Basics: Bread Making

I love making bread and this time of year, I usually make a loaf each weekend.  When I mention it to friends, I am always stunned when they seem amazed.   

Wow, you made bread?  Do you have a bread machine?

No, I make it by hand.  

Isn’t it hard? 

No it is not hard to make bread.

Last Thursday I saw a professor at work and he asked me what I had been baking. I told him bread. He said he is afraid to make bread. (We always talk food!).  It seems to me that many are afraid to make bread, specifically yeast breads.

Fear no more. Here are step by step instructions.  You’ll be amazed at how EASY it is to make a loaf of yeast bread. Really! I’m not joking here. Put your fears aside and get out those ingredients (Ellen, ready?) because you can make bread. Just remember to read through the entire recipe. There are some bread recipes that refrigerate the dough 2 - 24 hours.  Bread takes time to make because of the time needed for rising. 

I took these photos months ago and by the looks of what I see in the photos, I must have been making buttermilk bread.  Yum! This delicious bread will go with any dinner. Whether you are having a roast, casserole or soup, this bread will be great.  It is light and airy.  Make rolls if you don’t want a loaf.  It is also very tasty toasted with jam or honey in the morning.

Buttermilk Bread

6-6 ½ cups of all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 pkgs. RapidRise yeast

2 ½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup water

1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces

In large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt, and baking soda.  Heat buttermilk, water, and butter until very warm (120˚-130˚F); butter does not have to melt.  (Mixture will appear curdled.)

Here the milk, water and butter are at 130˚F!

Stir into dry ingredients.  Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. 

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Thank you Elliott for taking these photos of me kneading the dough.

 This dough is ready for the bowl and the first rise.

Cover; let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.

If you do not use RapidRise yeast (I don’t) place dough in a lightly greased glass bowl, cover with a towel and place in a warm oven for 45 -60 minutes.  (I turn my oven on while I am kneading the dough just to get it warm– not too warm though!)

Place dough in bowl, swirl it to get it greasy, then flip and swirl again.  

You do not want the bowl too greasy. 

 Cover and place in the oven to rise!

Set timer for specific time - here I set it for an hour.

Just peeking - see how nice it is rising.

Here I am punching the dough down - just one punch!

Divide dough in half.  Roll each half into a 12 x 7-inch rectangle. Roll up tightly starting at the 7-inch side.  Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam side down, in 2 greased 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pans.  

Here I made rolls!

Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes. 

Bake at 375˚F for 30-35 minutes or until done.  Remove from pans; let cool on wire racks.

If you leave the bread or rolls in the pan, they will get soggy from the heat so it is important to remove them from the baking pan so it can cool properly.

There is nothing like the smell of bread baking.  And if you can wait until the bread is cool to cut and eat, you are doing it wrong. Enjoy the bread warm, not hot, with lots of butter.

So, tell me this, are you ready to make some bread?