February Pinterest Challenge

Hi there. I am keeping it simple this month because we have soo much going on. So I am trying to be realistic for once. haha  So here is my pinspiration....

Homemade Bread

via pinterest (originally allrecipes.com)

I have always wanted to make bread from scratch but I have been intimidated by the idea of baking with yeast. But I finally decided to go for it! So here are my results! I must say I am very pleased with my results and with practice I think I will only get better at the whole process.

Here is my bread cooling.

I used this tutorial (via lafujimama) to get the technique done and to get a good visual. I highly recommend checking it out and watching her video!

I used the follow recipe originally from allrecipes.com adapted slightly to suite what I had on hand.

Homemade White Bread

Ingredients

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 3 T granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 C warm water (110 degrees F / 45 degrees C)
• 3 T butter (softened)
• 1 T salt
• 6 1/2 C all-purpose flour (or Bread Flour)

*Most recipes recommend bread flour however I did not have any on hand and I read all-purpose would work ok. Next time I will plan ahead and buy bread flour to see if there is a difference.

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Stir in butter, salt and two cups of the flour. (Transfer to a stand mixer at this point if you have one and use your dough hook) Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
2. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Click Here to print the Homemade White Bread recipe!

*I made cookies while I was waiting for the bread to rise so the kitchen would be nice and warm. You can find my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe here! 

And here is the final product pre-sliced and ready to enjoy!

I had some peanut butter toast for breakfast and it was delicious. Light soft middle with just a little crunch to the crust. I would say this was a definite success. I am looking forward to trying some more complex bread recipes in the future. I will certainly be looking for some healthier options. Have you ever made your own bread?

Thanks for stopping by! As always leave me a comment if you have any questions!