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.)
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.Voila! Beautiful, delicious homemade bread for a fraction of the cost! 