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Save $$ in grocery store: Bread is super easy to make from scratch at home

By Karen Ossenfort

A few years back when I was married and a stay-at-home Mom, I ground my own organic wheat berries and made my bread from scratch – sometimes with the help of a bread machine, oftentimes by hand. There's something therapeutic about kneading bread dough by hand.

Nowadays, with inflation and rising prices in the grocery stores and gas stations, people are often forced to decide to buy gas or buy food. Making your bread from scratch can save you a few dollars. You can purchase yeast in single packets and large packages or bottles and refrigerate it to extend its life. You can get large bags of flour from Costco or Smart & Final, or online.

Making bread is a simple chemical reaction between yeast, water and sugar. Proofing the yeast means you stir it into warm water about 110-degrees. Any more will kill it, any less won't encourage it. It proofs when it starts to look frothy and bubbly.

Some recipes just add the yeast to the flour and other ingredients and mix it all together.

Thank you to http://www.thetaylor-house.com for the recipe. It is a basic one and I like it. The flavor is good, and it can be used for sandwiches, French toast, and served alongside soup and chilis.

Easy Homemade Bread from Scratch

https://www.thetaylor-house.com/easy-homemade-bread-from-scratch/

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups lukewarm water, divided

• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 package)

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter room temperature

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted for brushing

Using a bowl of a stand mixer combine half of the lukewarm water, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit for 15 minutes until foamy. (If you don't have a stand mixer, you can mix by hand in a bowl with a sturdy wooden spoon.)

Add remaining water, honey, salt, butter and 4 cups of the flour to the bowl. Using the dough hook, knead on low speed until the dough comes together and is soft but not too sticky. Add flour if necessary. Continue to knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides and is soft and smooth.

If you mix by hand, make sure all is mixed well and the dough starts to form a smooth elastic-like ball or oval. On a floured surface turn dough out of the bowl. Flour hands and start kneading. Push dough with palms of hand. Turn and push and fold and push and fold. Do it for about 5 minutes. It'll be ready when it starts to look smooth (versus shaggy from all the flour ends). Shape into a smooth round ball.

Place the round dough ball in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 60 minutes or until doubled in size. I usually place it in a corner of the stove top, which is not in use but is warm from oven preheating, and I let it rise there.

Lightly flour a surface to work the dough on. Divide it into two equally-sized portions. Use your hands to gently pat each half into a rectangle. Roll up the rectangle into a tight roll and pinch the seams to seal. Tuck the ends of the roll slightly under the roll and place in a greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake loaves for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. They are done when you tap them and they sound kind of hollow.

Remove the loaves from the loaf pan and brush melted butter on the top of the loaves. Store in airtight food storage bags. Enjoy!

 

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