Bread Kinda Day

     Back in Feb. I posted my "Way Good Bread" recipe, but I had no pictures.  Today is the first time I've made it since then!!  I said we didn't have it too often  :-)  Taking pictures while you are making bread is very hard......I'm sure there is some dough on my camera :-).


     I'm not sure what is making this a bread kinda day.  I'm a bit bummed about my new plants out in the garden.  The wind was blowing at 30 - 40 mph.  --- all day, with gusts to 50 mph!  It almost looks as though we will have to start over with some tomatoes and peppers.  Maybe I need some comfort food today.  There is also soup simmering on the stove as I cooked up one of the last "roosters" in the freezer.  Wild rice chicken soup and homemade bread......I'd call that comfort food.      



Here is the Feb. post ---- pictures added.


 If I made this too often it wouldn't be good.  ..... for the hips I mean.  That's why I got rid of my bread machine.  It was too easy to make the bread and we ate way too much of it.  This tastes WAY good, so it's only made once in a while.   It takes a certain amount of effort, I have to plan ahead, but, that way we don't over do it.  The other reason I don't make it too often is because I make it with all white flour.  You can use a couple cups of whole wheat in it instead of white if you want.  I find it just makes it drier and doesn't keep as long.  I figure if I am only making it once in a while, at least it doesn't have any preservatives in it, and it's better than buying bread. 
     This recipe makes 6 loaves of bread.  Why go through all the hassle for 1 or 2 loaves?  If I bake them all, I hand some out to friends and neighbors.  Otherwise I will freeze the dough to make a fresh loaf another day.  This bread WILL make your meal special.......

Way Good Homemade Bread

1/4 c. yeast....................(I buy it bulk and keep it in the freezer)
2 c. warm water............(too hot will kill the yeast)
1/2 c. sugar or honey....(use a little less honey)
1 c. dry milk..................(another reason not to make it too often)
1 qt. warm water
1/2 c. lard or coconut oil
1/8 c. salt
12 c. flour......................(at least use unbleached :-)

In a super large 12 or 13 qt. bowl, mix the yeast, 2 c. of warm water, sugar/honey, and the dry milk.  Let it sit a couple of minutes.  Mix the lard/coconut oil in the 2 qts of warm water.  Let it melt some.  (it won't melt all the way) and pour into yeast mixture.  Add salt and flour.  Mix well with spoon or hand dough hook, or your dough hook on your processor.  When it is totally mixed, cover with a wet dish towel and let it rise to double.




I LOVE the hand dough hook I got for a Christmas present
from my sister-in-law.....Thanks Sharon!



Cover with a wet dish towel to rise.

 



Get the pans ready that you will be using.  I use regular bread pans, a french loaf pan, a small 4 loaf pan, or sometimes I just make it a rustic round loaf.  You could make them into buns too.  Spray the pans, and turn on the oven to 350 degrees.

When done rising, punch down and cut the dough in half with a knife. 

Flour your table so the dough won't stick when you are working it.  Pull out half and cut into three sections.

 Work one section on the floured table, you can either stretch and pull the dough, or knead the dough for a about 10-15 times.  Keep sprinkling flour so things don't stick too bad.  Shape the loaf according to your pan shape and plop it in.  If it isn't beautiful -- who cares, it will taste wonderful!

  Repeat with the other 5 loaves, unless you will be freezing some.  In that case, knead it, put it in a gal. size freezer bag, and immediately into the freezer. (don't wait for the others to get bagged up -- it will start raising right away)  These I will pretty much make into a rustic round loaf. (Take frozen dough out early in the morning, let it thaw and rise, fresh bread with supper.)

When all the loaves are in the pans, wet your dishcloth again and lay it over the top as they rise.  Let them rise about 1/2 their size.  When your oven is hot, put in the bread and bake until the crust is golden brown and when you snap it with your finger it gives a little hollow sound.  When done, take out the pans and let cool a little while on cooling racks, but, the loaves have to come out of the pans soon or you will have a soggy bottom crust.



Can you smell it?


 They should just pop out with a little nudge from a knife.  If they don't  --- just keep struggling until you drop the whole pan on the floor, and then it will just pop right out :-) --- on to the floor.  (That's what happened to me last time :-)

If you time this so the bread comes out of the oven hot just before supper ---- perfect.



The perfect accompaniment to wild rice chicken soup!