Sunday, July 27, 2008

Making Bread


The other day at an estate sale I picked up this very simple bread tray. Antique reproduction if you will. It is pewter colored and has an engraving on the base of some men in a wheat field and it says "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread." I don't know why I liked it - but I did. So, when one has a bread tray one should make bread!

(I do believe this is the first picture of me on this blog - hello everyone!)


Here's my preferred recipe for when I have a couple of hours to enjoy the kneading, punching, rising, kneading, baking, smelling, cooling process of making bread. It's great as a breakfast bread lightly toasted with some fruit or jelly on top.


I don't do the bread machine thing. If I'm going to go to the trouble to make brad - I want to really experience it! Besides, there is no where in this small apartment kitchen to store yet another kitchen appliance anyway.

Amish White Bread

2 cups warm water
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast (2 packets typically)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour


1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. (make sure you wait for the full rise - not just 30 minutes! I got impatient and my bread was a little flat :( )
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.




Enjoy!

7 comments:

  1. I'll have to give this bread recipe a try. I'm with you on the bread machine thing....if I'm going to make fresh bread give me some good dough to kneed and enjoy the whole process.

    I love your green shirt. It's a great color for you and makes for a great picture.

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  2. Mmmm that bread looks so good. I'll have to try that recipe sometime.

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  3. I think I have a similar bread tray! I'll have to look and post a pic for you. I got it from my grandmother.

    The bread sounds wonderful!

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  4. just a note - i think you're suppose to have a liner or something on the bread pan - seems i read that when i thought about buying one one time, of course that would be a new one (probably from china :-)) so don't know if it applies.

    fresh bread does sound good,though. gg use to make it when i was a kid, probably cheaper than buying it, but i couldn't appreciate it back then.

    the pic looks great - did you have a tripod or just set it on the counter?

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  5. What does "allow to proof" mean?

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  6. Yay for bread, your first pick of yoruself and your adorable yellow apron! :)

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  7. Yummy, that looks delicious! I've never made bread before. I'd love to try,just afraid it won't turn out good.

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