Easy Everyday Bread

Here ya go..a quick and easy bread recipe that you can put together quick. Goes from mixing bowl to table in about 3-4 hours!!
Enjoy!

Ok..here's the thing about this recipe..you can change it about a bit. You can either make it all white, or a white/wheat mix, or all wheat. *if you use all wheat, you'll need extra gluten. It would be 5 Tablespoons of gluten for all wheat.
This recipe can be doubled to make 4 loaves..enough to last a week or better, so put one or two in the freezer!
Ready??

Here ya go: This makes 2 loaves

1 Cup Milk
1 Cup water
1/4 C sugar
2 teaspoons yeast (or 1 packet)
1 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons butter/margarine (melted) or oil (I use butter)
6 Cups or less plain flour

The doubled recipe is
4 Cups liquid (1/2 milk, 1/2 water, warm)
1/3 C. Sugar
4 teaspoons yeast or 2 packets
1 Tablespoons Salt
1/3 C butter, margarine (melted) or oil
12 C flour or less.

Hints and tips:

*IF you're doubling the recipe, you'll need a BIG BIG BOWL.
*I don't use a thermometer to see how warm the milk is, good and warm to your finger is good enough, just NOT hot..it will kill the yeast if it's too hot.
*in the winter when it's cold, I 'raise' mine in a warmed over that I've gotten just warm and turned off when I put the rising bread in.

Directions:

Mix the milk, water and sugar..heat to warm.
Sprinkle the yeast on top, whisk it about and let it begin to soak up and dissolve (a few mins).
Add the melted butter/oil or marg.
Now start with the dry ingredients ..the salt, 2 cups of flour and the gluten if needed ..beat together. (I'm an avid wood spoon user, so I use a wooden spoon)
Add one cup of flour at a time and keep stirring until it starts to form a 'ball' that you can't stir.
Then flour your table and start kneading it, adding flour as you go if it's sticky', till it's not sticky anymore. Once it's not sticky..knead, knead, knead!
Knead it a good long time, about 10 minutes.


Once your ball of dough is kneaded, place it in an oiled bowl, turn the dough over so it gets covered with a light coating of oil.
Cover with a cloth and sit it in your semi warm over or any warm spot for about an hour to 2 hours.
This should make the dough rise and 'double or triple' in size.
After an hour or so..or once it's doubled. Punch it down.
And I do mean that..give it a punch with your fist in the middle and watch it deflate!
Knead it again for about 5 minutes, split the dough in half and form each 1/2 into a 'loaf' shape or heck, a round one like I did.

Put in oiled pans, cover and put it back in the oven (make sure oven is still a wee bit warm, if not ..warm it some) and let rise for one hour. (or less) till doubled again.
I baked this at 350 for 40 minutes.
When you take your bread out, it should be golden brown and when you tap it with your fingers should sound hollow. If it doesn't sound hollow..bake for another 5-10 minutes.

How do you knead?
Put the round ball of dough in the center of your area..push with the heal of your hand away from you at the center of the ball. Give the ball a 1/4 turn and fold in one side and repeat.

That's it..that's how to make every day bread.

Marry it with the Bean Soup Recipe and wow..what a lovely dinner!