar and salt.
3. After the 5 minutes is up, pour in sugar and salt. (These help the yeast). Then pour in the butter. I like to then turn on the mix master while I slowly pour in milk. You don't want the butter to solidify again. (This did happen to me once, not the best thing). Right now, I'm using my whisk like attachment.
4. Turn on mix master and pour in 3 cups of flour. Do it gradually. I found it took me 3 cups of flour before the dough clumped together. We will be mixing the dough for about 8-10 minutes. During this time, keep adding in flour. Do what's best for you. Climate and elevation can have an effect on bread. You want your dough to be sticky, but manageable. If you pull the dough out and it sticks to your entire hand, better add a bit more flour. I speak from experience. I try to add in as little flour as possible. But, go with your gut feeling.
5. After you've mixed your dough, and have it in a nice ball, put it in a bowl that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking oil. Let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm area.
6. After it's risen, dump the dough onto a cutting board, or counter top with a bit of flour nearby. Cut the dough into 2. (I used a pizza cutter, that way my two balls were more even sized). Form dough gently into a ball and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
7. After the dough has rested for 10 minutes, it's time to form the dough into our loafs. It is important that you do this. I didn't do it on my first batch and my loaves were tiny.
A. With the palm of your hand, gently push the dough into a rectangle or square. There will be little bubbles in the dough. Don't purposely try to pop them all. :) I believe that these help your dough rise.
B. After the dough is in a square/rectangle, fold in thirds. Yes, fold this hot dog style.
C. Next, pinch the edges together so it creates a seam.
8. Gently put dough into a greased bread tin. (I use stone cookware. I only have 1 bread tin, but I have similar shaped casserole dishes. I find that these work better then the bread tin.)
9. Cover the dough and let it rise for another 45 minutes to an hour. The dough doesn't rise very much once it's in the oven. So, make sure you let it get nice and big. I usually let it sit for an hour. Sometime during the second rise, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
10. After it's risen, you can slash the top of it, from one end to the next, very gently with a knife. The original author of this recipe claims it helps. I haven't found much of a difference personally. Your choice!
11. When you go to put your loafs in, turn the oven down to 375 and pop them in! Let the dough cook for about 30-45 minutes, depending on your preference. Mine is usually 35 minutes. Once the dough is pulled out, dump it out of the tins and tap the top and bottom. It should sound hollow. Now, let the bread cool. I know we all are looking forward to that warm slice of bread, but give it a few minutes. Do this because, first, you'll burn yourself. And second, you'll squish and deflate the bread. I speak from experience. The bread will get a dough like feeling at the bottom of the loaf if you try to cut into it to early, plus it'll separate the top of the bread from the bottom when you cut it. I'd recommend maybe 15 minutes to cool down.
12. Enjoy your tasty bread!
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| First attempt, the red dish is my stone cookware. |
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| See, this loaf did really good, the other one didn't rise very much. |
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| One came out prettier than the other. The bigger one (left) is the one from the red dish. |
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| Kinda sad looking loafs, but ohhhh sooo tasty! I cut into it too early, see my loaf is squished and has a doughy texture on the bottom of the loaf because it was compacted. |
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| Third attempt. Much, much better. |
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| (Third attempt). SEE how large it is! I also can slice the bread pretty thin, which is nice! This bread is sturdy enough for thinner slices. See how full it is? :) With each attempt they get better. |
I've been enjoying having fresh homemade bread. With more practice, I'm totally independent from the grocery store and their pricey breads! No preservatives, no prepackaged or processed bread. Homemade, fresh, warm delicious bread from now on!
- SamiMae
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