Bakin' Bread

     I've been wanting to post my favorite bread recipes for awhile now, but realized that a post about bread making didn't quite fit the "vibe" of my main blog Please Don't Take Me Seriously. I also realized that I have enough material for at least 2 or 3 posts a month. Why not start a new blog?!  My daughters can look back on my blog posts to get that favorite recipe or see "how Mom managed six kids" info.

     Anyway, I value practical tips and that's probably why I've always relished perusing magazines at doctors' offices over the years. I ate up the short snippets of tips I would get primarily from parenting and health magazines. At my last doctor's office, though, there was "American Cowboy" Magazine (huh? in downtown Los Angeles?) and too many Architectural Digest magazines. Even Martha Stewart Living is too complicated for me.

     But, I digress. So, last week we had run out of my homemade whole wheat bread. My middle girls, Chloe and Leanne, needed sandwiches for their summer day camp.Cinnamon and raisin bagels wouldn't be appetizing with turkey breast, so I broke down (and almost went broke!) and bought a loaf of bread on Friday. I was getting low on bread again on Sunday evening and didn't know if I'd have the time or energy to make some more bread, so I was going to buy another loaf of bread. But not at $4.29 a loaf! That's outrageous! There were no loaves of bread on sale and the 88 cent brand creeped me out. Early this morning I began my bread making for the next two weeks - hopefully, if I don't give half of it away. Friends, family, and neighbors rave about this bread so much that I'm delighted to share the fresh, yeasty, whole wheat goodness with them. It's hard to resist not handing them a loaf as they leave. But, This time, I said to myself, I don't want to buy store bought bread again.

     So, in my enthusiasm to make a whole bunch of bread at once, I realized I had to use my mini-loaf tins to finish the last three loaves of bread. I came out with 9 little mini loaves that are adorable and scrumptious. At first I thought, What am I going to do with those little loaves and tiny slices? And then I realized that with six kids, and several little ones at that, that I had found the perfect size for little peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and kid-sized slices of honey buttered toast. My kids will love 'em! Shazam! I raised my popularity quotient ("PQ") with my kids at least 14 points! The next day I also made mini turkey burger sliders for dinner with this bread. So fun!

                                                                                        
Both recipes are courtesy of AllRecipes.Com.

Simple Whole Wheat BreadCook Time:
30 Min

Ready In:
3 Hrs

Servings  (Help)

Ingredients

• 3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup honey
• 5 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
2. Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
3. Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 143 | Total Fat: 2.2g | Cholesterol

I roughly calculated that this bread cost me about $1.75 to make per loaf. That includes all costs from ingredients to gas usage to washing bowls and pans. A real bargain for how delicious it is.    


This next bread recipe is fabulous. I've cut this loaf into extra thick slices and made luscious french toast with it. It's also remarkably pleasing as a grilled cheese sandwich with sharp cheddar cheese. The blend of flavors from the sweet bread and the tangy, sharp taste of the cheddar cheese is marvelous! Each loaf probably cost me about $1. Amazingly economical for such a yummy bread! And I always double the recipe so I have 4 loaves. They're gone quickly.

Amish White Bread

Prep Time:

20 Min

Cook Time:
40 Min

Ready In:
2 Hrs 30 Min

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 cups bread flour

Directions

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.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 168 | Total Fat: 2.9g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Happy girl!