Breads

I have long struggled with bread baking. Once our diet changed and we began making everything from scratch, using only the freshest ingredients, I had to learn how to cook all over again.

So, I tried and failed many times, I bet I tried a hundred different recipes. I’m not blaming the recipes for my failure I simply just had to learn the chemistry behind the process. I needed to learn the secrets of baking with yeast, baking powder, and baking soda, which I was completely terrified of.

After a few years of feeding my family dense, hard, tasteless bread I finally got it.

Here are the recipes for our most commonly baked bread:

 

The Best French Bread

Ingredients:

4 cups of flour

1 packet of yeast

1 tbsp of salt

3 tbsp of sugar

1 ¾ cups of warm water

1 egg white with water (for brushing)

 

1.Begin mixing together all the dry ingredients. (I use my kitchen aide stand mixer for all my breads using yeast because of the dough hook attachment for the kneading).

2.Slowly add in the water, just a splash at a time until a perfect dough begins to form. Be sure it’s not too dry nor too wet. Knead for ten minutes. I like to coat my bowl with olive oil then let rise, cover with a towel for one hour in warm spot.

3.Next divide into two equal balls and form into loaves. Make slanted slits in the top of the loaves for that famous French bread look and let rise again for one hour. Then brush with the egg white wash while oven is preheating to 375.

4.Once the oven is heated bake bread for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. It’s probably best to let them rest and cool for at least 10 minutes but I usually have a line of hungry birds standing around just waiting for the first bite.

5.Slice and enjoy!

 

Quick Dinner Rolls

1 ½ cups of warm water

1 packet yeast

2 tbsp sugar

4 cups of flour

1 tbsp salt

4 tbsp of butter

 

1.In a small bowl mix together yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and warm water and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.

2.Meanwhile in the bowl of the stand mixer add dry ingredients, only starting with 3 cups of flour.

3.Next add the butter.

4.Then add yeast mixture.

5.Mix until well combined adding a little flour at a time until dough pulls away from the sides.

6.Knead 5 minutes.

7.Slightly oil. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 20 minutes.

8.Punch down dough and form into 21 balls (I do 21 because that’s 3 for everyone in our family)

9.Let rise for another 20 minutes.

10.Preheat oven to 400.

11.Remove from oven. Serve warm with butter.

12.Enjoy!

 

Cornbread

2 cups of cornmeal

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

 

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 egg

1 cup milk

 

1.Mix together dry ingredients.

2.Add oil, egg, and milk.

3.Preheat oven to 450

4.Preheat oiled pan

5.Pour batter into heated pan and bake for 25 minutes until top is golden brown.

6.Enjoy!

 

Biscuits

2 cups of finely ground flour (a little extra for dusting)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 stick of butter

1 cup of milk

 

1.Mix dry ingredients together.

2.Cut in butter.

3.Slowly add milk.

4.Preheat oven to 450.

5.Gently form biscuits, be sure not to over work the dough.

6.Bake for 12 minutes. Serve warm.