EASY HOMEMADE BREAD

I love to cook and I am a pretty confident baker, however, one thing I've struggled with is finding a really yummy bread recipe. I know- kind of funny being as there are a zillion out there and bread is one of those 'basics" that almost anyone can make themselves. Nevertheless, I keep trying new recipes and have finally found one I really like and have gotten good results from! Even better- it's easy and from start to finish it takes just over 2 hours!

I got the recipe here and have made it several times, modifying it slightly each time. I only use 1/2 cup of sugar and I add a "secret ingredient." I put it in quotes because it's not going to be secret very long- I'll fill you in on that later. I also used half whole wheat flour.

The cost of a basic whole wheat loaf of bread in the store is about $2. You can easily spend a lot more! I've estimated the cost of a loaf of homemade bread is about .45-.50! That's even factoring in energy costs! Amazing.

**Note: in the pics below, I was only making 1 loaf. Recipe yields 2 loaves, so plan accordingly!

Easy Homemade Bread

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour (3 cups white, 3 cups whole wheat- or any ratio you'd like!)

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Add secret ingredient- dough enhancer! I add 2-4 TBSP depending on how much whole wheat flour I've used. It really helps make the bread lighter and fluffier! I got mine at Walmart for $5.88 and it will last a long 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. (I find I keep my house too cool for dough to rise properly, so what I do is turn the oven on low while I'm mixing the ingredients, then turn it off when I start kneading. Once the dough is ready to sit and rise, the oven has cooled slightly, but is still warm. My dough raises beautifully in 1 hour!)

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. (As you can see from the pic below, I let mine rise in the 2nd time in the oven. It works well as it's still warm and the bread doesn't get disturbed by me moving it.)