Maybe it’s this whole gardening thing that’s gotten to me. Or maybe it was watching Food, Inc. a couple weeks ago. Whatever the case, lately I’ve been interested in learning how to make my own food on a very basic level.
Earlier this week, I decided to tackle one of the kitchen’s most basic cooking skills: bread. And I ain’t talking about a bread machine, either! While it seems like it should be a basic skill, I really don’t recall the last time I heard a friend mention she was going to be making a loaf (unless it was banana bread).
I’ve had a few mishaps in the past with yeast, but seeing how I was out of bread and didn’t want to make another trip to the store this week, I decided to try my hand at breadmaking. As luck would have it, the last 2 yeast packets I had read “best by May 3, 2010.” The date exactly. It was a sign.
I started by mixing 2 cups of flour, the yeast, and 2 cups warm water (pretty warm; but not hot) in a mixer on slow for 30 seconds. I scraped the bowl and turned it to high for 3 minutes. I then proceeded to about 2 more cups of flour in slowly. Then the instructions said to turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and proceed to knead the dough, adding anywhere from 2 1/2 to 3 cups more flour into the mix.
At this point, my hands were entirely goopy and caked. It was a little unnerving, but as I continued to mix in the flour, the dough got more manageable.
Then, I put it into a ball and into a lightly oiled bowl and covered it. It said to put it in a warm spot, so I thought right near the stove while I cooked should work. Not a great idea. It was TOO warm. When I checked on my dough over an hour later, I swear part of it had COOKED! Bizzarre.
Betty Crocker says that you’ll know when your dough has doubled in size when you can insert two fingers into it, and the indentations remain. Mine didn’t look as good as the one in her cookbook, but nonetheless, indentations! In hindsight, I think I should have placed this dough rise a bit more. But I was getting excited at this point and couldn’t wait.
Then I punched the dough, and divided the dough into two rolls where it had to sit ANOTHER hour to rise again. Good gravy this isn’t quick to make!
At long last, it was time to bake the bread! I was surprised to see Ms. Crocker instructs to bake it at 425 for about 20 minutes. I would’ve guessed more like 350 for 30 minutes. Oh my goodness, the bread smelled SOOO good cooking up in the oven!
Here’s my final result:
I noticed my bread was much denser than store-bought. It felt more like a light brick and less like a fluffy loaf. However, I just had to give it a try. Not bad!
Have you ever made bread from scratch? Any tips you could share?
I’m also curious to know if there is an interest in having me explore “from scratch” cooking periodically. Please let me know – it’s something I’ve been toying with. I’m thinking I want to try to make homemade graham crackers next.
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{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
EEK! I just had to come back and share I found a graham cracker I’m SO going to try! I’ll share how it turns out in an upcoming post.
You must have some crazy mind reading powers! I consider myself a pretty skilled home cook, and I make a wide variety of food, but I am really intimidated by yeast recipes. I was just thinking this morning how I want to try my hand at bread or pizza crust! I don’t know what I am so afraid of- its just a recipe, and all the ingredients are cheap (in case it ends up in the trash!). I don’t own a bread machine either, so this has to be all done by hand.
p.s. I like that idea of making things from scratch, most things anyhow. I try and think about what stuff I could make healthier or better (like canned “cream of” soups) but I don’t see myself making peanut butter- considering Adams does such a good job already!
Girl, I think we have been drinking the same water!! I have been feeling the same way as you. I want to get back to basics including gardening & making bread.
I do have a bread machine that I use for basic loaves, but I make french bread and Challah bread (my favorite) by hand. It does take forever, but fresh bread is so good. My families absolute favorite is the homemade pretzels we make. We don’t have to go to Auntie Anne’s anymore.
If you have a Costco membership, you can pick up a HUGE package of yeast that is only $3 something. Once you open it, just store it in your fridge.
Oops! I forgot to mention, I just got the book “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” that I have heard good things about. I plan on making something this week. I will let you know how it goes.
Please do, Christy!
I had a sudden idea:
If anyone has a great “from scratch” recipe they’d like to share – why not email me at thecouponproject at hotmail dot com so I can consider making it for an upcoming post!
I’ve been making homemade pizza dough for Sunday night pizza night (actually, the entire pizza is completely from scratch) and it’s SOOOO good. Sure it takes awhile but it’s unattended time. Usually I kick it off sometime Sunday morning and let it sit all day then when we’re about an hour out from eating I roll the dough out then let it rise again on the pizza pan. I think it takes about 15 minutes of actual work and our pizza is so much better than any I’ve ever bought frozen (and of course it’s dirt cheap!).
I’ve been toying withthe idea of making bread too. I used to make it on occasion but got away from it. I think I’ll start up again now that I have good kitchen gadgets (good mixer and food processor).
I would love more ideas on from-scratch recipes. Go for it!!!
I love homemade bread. I still haven’t perfected it, but I’ve gotten pretty close.
I often use a bread machine only for the dough cycle. After everything is mixed and kneaded, I take it out of the machine and form it into regular loaves to bake.
This isn’t a bread machine recipe, but it’s our current favorite: http://cook.momsneedtoknow.com/2010/02/whole-wheat-sandwich-bread/
I make bread all of the time. I started making it a few years ago. When you first start it’s really a trial and error thing. It depends on what type of bread you are making and what type of flour you are using, to what result you will get. You will learn as you make bread more frequent what the proper texture of the dough should feel like. When a recipe calls for x-amount of cups of flour I usually disregard the amount of cups. I use spoon fulls of flour a little at a time until I get the correct consistency. When you are letting your bread rise you should keep it covered with a lid, or a tea towel. I just leave mine in the stand mixer and cover it with the lid. If you don’t keep it covered the top will dry out. If you are making a wheat bread you will come out with more of a dense bread, and the more wheat flour you use the denser the bread (but healthier). Here is a recipe I use frequently it’s from a dear friend of mine. Her directions are long but it’s because she’s very detailed in how to properly make the dinner rolls. This is a great learning bread. This is how I really learned what I need to look for. This dough freezes well. Also I recently started using bread flour with these rolls which gives it more of a fluffy texture. I have also used wheat flour with this. Yeast is very picky with what type of environment it needs to rise. Too hot or cold it wont rise, if you mix it too much you will kill the yeast. I have heard from Alton Brown (Good Eats host) That if you use instant yeast you will avoid these problems. I have not tried instant yeast yet. The following recipe I have never had problems with as long as you follow her directions. Good luck on the bread making it’s a huge money saver, and a lot of fun when you get the hang of it. Don’t be discouraged we all had our major flops at some point in time.
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Lorilyns-Dinner-Roll-Dough-293120
Tips for bread making:
Raise dough, covered by a tea towel, in the oven (preheat for a minute or so then turn it off) and leave the oven light on to maintain heat.
Use a thermometer to make sure the water is the right temperature (110-115 degrees) so you don’t kill the yeast.
Remember, patience is a virtue.
Don’t slice the bread until it has cooled (OK, cut a little off the end and eat it right away because it is irresistible).
Better flour = better bread.
Kingarthurflour.com is a really good source for bread making. I have never ordered their products but they have great tips and excellent recipes. I have had great sucess with them.
Love homemade bread! I always use my bread machine, or at least the dough cycle. I rarely ever make bread from scratch! On Sun I just used the 2nd half of the yeast I bought at Costco/Sam’s. It is very inexpensive and comes in a 2-pack. I open one and freeze the other. I proofed it first because the expiration date was a year ago. I’m not sure how long it has been in the freezer, but my FishMama chocolate butterhorns turned out delicious! The yeast was fine.
Would love to see more “scratch” recipes and meals made from your garden produce, when that’s available.
Yes please! I’ve recently become obessed with scratch cooking. The thing I’ve found is that it takes a lot of time which is something I don’t have a lot of especially during the dinner hour. While I’m committed to only using whole food ingredients in my recipes and making things like bread from scratch whenever possible, I find that it’s mostly my inexperience that sucks my time in the kitchen… and I don’t think I’m alone. It would be great if, while you share your new recipes, you could also comment on how to save time by prepping ingredients ahead of time, how long the dish could be frozen and things like that.
Here’s my favorite kitchen trick: I HATE mincing garlic but also don’t like the stuff you buy already minced so I purchase the mega size (gallon) of already peeled garlic cloves from Costco, throw them into my food processer and wizz them along with a mere tablespoon of olive oil. Once the garlic has reach the consistancy I like, I smear it into ice cube trays. Once frozen I transfer my garlic cubes into a gallon freezer bag and take out what I need when I need it. I’ve used this frozen garlic in raw and cooked applications and there’s no difference at all. This trick saves me money from buying whole garlic bulbs because most of the time half the bulb gets wasted but it also saves me loads of clean up time too.
My husband is the homemade bread baker. I gave him Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, but after reading it, he hasn’t started. We have a sub-par apartment fridge and we cannot have bread ready to go at a moment’s notice, or there would be no room for left-overs in the fridge! My husband does love the small book, Beth’s Basic Bread Book, and the very large Bread Bible.
A word of caution on homemade breads–it’s addictive and will add inches to your waist! I had to tell my husband to STOP making bread since we have been unable to resist it straight out of the oven!
I was just looking at thepioneerwoman.com today and as part of her tasty kitchen section, people have submitted recipes for homemade ingredients for things we usually buy. There is a graham cracker recipe on the site also.
Hey Angela,
I love baking bread! I have lots of recipes…we grew up making homemade bread almost everyday.
At least for me i let my kitchen aid mix it all together once it is in a ball i knead it on my counter. Less mess that way…
Let me know if you want help tonight!
Kellie
WOW! I’m really impressed by everyone!! Thanks for the tips, recipes, and encouragement. I think I will do more recipes/posts like this as I’m able. I think there is some value to knowing how to do these types of things at home. Kellie – left you a message on your FB page. I’d love you to join me.
I used to buy the “fancy bread” from Safeway and I now make my own, but I do cheat with the Bread Machine at times. I just use the dough feature so it does all the mixing for me.
But here is what I like to add to my bread:
It is amazingly good 
After I make the dough roll it out and add cheddar cheese and jalapenos I then fold it over and wait for it to rise again then sprinkle with more cheddar cheese
I also have played a bit with the Artisan Bread in Five and get better with each batch. The “five” is a little misleading but it is still a great concept. I’ve only made the basic loaves so far and the family loves it. Good luck to you!
Food Inc. really put food into perspective for me too. I didn’t realize how animals were raised and all the extra junk that is put into our food. I’m going to try to make mayonnaise. We’ll see how that goes!
I’ve had similar results when baking the traditional way. I love the “Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day” recipe because it’s so easy and versatile. I bake 2-3 loaves a week. The same dough is also used for pizza dough; you can also flatten it out, spread with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon & raisins, slice and bake for some super easy cinnamon rolls. You can keep batches in the fridge and use it when you need it. You don’t even need to let the loaves rise, I never do. I do for the cinnamon rolls, though.
I’d love to see “from scratch” stuff! It helps me to see other people do something and hear it really isn’t that difficult after all.
And I’m a big fan of letting the bread machine do all the kneading for my pizza dough, homemade bread and cinnamon rolls. After the dough cycle, I just pull it out and bake in the regular oven so I don’t get that thick, tough crust I usually end up with in the bread machine.
I concur with the comment on King Arthur Flour. The Baker’s Banter has wonderful recipes and great instructions. The comments are very insightful. I switched to SAF instant yeast and am very pleased with the results. You still use a liquid but you don’t have to worry about the proofing process. The yeast is pricey but you can make so much with it and ends up being cheaper than the individual packets. You can store in the freezer for quite a while. Just use a glass container to store it as plastic creates static. I also you my bread machine to make the dough. It is nice to have it working and do the first rise while I do something else.
I don’t think anyone mentioned it, but yeast is VERY cheap if you buy in bulk at Winco. I can get enough yeast to fill 2 typical glass jars (the ones they sell yeast in) for around 70 cents. I have been making my own bread, pizza dough, pretzels etc for quite some time to shave more off the shopping list. One thing I don’t have, besides a bread machine, is a recipe for bread that would work for home made “uncrustables”. Anyone have a soft bread recipe that rises enough to use the Pampered Chef “Cut and Seal” on?
LOVE WINCO!! I didn’t realize they sold it in bulk. AWESOME suggestion!
You can make croutons out of the dried out bread if it doesn’t all get eaten, too. They are a thousand times better than store bought.
Heather I was thinking that. I made the kids grilled cheese with the bread today and it had a crispy texture that made me think croutons. But it was VERY good for grilled cheese, too!
We make our own bread somewhat regularly, but it never turns out with a nice sandwich-bread texture, it seems. It’s great for everything else, though. I like the 5-minute method, but my son likes to knead, so we do some of both. He is particularly fascinated with beer bread, so I have this Danish recipe for beer bread that we make often. We don’t really like croutons, so we use our stale homemade bread for bread crumbs (to be used in meatloaf and so on) and bread pudding, mainly. Currently, I have enough homemade bread crumbs to last me for at least another year (I store them in the freezer to keep them fresh).
This is not related to yeast, but leftover cornbread makes fantastic bread crumbs. They really give a nice flavor, especially if you use them in meatloaf with some salsa. Yum.
Anyway, I’ve had pretty good experience with yeast things…except hamburger buns which, for the life of me, I cannot get to turn out at all. Ah, well.
I also have been trying my hand at bread making. I look forward to getting new ideas for fresh cooking.
We love making bread and baking lots of other things too. The artisan bread is so easy and yummy. We bake it so often that we only buy a few loaves a month from the store. There are so many ways to make artisan bread healthy and yummy.
I am still looking for a good whole wheat bread recipe to try. The ones I have made either used a fair amount of white flour or were really heavy once baked. Would love to find that one that is tried and true.
We love baking things from scratch. My children all get involved and there are so many things they learn from the experience too – like taking turns and math skills. With three little helpers 3 and under we usually make quite the mess but everything tastes better when we make it together =)
I was able to pick a bread machine at a garage sale a couple of years ago.
I LOVE IT. I have used it hundreds of times for bread, cinnamon rolls and such. I never bake it in there though I always take it out and put it in the oven. But the machine does all the mixing and kneading it is so great. I think I paid $3 for it and the lady said she had only used it a couple of times.
Also this is a great recipe for sandwich rolls/hamburger buns I have used many times. It is so delicious. The kids and hubs think I rock when I make them!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Wheat-Sandwich-Rolls/Detail.aspx
Angela,
You’re inspiring me to use the three 5 pound bags of flour in my cupboard (don’t ask)! I use yeast frequently for a very quick coffee cake recipe my husband loves, but yeast can be so tricky and I tend to stay away from most recipes that require yeast. I love all the ideas mentioned above, especially the graham cracker recipe
Basic bread pointers and you cant go wrong! Its like couponing: once you have the basics down, its not that hard!
1. Its almost impossible to over-knead bread. Let your kitchenaid do all the work for you with the dough hook. Some bakers knead it for 10+ minutes. The longer you knead, the finer the “crumb” and the fluffier it will be. Dense bread results from under-kneading. The dough should be super smooth, silky and velvety, not sticky at all. A minimum of 6 minutes AFTER all the flour is incorporated. When you think its done, knead for 2 more minutes just for good measure!
ps. let the dough rise right in the mixing bowl. Just remove the hook, spray the surface with a little cooking spray, and then cover the entire mixer with an unscented garbage bag to keep the heat/moisture in. This recreates the heated, humid “proofing” rooms used in commercial bakeries.
2. Yeast has a fragile half-life. You let it rise once (using half the yeast’s “life”), punch it, and let it rise again (using the rest of its “life.”) If you let it rise for too long, or get it too warm on the first rise, there wont be enough yeast to LIFT it the second time around. So the first rise should be no more than an hour, and dont let it get too hot.
3. Bread flour is not critical with plain white bread, but it is critical with wheat bread. I use 1/2 wheat and 1/2 plain bread flour. Wheat flour has very little gluten so if you use all wheat, you’ll get a brick. If you only make white, save your money and just use regular flour. But invest in good bread flour when you branch out to wheat.
4. Best basic bread recipe that is literally foolproof: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amish-White-Bread/Detail.aspx
5. Salt. Salt. Salt. Never ever forget or skimp on the salt. No need to go overboard, but your bread will be horrible without adequate salt.
Have fun! Nothing better than homemade bread with butter and raw honey! *drool*
A few people have mentioned Artisan Bread in Five Minutes. The authors of that book did a post at http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx that includes the basic recipe. (click print, and then cancel the print dialog box to see the whole article on one page) I’ve been using it the last few months, and make something probably about 3 days a week (boule, loaf, or naan). I make my naan in a Cuisinart Griddler and it’s so quick and easy – about 5 minutes from when I take it out of the refrigerator. Anything like a George Foreman grill, if you have flat plates, would work for that. I’ve only done the basic recipe, but my MIL usually substitutes a mix of grains and/or dried fruit for 1 cup of the flour. It’s so easy and I love the fresh bread. If you want something more like a standard grocery store loaf for sandwiches, check out http://everydayfoodstorage.net/2008/09/02/making-delicious-bread-for-sandwiches/food-storage-recipes . She adds potato flakes and gluten to make it softer and more like grocery bread. I haven’t tried that one myself.
I am attempting sourdough bread this week. We’ve made it once before and the hardest part is making the “starter”. If you like, I’ll let you know how it turns out. Our family loves sourdough bread. We buy it from a local bakery in town, but it would be nice to have a tried and true recipe to fall back on when I can’t get to the bakery.
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