There was a time in my life when I had time, and an abundance of energy. Also I was broke. I mean, REALLY broke, as in applying for food stamps(didn't get them), going hungry, no money for nothin' broke. My kitchen was short on gadgets of any kind, not to mention short on food,too. As things got better, I was able to get my own car, and shopping for food bargains got easier, too. I started my own garden, a habit I kept up until this year (fourty years later!) .
One of my frugalities that I never gave up is baking bread. When I started, I saw it as a way to have healthier bread for a fraction of the cost. I learned to love the whole process,too. Now, for most people, bread baking is a luxury, because it is time consuming, and time is at a premium for working adults!
I began my bread journey with James' Beards' bread book.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0679755047/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1501618008&sr=8-1&keywords=james+beard+on+bread
This is a great book for anyone who wants to bake bread! I find his recipes a bit too salty, but his explanations very helpful!
I also have made bread following the recipes in other cook books, too. Yes, after all these years, I still follow a recipe when I bake bread. I want to make sure I get the proportions right, and tend to forget them from recipe to recipe. After measuring the flour ,salt, yeast, and liquid (water,or milk, melted butter,eggs), the intuitive-ness begins.
If you want to try baking bread, you will be amazed at how good home baked bread tastes, and how cheap is is compared to store bought. If you have anyone in the house who wants to help, have them wash their hands, and double your recipe so they can play with the dough. It is a great project for a weekend day.
To start, all recipes for bread (except "quick breads") use yeast. I buy mine in glass jars. For your first time, buy the little packages that look like envelopes, and are in the baking isle.
https://www.amazon.com/Fleischmanns-Rapid-Rise-Yeast-0-75/dp/B0014CZ4S6/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1501618591&sr=8-6&keywords=yeast+for+bread
ALWAYS "proof" yeast, no matter what your recipe says! "Proofing" yeast is just testing it to make sure it is still alive. So this is how to do it intuitively:
Run some water in your sink until it is just warmer than you are. (it will feel warm to the touch). Add about 1/4 cup of the warm water to a bowl, then add a teaspoon of sugar & stir. Then, add the yeast, stir gently, and wait. There is a lot of waiting in bread baking!
Then look to see if there is foamy-ness bubbling. And it should smell wonderfully yeasty,too.
When you look at your recipe, there will be a liquid in it. You can either subtract the 1/4th cup of water from it, or, (what I do) add a bit more flour when you need it.
There will be flour in your recipe, too. Some flour types are drier than others. So don't add it all at once. Add your salt to the first cup to make sure the salt gets in there. After that, stir in the flour a cup or two at a time. You should start to see the mixture turn into a mass, and as you add flour, it will pull away from the bowl a bit.
Now it is time to kneed! To save on mess, I sometimes kneed right in the bowl, using only one hand. For your first time, I would advise you to put a bit of flour on a flat surface (counter or table) , and turn over the bowl contents onto it.
You may feel awkward when you first kneed. The dough may be sticky, so flour it a bit at first. Gather it up in your hands, and press it down. Keep gathering the stray bits until you have a ball. Place your fists in the middle of the ball, and push the dough away from you. Then, take your fingers, and fold the far end of the now slightly flattened ball up to where the dent is. Turn the dough sideways (not over) .
There are plenty of videos of how to kneed, pick a few to watch if you are really unsure. But I would advise trusting yourself. A well kneeded loaf will turn non sticky, feel pillowy, and hold an impression of your finger a bit when you poke it.
Now, oil the bowl you made the dough in (you don't have to wash it), and turn the dough in the bowl so it gets oiled too (use melted butter if you want) . Cover it with plastic wrap, then cover the whole thing with a kitchen towel and plop it in a sunny spot. Wait.
The dough will rise, smelling great ,too. (usually at least an hour or more;until doubled in size). Flour a flat surface, then plop the risen dough onto the flour. Kneed it just briefly, the cover it again and leave it alone. In the mean time, get your oven ready to bake.
Heat your oven up. then cut your dough into as many pieces as you want loaves (it will get a bit bigger when baked, but not much) . Gently shape each piece into an oval. You can bake these loaves on any kind of pan (cookie sheet, bread pan, bread stone) . Use something on the bottom to prevent sticking. Either oil your pan, or use a bit of corn meal instead.
For right now, brush each loaf with some milk halfway through the baking time ( bread crust is a BIG topic , and we are not there yet).
After the bread comes out of the oven WAIT! It will be scorching hot, and impossible to cut well. After 15 minutes or so, cut a loaf, add butter & have a feast!
One of my frugalities that I never gave up is baking bread. When I started, I saw it as a way to have healthier bread for a fraction of the cost. I learned to love the whole process,too. Now, for most people, bread baking is a luxury, because it is time consuming, and time is at a premium for working adults!
I began my bread journey with James' Beards' bread book.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0679755047/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1501618008&sr=8-1&keywords=james+beard+on+bread
This is a great book for anyone who wants to bake bread! I find his recipes a bit too salty, but his explanations very helpful!
I also have made bread following the recipes in other cook books, too. Yes, after all these years, I still follow a recipe when I bake bread. I want to make sure I get the proportions right, and tend to forget them from recipe to recipe. After measuring the flour ,salt, yeast, and liquid (water,or milk, melted butter,eggs), the intuitive-ness begins.
If you want to try baking bread, you will be amazed at how good home baked bread tastes, and how cheap is is compared to store bought. If you have anyone in the house who wants to help, have them wash their hands, and double your recipe so they can play with the dough. It is a great project for a weekend day.
To start, all recipes for bread (except "quick breads") use yeast. I buy mine in glass jars. For your first time, buy the little packages that look like envelopes, and are in the baking isle.
https://www.amazon.com/Fleischmanns-Rapid-Rise-Yeast-0-75/dp/B0014CZ4S6/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1501618591&sr=8-6&keywords=yeast+for+bread
ALWAYS "proof" yeast, no matter what your recipe says! "Proofing" yeast is just testing it to make sure it is still alive. So this is how to do it intuitively:
Run some water in your sink until it is just warmer than you are. (it will feel warm to the touch). Add about 1/4 cup of the warm water to a bowl, then add a teaspoon of sugar & stir. Then, add the yeast, stir gently, and wait. There is a lot of waiting in bread baking!
Then look to see if there is foamy-ness bubbling. And it should smell wonderfully yeasty,too.
When you look at your recipe, there will be a liquid in it. You can either subtract the 1/4th cup of water from it, or, (what I do) add a bit more flour when you need it.
There will be flour in your recipe, too. Some flour types are drier than others. So don't add it all at once. Add your salt to the first cup to make sure the salt gets in there. After that, stir in the flour a cup or two at a time. You should start to see the mixture turn into a mass, and as you add flour, it will pull away from the bowl a bit.
Now it is time to kneed! To save on mess, I sometimes kneed right in the bowl, using only one hand. For your first time, I would advise you to put a bit of flour on a flat surface (counter or table) , and turn over the bowl contents onto it.
You may feel awkward when you first kneed. The dough may be sticky, so flour it a bit at first. Gather it up in your hands, and press it down. Keep gathering the stray bits until you have a ball. Place your fists in the middle of the ball, and push the dough away from you. Then, take your fingers, and fold the far end of the now slightly flattened ball up to where the dent is. Turn the dough sideways (not over) .
There are plenty of videos of how to kneed, pick a few to watch if you are really unsure. But I would advise trusting yourself. A well kneeded loaf will turn non sticky, feel pillowy, and hold an impression of your finger a bit when you poke it.
Now, oil the bowl you made the dough in (you don't have to wash it), and turn the dough in the bowl so it gets oiled too (use melted butter if you want) . Cover it with plastic wrap, then cover the whole thing with a kitchen towel and plop it in a sunny spot. Wait.
The dough will rise, smelling great ,too. (usually at least an hour or more;until doubled in size). Flour a flat surface, then plop the risen dough onto the flour. Kneed it just briefly, the cover it again and leave it alone. In the mean time, get your oven ready to bake.
Heat your oven up. then cut your dough into as many pieces as you want loaves (it will get a bit bigger when baked, but not much) . Gently shape each piece into an oval. You can bake these loaves on any kind of pan (cookie sheet, bread pan, bread stone) . Use something on the bottom to prevent sticking. Either oil your pan, or use a bit of corn meal instead.
For right now, brush each loaf with some milk halfway through the baking time ( bread crust is a BIG topic , and we are not there yet).
After the bread comes out of the oven WAIT! It will be scorching hot, and impossible to cut well. After 15 minutes or so, cut a loaf, add butter & have a feast!
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