Who doesn't love bread? Even if you don't love it, you most likely still buy it, and eat it with other thing you love. Bread, while inexpensive to buy, is so much more cost efficient to make, especially if you use the best of sense and buy the bulk sized bags of flour like i do. Bread, to my surprise, is very easy to make, and wonderful to play with and create different flavour combinations that will go nicely with your many, many toppings. You can make sweet bread, salty bread, herb bread, spicy bread, you can even make bread with fun shapes! Whatever your creative urges, fresh baked bread is a wonderful outlet.
I had a problem when i first decided to make bread. I could not for the life of me find a decently simple recipe with plain old common ingredients. Since it was my first whack at it, i wanted to make a plain old whole wheat bread. I followed the ingredients perfectly, aside from a few substitutions and i ended up with a dense and unpleasant tasting hunk of baked dough. it didn't taste good, not even with soup. I was so disappointed that i didn't even want to try it again, but i pressed on.
My second attempt at baking bread i decided to go with my gut. I added hotter water against the guide's wishes, changed a few things here and there and my own measurements and keen judgement took over. Before i knew it: presto! i had created my very own bread recipe. You would not believe me if i told you how ridiculously thrilled i was.
Watching that dough go from a lump of flour and other stuff to a gigantic puffy cloud of promise... okay maybe i am getting a little to enthusiastic, but just you try it and restrain your wonder.
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour (never bleached is more nutritious)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp quick rise yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of finger-hot water (may need an extra 1/4 cup)
optional: 1-2 tbsp caraway seeds, or any preferred seed.
To Make the Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl for your mixer if you have one, combine flours, salt, sugar and yeast. Stir gently to combine.
- In a measuring cup, add olive oil and hot water (you should be able to put your finger in it for a couple seconds without burning yourself.)
- With a Stand Mixer using the dough hook attachment, stir flour on low speed while pouring water and oil in slowly until dough comes together in a ball with no flour left behind. If you are doing this by hand, you can use your fingers or a wooden spoon.
- Knead dough ball for 5-10 minutes on low speed in the mixer or by hand on a clean floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Oil a clean bowl lightly and place dough ball inside and turn to cover with the oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1 hour and 30 min or until dough has doubled in mass. (i like to let it rest while i'm cooking something else on the stove, the heat in the kitchen really makes a difference.)
- Once dough has completed first rise, knock down once with your fist. Turn out onto floured counter, knead briefly and shape into a loaf. Place in a 9" loaf pan (or place on a cookie sheet for a more rustic loaf), cover gently and let rest for another hour in a warm place.
- Bake the bread in the middle of your preheated oven at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until a hollow sound is heard when thumped.
- remove bread from pan and cool on wire rack until bread is room temperature. (15-30 min)
- Slice in 1/2" thick slices and store in a sturdy and dry seal-able bag for about a week. (keeps longer in the fridge, or freeze for a month if you make double)
- Enjoy the healthy, delicious bread and reap the many rewards.
All recipes created and Published by : Rachel Gonsalves
