Another Good Book

So, I guess I have a lot of time to read now... because I can't keep myself away from books. Here is my next favorite for summer/fun reading/cooking...

Steven showed up with this book about a year ago. He got it from his mother's kitchen. I picked it up and decided to browse through it. It actually has a lot of helpful instructions. They basically detail, exactly, how to do everything from starting a sourdough to making a basic white sandwich bread. Here it is on Amazon, it's really cheap if you buy it used.

Recently we have both wanted to be a little greener and more natural. Under, only one condition... it doesn't cost more than the budget already established. So I tried to make that basic white sandwich bread. We both enjoy fresh baked bread more and it has a lot less preservatives... so why not.

Turns out, it's fabulous! It seems like a lot of work, but I do a lot of other things around the house while waiting on the bread. If you have a time chunk of about four hours and you have some chores to do around the house... you can totally make this bread.

Plus this bread is great because it doesn't turn out with a thick shell like other oven baked breads.... I don't know how it works... it just does! I use it as a sandwich bread everyday. This size loaf is big enough to last us about 4 days. Steven eat more of it than I do, so it might take me a good 10 days to finish it off. The loaf will really only last about 5-6 days... because there are no preservatives.

Basic White Bread III (with fallon's minor adjustments... because I can't just leave a recipe only)
1 package dry active yeast (~2 1/4 tsp yeast)
1/4 cup water
1 cup milk or 3 Tbsp dry milk and 3/4 plus 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp butter or oil
2 Tbsp honey or light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3 - 4 cups flour

Mix all ingredients except flour in a mixer (or by hand). The water/milk needs to be warm. If you use butter and melt it make sure that it is no hotter than 110 degrees. Otherwise you will cook your yeast and you will not have wonderful fluffy bread. Then slowly incorporate the flour by adding it in 1/2 cup increments. Let rise for about 2 hours. You can do it longer if you want... but you really only need two hours.

Punch it down and mold it into a loaf pan (aka stick it in a pre-greased loaf pan and pat it down with your fingers... clean fingers!). Let rise again for about 45 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for ~45 minutes.

(Fallon's extra notes: On days I really need to the extra hour I use fast active yeast... the bread still taste great. You only have to let it rise one hour the first time, it still needs about 45 minutes on the second go around. I usually use oil and honey... the honey adds a lot of flavor. I like to do different variations of all white flour to mostly whole wheat. We haven't tried completely whole wheat yet, but I would like to. Anyway you do it, it turns out great! I don't bother kneading the dough after the first rise. I've done it both ways in the past and it turns out the same.)