How to Make My Husband Happy

I thought I might take a bit of a detour from our story today and share with you a simple yet effective way of making my Mountain Man happy. I do it at least once a week depending on the necessity. I bake bread.

Baking bread something I have been doing since I was a young girl. The methods have been passed down from generation to generation with little deviation. I think every family probably has a slightly different method but the results are the same. A delicious and cost effective product that produces an aroma which can not be resisted and not only warms the senses but the heart as well. I am constantly amazed at the simplicity and ease with which it is made and yet the inability or lack of desire to make it by so many. Especially when you consider that a good loaf of bread now costs in the range of $3 or more and I can make it for probably a quarter of that price. But I digress so without further adieu here is a simple starter recipe for bread.

Basic Brown Bread
Makes 3 loaves

2 3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons yeast

Dissolve the sugar in the water then stir in the yeast. Let this rest for 10 min.

Yep! I am using my favorite popcorn bowl. The yeast is all ready to go.

Add to this mixture:

2 eggs, beaten

6 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon salt

Start adding the flour. For this simple first recipe we will start with 4 cups whole wheat flour added one cup at a time. Stir, stir, stir! 

All of the whole wheat flour has been incorporated.

Now the real fun begins! We will be adding 3 or so cups of unbleached flour to the mix fairly slowly. You can start out with the first cup and then will probably add about 1/2 cup at a time until all is added. I can't give you an exact amount as it varies depending on if I measured the liquids exactly or if my eggs were a bit bigger or smaller than last time.

After about the first cup or less you will no doubt realize you can't use a spoon anymore so it's time to use your hands. Remember to remove your jewelry first! Don't want it baked into the bread. The dough is completed when it no longer sticks to you hands. So, keep mixing, scraping the sides of the bowl and cleaning off your hands while adding more flour. It takes a bit of practice but you really can't mess up. Just keep going, scrapping, folding the dough over and punching it down until you have a nice thick dough which doesn't stick to your hands anymore. Then continue kneading for another 10 minutes as this will result in a much better dough. I usually transfer the dough to a floured board for this part. This is the most time consuming but vital part of the recipe; just think of it as a muscle building exercise! There is a traditional dough kneading method pictured here which might help if you haven't done this before.

Once you are finished kneading flip the dough out of the bowl (unless you have already removed it to knead it) and oil the bowl. Then oil the top of the dough ball (really the bottom smooth side) by swiping it around the bottom of the bowl and finally turning it right side up. Now let it rest and rise in a warm place. I place mine on top of my warming closet on my wood stove. 

All risen and ready to be made into loaves

Once the dough has risen to about double or more in size it is time to make it into loaves. This can take a long time or a short time depending on the yeast and the warmth. Once it has doubled in size punch it down to remove air pockets and separate into three balls. Then still removing some of the air pockets work each ball a bit and shape into an oblong shape which will fit into your loaf pans. 

OK... So I'm not perfect at this, but it doesn't matter as the end result is still pretty much the same. 

Once you have place the dough in the pans allow them to rise in that same warm place until close to the size you are looking for while remembering it will continue to rise a bit in the oven.

Now it's time to bake! Yahoo!!! Place in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes. 

So there you have it! My not so perfect looking but perfectly delicious bread which my Mountain Man will dive into before it has even begun to cool. If you have never made bread before don't be afraid to start! It doesn't have to be perfect! Yumm.....

 A big thank you to Frugal Days Sustainable Ways for there blog hop.