The Easiest Most Delicious Bread

One day I was home with no bread. It was sad. I was hungry for carbs and my babies were crying and I was stuck in the house. So I wondered...could I possibly make bread. Hmmm. I've made banana bread, muffins, cookies, cakes, but no bread. Making bread seemed a little scary to me. I mean what the heck is yeast anyway? I did have some in the pantry and I found this recipe at allrecipes.com.

What you need:
Yeast
Water
Flour
Oil
Sugar
Salt

You probably have all those ingredients in your cupboard except the yeast. If you like bread and you can stir, this is the bread for you. Let me tell you. It is worth it. This was the first time I truly felt domestic. I put on a apron, pretended I lived in the 1950s and also pretended I was a good housewife. If you are at all lacking in kitchen skills as I was/ am, this will give you such satisfaction. Plus homemade bread with butter or fake nondairy butter is heavenly....

Energy Exerted:  20 Min

Cook Time: 40 Min 

Time until you can eat: 2 Hrs 30 Min (patience is a virtue my friend)

How much food will this make? 2 9x5 loaves

 

What you need and how much of it

• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 cups bread flour

What to do

1. Dissolve the sugar in hot water, and then stir in yeast. Wait a few minutes for yeast, water and sugar to proof (fancy word for "get foamy")
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough (move the sticky mixture around until it gets a bit smoother) on a floured surface. You don't have to be perfect. It only takes a few minutes.  Here is a little video to improve your skills. 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.
3. Punch dough down. There aren't enough opportunities in a day for good punching exercises. Do that kneading thing again 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.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.