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It\u2019s a staple in homes across our wide, wonderful world. You toast it. You send it to school in your kids\u2019 lunchboxes. You slap whatever culinary delights tickle your fancy on it, to make a complete meal in record time. Bread truly is an incredible, versatile food. Did you ever consider that you could bake it yourself?\u00a0<\/p>\n
If your answer is \u201cno\u201d, that you probobly have some reasons for it. It takes too much time. It\u2019s too complicated. It\u2019s too expensive. This article is here to open your eyes to a new world of delicious possibilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You see, with bread becoming a mainstay in many global diets, the laws of supply and demand are doing what they do. Take a stroll down the bread aisle, grab two bags of bread, and you\u2019ll see what I mean. As a community, we eat so much bread that companies are forced to use mass production lines to keep up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you want anything more specialized than factory-produced bread, you\u2019ve got to go to the bakery. The thing is, these types of bread are priced <\/em>as specialty items, too. You can get something handmade if you\u2019re willing to pay extra.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re willing to bake your own <\/em>bread, not only do you get a handmade product (hello, rewarding?), but you also maintain greater control over the nutrition of it and <\/em>save money. That\u2019s right, a loaf of homemade bread is cheaper than its store-bought counterpart.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, now that we\u2019ve established that baking your own bread rocks, let\u2019s talk about some great type of breads. A whole range of easy recipes are available on sites like King Arthur Baking, but these are our two favorites.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Classic Sandwich Bread<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s the poster child of bread. Most likely, it\u2019s what you think of subliminally whenever you hear the words \u201ctoast\u201d or \u201csandwich\u201d. White bread is one of the most commercially available products in the developed world, and is equally easy to make yourself. It takes very few, simple ingredients that most people are already familiar with. Yes, it really is that simple.\u00a0<\/p>\n One tip that isn\u2019t readily apparent in these recipes might be what to do <\/em>with yeast. For those who are making bread for the first time, sprinkle your yeast into your warm water and let sit for 5 minutes before using it. This is universal for all bread recipes.\u00a0<\/p>\n The dough also needs to be kneaded and stretched for at least 15 minutes before baking.\u00a0<\/p>\n (6 \u00bc cups) All-Purpose Flour<\/p>\n Acts as the body of the bread, forming most of its substance.<\/p>\n (2 \u00bc cups) Warm Water<\/p>\n Turns the flour from powder to dough. The other critical part of the body.<\/p>\n (1 tbs) Salt<\/p>\n Creates reactions that help bind the bread together during baking.<\/p>\n (\u00bc oz) Yeast<\/p>\n Causes the dough to \u201crise\u201d and attain the fluffy volume we are familiar with\u00a0<\/p>\n You can add sugar, as most factory manufacturers do, to moisten bread, but the difference is hardly significant. That means that, in addition to reducing cost, you\u2019ve also made your bread healthier!<\/p>\n Whole Wheat Bread<\/strong><\/p>\n Carbs are still carbs, but if you\u2019re going to eat them, you might as well get as much nutrition out of it as possible! That\u2019s what happens when you choose to bake and eat whole wheat bread rather than plain white. Let\u2019s take a look at the different proportions for this recipe.<\/p>\n (4 \u00be\u00a0 cups) Whole Wheat Flour<\/p>\n (1 \u00bd cups) Warm Water<\/p>\n (\u00bd tsp) Salt<\/p>\n (\u00bc oz) Yeast<\/p>\n At the base recipes, the whole wheat bread holds more nutrition than white. However, if taste is your primary concern, feel free to augment your whole wheat recipe with a little butter or honey!\u00a0<\/p>\n A Bread Box of Your Choice<\/strong><\/p>\n So, you\u2019ve got your dough. Naturally, you want to morph it into that elusive delicacy we\u2019ve been talking about- a homemade loaf of bread. There are two main ways to do this. One of them might even be in your home already.<\/p>\n You can bake your bread in a proper bread pan right in your conventional oven. Most ovens will cook a loaf through at 350 degrees over a period of 40-50 minutes. Look for a golden-brown crust and a hollow sound when the bottom is tapped.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have an oven or want an easier, more customizable way to bake your bread, there exists a contraption for just that. Contraptions, <\/em>actually. Bread makers are compact cooking units designed specifically for baking bread in a variety of settings. Some of these machines<\/a> even have internal devices to knead the dough for you!<\/p>\n Whichever way you decide to bake, making your own bread will save you money and give you that irreplaceable handmade taste!\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n