Do you have the above ingredients on hand? Probably…right? If so, you can make your own, homemade, fantabulous bread!

I consider myself a rather decent, pretty okay cook. I’m not afraid to try a new recipe or technique. If it’s a fancy dessert or gourmet cheesecake that you want, I’m your gal. But, me and yeast? We’re not friends. Trust me. I have tried for years to make “just-the-right” bread or crescent rolls. It never, EVER turns out the way I want…or more importantly…the TEXTURE that I want. Did I happen to mention that I am TOTALLY a foodie texture person? seriously, I don’t know how ANYone can eat a mushroom

That being said…I’ve decided to try again. As of lately, we’ve gotten tired of store bought bread. As long as it’s whole grain, I’m not partial to any one brand…whichever one is on sale and I have a coupon for, is the brand we’re eating that week. We’ve gotten some real doozies. Even a few “big name” breads have disappointed us. So…on was the hunt for a recipe that would not only pass my texture standard, but also taste good AND hold up to being sliced and used for a sandwich. Let’s face it…some breads aren’t sandwich worthy: too airy, too hard, too crumbly…shall I go on? picky, picky, picky

Just when I was ready to, once again, doubt my yeast using ability…Money Saving Mom saved the day. A few years back, she shared a post called “Homemade bread for beginners.” Apparently, she makes this bread several times a week. I figured, if she can do it that often…then I can try it once. and pray that I don’t end up with a lump of dough that doubles as a doorstop

Guess what? It’s easy. And, I’m in love. I’ve now made two loaves in two days and plan to keep making it until my enthusiasm wears off every few days. In case you want to try it yourself, I’m going to walk you through (using a bread machine.) If you need instructions on how to make it by hand too much work, click through Crystal’s link.

In the bread machine bucket, add ingredients  in this order:

• 1 c. water (110-115 degrees)
• 1 TB milk
• 2 TB oil
• 4 TB brown sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 2 t. dry yeast (one pkt. = 2 1/4 t.)

Since I prefer bread baked in the oven, as opposed to baked in the machine, I will only be using the “dough” cycle. As you can see, my machine takes an hour and twenty minutes to prepare the dough. It cycles through kneading, resting and rising.

As far as flours go, ideally I would prefer to buy a non-bleached, organic whole wheat flour. Until I can find that at a good price, I’ll keep checking my grocery store clearance bin. Flour is always on clearance. It may be  taped up, or whatever…but who really cares? Shown here, you can see that I found all-purpose for a buck and King Arthur’s white whole wheat for $2.49.

After your dough is finished in the bread machine, do you need a drink yet? shape it into a flat loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. If you want the outcome to be “pretty”, take time to shape it nicely. My first loaf came looking rather “lumpy.”

Next, cover with a light, tea type towel and let rest in a warm area. Since there are NO warm areas in my entire house, I let the microwave run EMPTY for about 30 seconds, then place the covered loaf inside. You want to let it rise for 20 to 45 minutes, or until it doubles in size.

Now you are ready for the yummy, smell-goody, mouth-watery part…bake at 350 degrees  for 30 minutes. Take out of pan and let cool on a wire rack.

I can’t emphasize enough…if you want to have evenly sliced bread (for sandwiches and the like), you need to use an electric knife. Seriously. If you are going to just devour the whole thing hot like a starving wolf pack, don’t worry so much about it. But, for you civilized folk…invest in the electric cutter; you’ll be much more satisfied with the results.

Day one will have a nice crispy crust on the top. After storing in a gallon sized, zip-lock bag overnight, the crust will become much softer, more like store bought bread.

I may start adding a little “chunk” to the recipe, like oatmeal, sunflower seeds or flax…ya know, to be all healthy n’ junk. We’ll see. One thing is for sure, I like knowing what is IN my bread…and also enjoy at least ONE warm room in the house…even if only for 30 minutes a day. *wink*

**Just remember, since there are no preservatives, homemade bread will only last for a few days (depending on conditions.) Not that it ever lasts that long anyway…but still. No one wants a daily dose of mold. **