Homemade Bread

I learned to make bread as a teenager. My mom met a lady whose daughters were given regular responsibilities, like baking bread, doing laundry, cleaning, etc. This inspired my mom to make me the regular bread baker. I rose to the challenge and quickly became the family bread maker. For a few years I baked bread about once a week, but as my brother's appetites grew it was 2 or 3 times a week.

When Justin and I married I went from baking bread 2 or 3 times a week to almost never. We often had a hard time eating a whole loaf before it went moldy, so my bread baking skills retired for a few years. When our first daughter was born and I became a stay at home mom, I started baking bread again. Our girls are voracious bread eaters so I'm back in the bread making game.

While my bread recipe is simple, it is tried and true. The first step is combining the yeast with warm water and letting it sit till full of bubbles, about ten minutes. Next I combine the bubbly yeast mixture with the remaining ingredients. By this time my children have detected my project and come swooping in to help. Baking bread is a favorite activity, it is grown up playdough and little girls can't get enough of it.

Full of bubbles and ready for the remaining ingredients to be added!

After kneading the dough I place it on the counter to rise. No one is to touch it (haha) but I do allow my oldest to cover it with a towel. As it rises I clean the kitchen while hoping the girls get distracted with something else before it is time to shape the bread. If not, there will be one loaf that has been squeezed, rolled, twisted and massaged to the point of near disaster. There is also a good chance this loaf has been licked, sneezed on and may contain traces of little girl hair. After rising again the loaves go in the oven and come out golden brown, ready to eat!

Ready to begin the first rise.

Covering the dough to help it rise.

Just checking to see it is still there 😉

Ready to shape.

Ready to go in the oven.

Ten minutes into the bake.

My little helpers giving their approval!

Someday I hope to have a wood cook stove to bake my bread in, but for now my very nice electric range does very well for me. I also like to make sourdough bread, but I'm negligent with my sourdough starter and it often isn't fed. Until the day I remember to consistently feed my sourdough starter and my wood cook stove materializes, I will be quite happy making enriched breads in my modern kitchen.

Oops! Looks like someone couldn't wait for the official tasting. When asked if she put her whole hand in there, she said, "No it was just my finger!" 😁

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