Matt's famous homemade bread

One thing that always frustrated me when I was learning how to bake was that many recipes for bread call for: a) bread flour, b) using a bread mixer, or c) enough ingredients to make 2-3 loaves. This was problematic for me because I did not know anything about bread flour and did not own a bread mixer. And even though you can freeze dough and bake it later, I never had much interest in making 2 loaves at once. To solve that problem, I experimented with several recipes and was eventually able to produce the right amount of ingredients for one loaf of bread.The recipe I developed is delicious and the bread is delightfully soft with a slightly crunchy crust. If you use whole wheat flour, it can also contribute fiber and B vitamins to your diet; not to mention the smell of baking bread is one of the most wonderful pleasure of life!

You can find my recipe below, along with ideas for what to use the bread for. This recipe is very easy, and does not require a bread mixer or bread flour. Just remember - anyone can cook!

Ingredients:
3/4 Cup warm water (100-110 degrees Fahrenheit)
1 packet of active dry yeast (equivalent to 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
1 1/2 Tablespoons of sugar
1/2 Cup of milk
3-4 cups of flour (I usually use a 50/50 mix of whole wheat and white flour)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Stir until the yeast is dissolved and the mixture looks like watery hot cocoa. Add the sugar to the bowl and slowly stir. To ensure the yeast is active and the water was not too hot (which kills the yeast), let the mixture sit for a few minutes and make sure it starts foaming. When you notice the mixture has begun to foam, add the salt, oil, and milk to the bowl and stir. Mix in most of the flour and stir until the dough chases the spoon around the bowl. At that point, remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead the dough with both hands, adding small amounts of flour as needed, until the dough is soft but firm and holds its shape. it should bounce back slightly when poking it with your finger.

Place the dough into a greased bowl (you can use olive oil for this) and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. If you have trouble finding a warm spot, try above your refrigerator or on top of your dryer. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and knead for a few minutes. Grease a bread pan and form the dough into a loaf. Cover and let it rise for an additional 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. After the 30 minutes is up, cut a few slashes on top of the dough (a process known as "scoring" - which allows the dough to expand without tearing the crust). Place in the oven and bake until the crust is brown (approximately 30-45 minutes). The bread is done when it sounds hollow when you knock on it with your knuckles. Let it cool a bit, then slice it up for warm and delicious goodness! Below is a pic of the first loaf I ever made, which was the tastiest I have produced!

 

If you use all or mostly white flour in this recipe, the bread will be very airy and pliable and good for sandwiches. If you use mostly whole wheat flour, the bread will be more firm with fewer air bubbles and will be good for toast and French toast. In addition, I like to form the dough into bowls for soup, which is a great way to use the bread when using whole wheat flour. If you do not eat all of your bread within 2-3 days, save the leftovers and make croutons with them! A simple crouton recipe is to mix 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil with a few slices of bread cut into cubes, and add 1 teaspoon of parsley and basil. Mix those ingredients thoroughly and bake at 350 until golden brown. Bon appetit!