Homemade Bread

I've always loved making bread, but I've never really been good at it. I think it was a mixture of having old ingredients and having wrist problems that has prevented me from really kneading the dough as much as it should. This year for Christmas, my boyfriend got me an amazing Kitchen Aid stand mixer, and it has totally changed my baking experiences. It just takes all the work out of it and it becomes fun again like it used to be when I was a kid.


Ingredients 


  • 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
  • 2-1/4 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 6-1/4 to 6-3/4 cups all-purpose flour


Directions

In a large bowl (or the bowl of your mixer), dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in remaining flour until a it starts to form a soft dough ball (1/2 cup at a time). Make sure to turn off your mixer while you add the flour.

Turn your mixer on and mix for about 4 minutes, until the dough starts climbing up the dough hook. If you are mixing by hand, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, approximately 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about and hour and a half.

Punch the dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface; dived dough in half. Shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves into two greased 9x5 in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, approximately 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. 

Optional: Put a bit of melted butter on the top of your loaf to make it look nicer.

Homemade Bread

I've always loved making bread, but I've never really been good at it. I think it was a mixture of having old ingredients and having...