Wordless Wednesday: Pass the Bread, Honey

Jul 16, 2008

Can't beat fresh, buttered toast (from homemade bread) with a generous spread of butter and drizzle of honey. Add a cup of hot coffee... Mmmm.

I make a batch of bread about once a week. I don't even have to look at the recipe now... it's simple and it always comes out. I'll put the recipe below.

My three favorites from this week's WW:

Chica at Photo-Projectz: Great horse pic.

Robin's Woods: blackberry blossoms. (I'm going blackberry pickin' next week!)

Kim at What's That Smell?: love it!

THE RECIPE

Easy Homemade (White) Bread

5 teaspoons yeast (instant or SAF; I use SAF)

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 cups very warm water (you can put your finger in but you don't want to keep it there)

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

4 - 5 cups all-purpose or bread flour

Another 2 cups warm water

Another 3 - 4 cups flour

Preheat oven on warm. In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar, and 2 cups of warm water. Let sit for five minutes while you grease three loaf pans (or two loaf pans and a cookie sheet, if you want rolls) . The yeast mixture should get foamy and smell, well, yeasty.

Add the salt, then start adding the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough becomes thick and hard to stir. Add the next 2 cups of water and add the remaining 3-4 cups of flour, one cup at a time. You may need more or less flour. The dough should be thick and sticky but you should be able to handle it. A little variation here won't hurt.

Once you get all the flour mixed in, knead it by hand in the bottom of the bowl for a couple of minutes. Turn it out onto the counter. Clean your bowl, dry it, and butter or oil it. Put the dough back in the bowl and butter or oil the top of the dough. Turn the oven OFF of preheat, and set the bowl of dough in the oven with the oven door slightly open.

In one to one and a half hours, check back in. The dough should be doubled in size. Take it out of the oven, turn the oven on preheat, and gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough into three equal portions. Shape into three loaves and place in buttered loaf pans, or form balls out of one portion if you want rolls or hamburger buns. Make the dough balls about half the size you want the finished product to be.

Return the dough to the oven, turn the oven OFF of preheat, and let rise with the oven door slightly open. Check back in one to one and a half hours. If the dough has doubled again, turn the oven on 350, close the door gently, and set the timer for 30 minutes. (If the dough has not doubled, give it another half hour and then continue.) When your timer dings, check the bread. If it's golden brown on top, take it out of the oven, let it sit for 15 minutes, then remove it from the loaf pans to cool completely.

Slice, butter, drizzle with honey. Eat.

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