Homemade Bread

[Yummy Mummy of 5]

For all of you who make your own bread, would you mind sharing your recipes? We want to start making our own bread to cut down costs a bit.

We don't have a breadmaker, so will be making by hand :yes:

[Tam-I-Am]

Ours is a really simple white loaf

2 cups of plain white flour
1 cup of warm water
teaspoon of honey (or sugar if you prefer)
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons of yeast
tablespoon of olive oil

In a small bowl, put yeast and honey, cover with lukewarm water and mix. Set aside until you see bubbles (which will indicate the yeast has activated).

In a mixing bowl, place flour, olive oil and salt. Add yeast mixture when its ready, and slowly add water, kneeding, until it reaches the right consistency - not too sticky, not too dry.

Flour your work board and turn the dough out onto it. Kneed the dough until it is firm and elastic (about 5 minutes of not-too-vigorous kneeding is more than sufficient, I find).

Place back into the mixing bowl and leave to rise for about 20 minutes in a warm place.

Punch the dough down. Place on an oiled baking tray into a loaf shape. Allow 2nd rise for about 20 minutes in a warm place. Put into preheated oven at about 180 degrees for approx 20 minutes, or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow.

It doesn't keep very well (ie only the next day) but a loaf only lasts us a day anyway ;) :) There's nothing better than fresh bread hot from the oven!

[mummeeto2]

I just get the defiance bread mix & yeast at the supermarket. There are instructions for making bread by hand. The only measuring I have to do is to make 500g lots (snap lock bags are good for storing) then the water when I make the bread.