Homemade Bread

Hi Blog readers! Sorry I've been so MIA as of late. It's been a busy couple of weeks, but I am back with my first post of 2011. It it not a cookie, not a pie, not even a sweet dessert experiment.....I decided while getting snowed in, I would make some homemade bread from scratch....

I've intended to try this for quite a long time, so many times in fact, that I frequently purchase yeast packets in anticipation. Here is the yeast in my cupboard that had expired....


And here's the yeast that was still good. whew. At least I had one.

I busted out my trusty bread hook.

And activated the yeast (my one lone packet) in some warm water.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk

1.5 tablespoons sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 package yeast

3/4 cups warm water

2.5-3 cups flour

cheddar cheese


First off, activate your yeast in the warm water, and melt together the butter, milk, sugar and salt over low heat...

Then, in the bowl of your mixer, mix 2.5 cups of flour, the yeast mixture, and the milk mixture with the bread hook for one minute or so.

Once the dough starts to come together, add the remaining flour a 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Continue kneading for about 2 minutes on a low speed. I timed this on my iphone....

Lookin' good.

place the dough in a greased bowl and let rise for about an hour. I went and watched some tv....

once the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down, then pull it out to shape your loaf...

Roll it out in a rectangle-ish shape...

Add some yummy fillings if you like (I went for some sharp cheddar cheese).

The roll it up into a little loaf of yumminess.

Place it in a greased loaf pan, cover, and let it rise again for another hour....

until it doubles in bulk...

I sprinkled on a little cheese....

Then baked it at 400 degrees for 30 minutes while I shoveled.....

Hooray for multi tasking :)

It came out pretty fantastic :) It's a nice hearty bread that goes great with.....

Some homemade chili.... Happy Baking!!!!!