Monday

I Made Bread

I told y'all I wanted to create a more frugal home. And I'm starting with the basics. 

I googled "easy homemade bread" with emphasis on the word easy.

I found a great recipe.


I think it would have been perfect if I'd followed the recipe exactly. 

But I forgot to add salt. Turns out that is a very important ingredient. Who knew?

The loaf was also very hard (like a brick, according to my son) from over kneading, I learned.


We dipped the loaf in salted olive oil with cracked pepper. We ate every bite (even though it tasted like Communion). We're not picky.

My hubby likes to tackle challenges. He found this recipe for a no-knead crusty bread. It is very easy, but requires some advanced planning because it involves 12-18 hours of rising.

But it is delicious:



We made a rye and a beer bread version. 

We have become bread making machines.

Our latest attempt?

Wheat.

My hubby wanted to perfect the shape and so he used a large saucepan for baking.

This is what he got:


Oh, and this:


P.S. My hubby burned his hand last weekend. I waited to post this to make sure his burns healed. Oh, and his ego.

Disclaimer: Someone was harmed in the making of this post. But did you really expect less?

I don't think so.

Are you a bread-maker too? Tell me how you make it!

77 comments:

Tammy said...

Mmmmm. Well, I used to make bread before I had children. The oldest is almost 10..so I guess it's been that long.

Lindsay @ Makely said...

I've never made bread, but something convinced me to buy a box of bread mix at the grocery store last week. Here it is a week later and I'm just remembering that I bought it. Ha! Wonder how long it will sit in the pantry?

Carrie said...

OH i just LOVE homemade bread! I made gluten free bread now (have the past two years since discovering a wheat allergy) but before I was gluten free I made a bread just like this youtube video, it's so easy and is based on that no-knead version:

I love your blog and reading your tweets!! Happy Sunday!

Holly Campbell said...

I do make bread! I use my grandma's recipe (just about all of the time), for dinner rolls, and cinnamon rolls. I also have a recipe for German soft pretzels that I have made a couple of times. I love making bread!

Carrie said...

whoops, here's the link for Jim's Easy Bread:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E68iNfRHBpI"


:-)

Sorry I can't figure out how to embed it in the comment area!!

Amy @ Finer Things said...

I haven't bought a loaf of bread for about a year and a half. I let my bread machine do the mixing and kneading, then I take it out and shape 'n bake. So tasty!

I do a wheat/white mix most of the time.

Dawn @ simply transparent said...

Love me some fresh bread!

Kudo's to you!

Donna @ WayMoreHomemade said...

I finally had really good success with my sourdough today. Going to post about it for WFMW probably.

I have recently gotten into bread baking and really am enjoying it.

But I'm a little weird that way.

Donna @ WayMoreHomemade said...

Oh, and by the way, I'm glad your man's hand has healed. We made a similar trip to the ER for me on Valentine's day... only it wasn't a burn.

Anyways... lots of sympathy for you guys in this household.

:)

Unknown said...

I grind my wheat to make my bread. (Sorry, that didn't mean to sound like the little red hen)

It's all we eat around here some days...

I have a great recipe that makes perfect bread every time, no kneading.

I just my Bosch. I am sure if you could use a kitchen aid or something like that if you have one.

I could email it to you if you want...

Nancy M. said...

I am not a bread maker and I do feel very bad about it. My friend gave me a bread machine thingy a LONG time ago. I really need to try it. Maybe I'll use one of the recipes you shared.

Kristen said...

If you'd like to share a link to a great bread recipe or email me, that would be awesome. We've got more bandages for burns ;D

Smockity Frocks said...

I posted about loving "Bread Like the Outback's". Yummmmmm!

bridget {bake at 350} said...

Poor guy!!! That bread looks worth it, though. :)

Here is our absolute favorite sandwich bread. It's from King Arthur and it's delicious!!!

So funny you posted about bread tonight...I just finished making english muffins (for the first time). I'll let you know how they are tomorrow after breakfast!

John and Lisa said...

As far as I am concerned there's not much better than home made bread. Not only is the grocery store stuff expensive, it has no flavor or character! A few weeks ago my WFMW post was about making bread with a no-knead recipe similar to what you are using, but I think it could possibly be even simpler. I've included links to the recipe and a demonstration video, http://bitly.com/F9EHz
We are loving it!

Dorci said...

I loooove to make bread. The kneading is great for the triceps and the abs, btw.

Don't worry, practice makes perfect. You'll get to know when to stop kneading, usually when the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes.

Yep, unlike cooking where you can kind of wing it through the recipe and alter it to your own tastes, I've found that baking is a science and directions and ingredients are important.

But the most important thing is to have fun. And feel satisfied knowing that those arms and abs have had their work-out. :)

Casey said...

Yup... we are a homemade bread family here. Love it!!

I just made some today. Whole wheat with flax seed and oatmeal. It's so good. This is the basic recipe I follow now since it is so easy.

http://tinyurl.com/cmdpj2

On this latest batch I used 1/2 whole wheat flour, 1/2 white flour and added some sugar ~ I usually add honey but forgot this time. I also add ground flax seed and whole flax seeds along with oatmeal before I add the flour.

I also make a butter spread that is absolutely yummy on the bread.

2 sticks of butter, room temp. Beat until fluffy (I use my hand mixer of this whole thing), slowly add 1/2 cup of oil (we use olive oil) until well blended and almost white in color, then add in 1/2 cup of water and beat until light and fluffy. You can leave at room temp or put in the fridge. Wonderful on homemade bread!!

shoutingforha said...

I love to make homemade bread. This is my favorite recipe:

http://everydayfare.blogspot.com/2007/11/semolina-bread.html

se7en said...

We got a bread machine (I explain why in this post: http://www.se7en.org.za/2008/12/25/how-se7en-make-pizza-in-se7en-steps) and frankly it changed our life... I use it at least once a day but often two or three times... And I never have to dash to the store for just a loaf of bread.

MahoneyMusings said...

Wasting a beer to make bread? My husband would never approve :)

I love the look of the no knead crusty bread. It looks delicious, despite your poor husband's burned hand!

Catherine said...

Kristen,
Before I started the gluten-free diet trial, I was making bread every few weeks or so. Here is the link to my recipe: http://domesticadventure.blogspot.com/2008/10/tempt-my-tummy-tuesday-october-21-2008.html. It's not hard to make at all. When I started, I used a recipe that used only one rise, but the two rise method really gives much better results. I also like that I can let the mixer do most of the kneading. Once you get the hang of making one kind of bread, it's easy to transfer the skills to other recipes. Good luck and have fun!!!

Christi said...

If you made the bread by hand it is very unlikely that you over-kneeded, unless you and your family took turns or your arms fell off. Mixing it with the mixer, it still isn't likely, I try to mix for about 5 -10 minutes (it depends on how bored I get).

My guess would be too much flour, not enough kneeding or the yeast was bad. (I keep my yeast in the freezer, it will nearly last forever.) If you do some kind of wheatish bread you can chop it up some (in the blender or food precessor) and then toast it for home-made grape-nuts.

My 9 year old made French bread for youth fair and I have it posted on my cooking blog here http://chaos-in-the-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/01/homemade-baguette.html

Good luck on the next loaves!

Icedream said...

I love potato bread, it has a nice sweet flavor. Here is a link to a recipe that is similar to mine.
http://shelbymaelawstories.blogspot.com/2009/04/potato-bread-and-rolls-some-thank-yous.html

Shannon said...

I love baking bread! Hot bread fresh from the oven is the only food better than chocolate! My mom taught me to bake when I was quite young. Almost any rainy day could find us baking something. I will admit that that in the states I used a bread machine A LOT! I would throw the ingredients in and put it the dough cycle take the kids to the park and let the machine do the work. Then take the dough out and shape it into what ever I wanted: pizza crust, cinnamon rolls, plain loaf, whatever.

Now I am back to doing it by hand but with the kids in school it isn't so bad. Below is my favorite recipe for honey wheat bread. I wrote it up a while back for a relative who doesn't cook much so it is fairly detailed. Hope you enjoy, I make this one a coupe of times a month.

Honey Wheat Bread

1 cup warm water
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups all purpose or bread flour, plus extra for kneading

Dissolve yeast and sugar in half cup warm water. Let sit about 15 minutes to proof. You are checking to see if the yeast is alive. It should make a lot of bubbles. If nothing happens get new yeast.

Put milk, 1/2 cup water, salt, butter and honey in a pot and heat until it is warm but not hot. You can do this in microwave too, but I always end up overheating and having to wait for it to cool. Make sure it is baby bath warm not hot before adding it to the yeast. Stir in the wheat flour and beat until smooth. Add the white flour one cup at a time until it is thick enough to knead.

Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place the dough into a large buttered bowl to rise. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let rise until doubled. Will take anywhere from an hour to several hours depending on how cold your house is.

Punch down the loaf and shape into 2 loaves. I prefer freestyle round or braided loaves, but use loaf pans if you want. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. I brush the loaf with butter while it is still warm. Let it cool a bit before you slice or it will be to soft to slice.

Notes:
*If you have never made bread before go here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/lessons/yourfirstloaf and read through at least lesson 1 before trying to make bread.

*If you own a bread machine you can let your machine do the work for you. Make sure that your machine can handle 2 cups of liquid, if like mine it uses only 1 1/2 cups liquid, do a little math and continue. Just toss all the ingredients in the machine, set it to the dough only cycle and let it run. It will beep when the dough is done rising. Take the dough out and shape your loaves, let rise and bake.

*If you you think it needs to be sweeter add more sugar NOT more honey. Honey is a natural antifungal and will kill the yeast if you use too much.

Unknown said...

I love homemade bread and I almost always use the same recipe,

http://seethewoodsandthetrees.blogspot.com/2009/02/basic-bread-dough-recipe.html

But I'll admit that I'm weird about it. I love the whole mixing and kneading part and I make a double batch so that I have a huge chunk of dough to knead. While everyone else is moving on to no knead bread I'm still happily stuck in the dark ages.

Thia said...

The Hillbilly Housewife has an excellent simple white bread recipe. I love to make it. Unfortunetly, home made bread is REALLY good and we won't discuss how much weight I've gained since I started making it.

Shell in your Pocket said...

When we were first married..I made pizza dough and bread all the time....not much anymore...but yours looks yummy.
sandy toe

The Hall Family said...

If you really enjoyed the "no knead crusty loaf," then I highly suggest checking out the book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day." This book has recipes for a variety of bread, including the "master recipe" which is used to make a crusty loaf like the one you posted about.

The only difference? You spend 5 minutes one day mixing up enough dough for 4 loaves and store that dough in your fridge until you're ready to make a loaf (up to 2 weeks). On the day you make bread, it takes about 2-3 minutes of active work, 1 hour or so of resting, and 30 minutes of baking. Very simple, easy, frugal and ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!

~*Michelle*~ said...

I have an easy recipe sitting on my counter for wheat bread that I have been a slug about making.....I think you just gave me the kick I needed with those photos....

Hope your hubby's burn heals quick.....would it be bad to ask if his bread was yummy after the high price it cost him?

Michelle said...

I have never tried to make regular bread (just pumpkin or zuhchini bread). I would love to try.

Unknown said...

I've only ever made bread in my bread machine. And I always feel a little bad for the yeast.

Ellen said...

Get a breadmaker!!!! You won't regret it. I wouldn't use it to actually bake the bread. You just need it for the mixing and kneading process, so it must have a dough cycle. Then you take it out and shape and bake as you'd like. You can find breadmakers at the thrift store or on Craigs List. I use mine all the time. I make rolls and pizza dough with it constantly...

Tiffany said...

I use my bread machine, too. It makes SUCH good bread and all you have to do is toss in the ingredients. Perfect!

Cainan & Ryker said...

I love baking bread....and it's better done by hand than with a bread machine too. Here is my favorite recipe for a VERY simple, no-knead bread. It bakes in an angel food cake pan, so it make a huge loaf and it is very moist and delicious. Hope you like it.

http://bricck.blogspot.com/2008/07/sally-lunn-batter-bread.html

Cainan & Ryker said...

I love baking bread....and it's better done by hand than with a bread machine too. Here is my favorite recipe for a VERY simple, no-knead bread. It bakes in an angel food cake pan, so it make a huge loaf and it is very moist and delicious. Hope you like it.

http://bricck.blogspot.com/2008/07/sally-lunn-batter-bread.html

Cheryl said...

I guess I cheat because I use the bread maker..lol. But, ours goes at least once a week. My husband does like to make it the usual way, though, occasionally. Yesterday he made Russian Black bread. Pumpernickel is a favorite too.

Penny said...

Okay, so I HAVE to try to make homemade bread. My friend Misti gave me a recipe a while back for like three-ingredient bread...but I forgot what those ingredients were. That's probably very unhelpful, lol!!

Amanda said...

I haven't read through to see if this was already suggested - but try out a book called Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. Great stuff, and easy to make.

JoAnnC. said...

Here's the EASIEST bread you will ever make and it makes enough for you to enjoy all week. Google "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day"
6 1/2 Cups all purp. flour
1 1/2 TBS. salt
1 1/2 TBS. yeast
3 Cups warm water

Mix all ingredients until you have a wet dough. Cover and let sit on your countertop for 2-4 hours. Make sure you have a vented lid on your container and put it in the fridge...that's it! When you want fresh bread, pull off a hunk of dough about the size of a grapefruit. Knead a second or two until you get a "boule" shape. Let it rise on parchment at least 45 minutes. Heat oven to 450. Slash dough with a knife to give it room to expand. Place boule into oven and throw 4-5 ice cubes into oven floor (the steam makes a nice chewy crust!) Bake for 30 minutes.
For a video tutorial by the authors of the book:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFJZPm-_2-M

Phoebe @ GettingFreedom said...

I love homemade bread!! We've gotten to where I'm comfortable enough making it, that we really don't have a need for me to buy it anymore.

My favorite, so far, is French Bread. I've changed my method a little bit (I dissolve the yeast and I put hot water in a pan in the oven to create crustier crust)--but this way still makes great bread!

Stinks that your husband burnt his hand--glad to hear that he healed up!

Wendy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wendy said...

I found this recipe for a no knead bread that is fantastic! It takes only 3 ingredients which is pretty darn great. And yes, you do have to start it the day before, but it's so worth it! Best bread ever!

BlueCastle said...

The first time I ever made bread was 10 years ago when my husband and I were first married. I pulled out my new Betty Crocker book and followed the directions. I still don't have it perfected, but my kids love homemade bread.

I've been hearing about that crusty bread and now I know I have to try it. It looks really great.

Your poor husband is really great to give bread baking a shot too. Hope his hand heals quickly.

Wanda said...

BREAD!!! Manna from heaven, girl!
I heart it! BIGTIME!

I used to have a sourdough concoction going in my fridge that I made 3 of the yummiest loaves twice a week with.
It died. I'm still mourning it's passing too.
My family loved that bread so much....we were living high off the bread/hog!

Sorry about the burned hand accident. That really junks up a good bread session, huh?

Lora Lynn @ Vitafamiliae said...

I've been making our bread on and off for about three years now. It's been a total learning experience. And I keep on learning. Just last week I discovered that my loaves were turning out small because my loaf pans weren't allowing it to rise properly. Three years of tiny loaves all because of the pans. Who knew? Anyway, here's my link to a how-to at my blog. I've since learned that throwing the bread to get air bubbles out works, but it might hurt the yeast, so don't pay any attention to that part.
http://www.vitafamiliae.com/?p=960
(this is part two. click on the link to go back to part one)

Kim H. said...

I too would find myself with a bandage... I'm so unlucky when it comes to burning myself. My husband even now knows when it happens based solely on the look on my face.

So needless to say - I have a bread maker... :-)

Anonymous said...

I'll have to get your recipes!
I tried to make bread - a 10-grain or s'thing - in the breadmaker, and it turned out smaller, denser (both bad qualities for me) AND MORE EXPENSIVE than buying it! So much for frugal...

Jessica said...

What a man!! Glad that the bread looks good though.

Becky said...

I was so encouraged by your post! Maybe there is hope for me! ONE DAY I will be an incredible bread maker!!
All of our married life (and extending back into our dating life), my husband has ranted about how expensive, tasteless and bad-for-you store-bought bread is, and raved about the homemade bread his mom always had waiting for him, fresh from the oven, throughout his childhood. In fact, whenever my birthday, or Valentines Day or Christmas rolls around, he frequently suggests getting me a bread maker as a gift. The way I see it, if he wants me to make him bread, the bread maker should be HIS Christmas present, not mine. He says having a breadmaker will "save me time." I say I don't make bread now, so it won't save me time; it will, in fact, add one more chore to an already-extensive list!!!
Initially I was too busy working as an auditor at Ernst & Young to make bread during the little time I had at home. But now that I'm a stay-at-home mom of two littles, life has changed.
We have been married five years, and I was thinking of ways I could show my husband I love him. I decided to try making homemade sourdough bread. (Quite frankly, I do much better in the business world than I do in the kitchen, so I should have known there are other ways I can show him I love him.)
But we both love sourdough bread, so I planned ahead for Easter making the sourdough starter about 2 weeks in advance.
Well, I didn't realize that if you keep your thermostat set at 64 during the winter, your starter will never rise. . . So after two weeks of watching and waiting and stirring twice a day, I had to throw out the starter.
I almost posted pictures of the starter that never started on my blog, but I realized his mom reads my blog, and I just didn't think I could handle it. . .
But SOMEDAY . . . I will make one incredible loaf of bread!!

The Wilcoxson's said...

I cheat and use a bread machine. BUT my bread turns out every time. I found a recipe for Naan that is amazing and tastes great. The website is http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Naan/Detail.aspx I think that you will love it and you can change it to make it sweet and it is so good that it never stays in our house longer than a day.

Jen said...

Two words. Bread Machine.

Bahama Shores Mama said...

mmmmm.......what a deliciously, timely post. I just pulled yeast out to start my first attempt at bread. Now half the days gone, with afterschool activities too numerous to allow me to try the first recipe; but I think I'm gonna try the second one. Thanks!

It's A Vivas Thing said...

I love to bake; especially breads and muffins. These days I spend time making gluten free breads because of a gluten/wheat allergy. My motto is never be afraid to throw something away and never be afraid to try something new!

Jennifer said...

wow! you sure got a ton of comments with this one! we make bread, too, but only for dinner rolls and stuff for meals. i also make cinnaom rolls when the mood hits... i'll share my recipe sometime at my blog (i've been meaning to do that) and i'll let you know. i do it in my kitchen aid, and there is no kneading. i'd like to try that crusty bread you linked to, but first, i'll need a dutch oven!

Unknown said...

I am a bread maker. I make it about twice a week, but I cheat just a little bit. I don't have lots of time (like most moms). So, I have had to give up something. I decided it would be all the kneading. I now use my dough option on my bread machine. I use any recipe I want and just let the machine mix it up. It takes an hour and a half, but then when its done I just have to shape it and place it on a sheet or in a pan. Let is rise for another hour and then bake it. YUM! I have a great french bread recipe that my family loves and a honey whole wheat that is scrumptious.

Sarah said...

I have been doing this same thing "Back to the basics" type thing for the last several monthes. I just want to do the things our grandmothers did. And not loose that! My family LOVES pumpkin dinner rolls- go here for the recipe (http://www.tammysrecipes.com/pumpkin_dinner_rolls). Also check out some of my frugal from scratch stuff, I made noodles last week! It was awesome! (http://beautiful2God.blogspot.com) I love seeing other people trying new things! Keep up the good work, and try not to get burnt! ;)

Kasey said...

Good job!! I'm glad that your husband's burns are healing. Looks like you got some new recipes to try from all the comments!!

Heather said...

Hello there! I love your blog! Here is my favorite recipe...you almost can't mess it up! It is wonderful and stays soft longer than most whole wheat recipes I have tried! GOOD LUCK!

Best 100% Whole Wheat Bread

4 Loaves (8x4-inch)
7 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup gluten flour
2-1/2 Tbsp instant yeast
5 cups steaming hot tap water (120-130 F)
2 Tbsp salt
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey (or 1 c sugar)
2-1/2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
5 cups whole wheat flour

In Bosch bowl, mix together first three ingredients in bowl with dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute.
Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Add salt, oil, honey and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute.
Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Knead for about 6-10 minutes, until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. This makes soft dough.

Preheat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide and shape into loaves. Place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks.

Notes: Lemon juice in this recipe acts as a dough enhancer which gives bread a fine, light texture. Gluten, a natural protein derived from wheat, provides elasticity and strength, added texture, helps retain moisture, prevents crumbling, and extends shelf life of the bread. If you do not want to store gluten flour, you may substitute whole wheat flour in its place.

I have BIG loaf pans so when Imake this recipe I only use three bread pans…it makes THREE AWESOME LOAVES!

Maddy said...

OOoo dear, sorry about the hand.

I cheat. I use a bread maker. I make two french loaves a day, the dough in the machine and then leave it to rise in a form mould, and bake at 400 for 25 minutes, more or less perfect every time.

The machine was expensive but when the particular loaf of bread we used to buy hit $4.00 a loaf before tax, that was enough to send my head spinning.

Worth every penny.

Chers

Jaden Paige said...

I am a bread maker. Well, let me re-phrase that: I own a bread machine, and I use it :)

I love the thing! Did you know you can make the BEST cinnamon buns in one?!?! I am NOT even joking- they are WAYYY better than Cinnabon! You can find the recipe on Allrecipes.com, just look up clone of a cinnabon. And then make them. And gorge yourself. And thank, but also, curse me. :)

Berji's domain said...

I love making my own bread. We don't buy any at the store, so if there are to be sandwiches or rolls, I make them. I have a bread machine, but I prefer doing it all myself. (I use Betty Crocker's cookbook for a recipe.)

misty said...

i have a bread machine but haven't made any with it in about 4 years. sad, huh? i wonder if it still works?!?! ha but after seeing your yummy looking pictures i want to try again.

Superchikk said...

I'm NOT a bread maker, but I WANT to be. I love bread.

Joy@WDDCH said...

I hate my kitchen... but love to bake! I don't have the counterspace to make most breads and I haven't really tried. But my MIL makes bread and she brought over some flatbread tonight!

Anonymous said...

OMG God luv ya all. I can't even make pie dough let alone BREAD! Kudos to you all for being so innovative!

Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam said...

ok, you already have tons of comments and probably a LOT of recipes, but if you have a Kitchenaid, you don't even need a bread machine and I have the yummiest, easiest French bread recipe ever.

Julie/mom said...

My mom bought me a Bosch mixer many years ago. That's what I use to make bread. VERY easy and pretty quick. And yes, I have also forgotten to add the salt. Very sad but I only did it once!

Anonymous said...

I have an easy sourdough recipe! We use it to make breadsticks and pizza crust as well as loaves of bread.

bj_texan@yahoo.com

Jodi said...

I make our bread weekly with this recipe:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/recipe.aspx?recipeID=35518&Source=SearchResultPage&terms=honey%20whole%20wheat%20bread

Time consuming? A little the first few times, but once I got into a routine with it, it's easy. And the kneading is very therapeutic.

I was just gifted the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes. I can't wait to get into it!

And, on occasion, I make a sweet bread (like banana) for a treat. Though my daughter (whom I lovingly call Monkey), doesn't usually allow any bananas to get to bread stage because she eats them all.

Stefani said...

I just want to reinforce how great "Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day" is. I have had the book for a year and I have loved every loaf I've made. It's super easy (NO kneading!) and it is really delicious.

Jessie Weaver said...

I've heard really good things about the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. May warrant a check-out from library. Jordana did a post on it recently: http://curmudgeonry.mu.nu/archives/285100.php

Jolanthe said...

we started making our own bread 2 years ago and have loved it ever since! but I have a secret ingredient - the best dough enhancer ever. And I do have my recipe (sadly on a spreadsheet depending on how many loaves you make at a time) if you are interested. :)

Here's the link: http://www.noordinarymomentsblog.com/2008/10/better-homemade-bread.html

It was a WFMW post awhile back - the recipe is our favorite (and the wheat you use, does make a difference!!) We use a mix of hard white and hard red wheat.

Have a great day!

Jolanthe

The Prudent Homemaker said...

Your post was so funny! I laughed out loud more than once!

Here are the breads I make:

http://theprudenthomemaker.com/breads.aspx

Susie Buetow said...

Sooooo sorry your dh got injured! See cooking is a sport! Loved your post and pics! You inspired me to follow those links and do more! Can you come link up on our Bread week Mr Linky? http://bunny-trails.blogspot.com/2009/04/bread-week.html

We are trying to get a lot of inspiration going here on bread week!!! Thanks so much!

I posted cinnamon rolls on my blog
http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com/2009/04/super-yummy-cin-namon-rolls-cinnamon.html

texas girl said...

I just baked dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls this week--my first time to try it alone. I used my mother-in-law's recipe, although I'm a tad uncomfortable with her advice to "not measure the flour--you'll know when it's enough!" All in all, the rolls turned out pretty well. Still not as good as hers, but I'll keep trying. Thanks for the inspiration!

Amy said...

I love baking bread! I just wish I had time to make more of it. I'm curious as to why you would want to have a round loaf? It's hard to use for sandwiches or anything if it's round.

Hope your hubby's hand is feeling better now! :)

Dianne - Bunny Trails said...

I love that you were so creative with your salt-less bread! Way to go. Amazing how one tiny little ingredient can be so important!

That's great that your husband did such a terrific job with the crusty bread. It looks wonderful! I'm so sorry that he burned himself, though. That certainly wasn't a part of the bargain.

How fun that you're such busy bread makers now! Thanks for participating in Bread Week. My sourdough will finally be up tomorrow. :D