Thursday, September 23, 2010

Easiest Homemade Bread

I love fall for so many reasons. It's really wet here in Washington state so the evenings are cold and damp, just perfect for a fire in the fireplace and a steaming pot of homemade soup. So of course what goes better with soup? Fresh hot homemade bread. If the thought of making yeast bread scare you at all, look no further. This is a foolproof method to build your break baking confidence. I hope you enjoy it.


Peasant Bread

1 package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons of bulk yeast)
2 cups warm water, divided (not hot, just warm to the touch)
4 cups all purpse flour (I've used half white and half wheat before with good results)
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon of butter melted

Topping : poppy seeds, garlic bread seasoning, parmesan cheese, dehydrated onion, cinnamon and sugar (your choice)

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar


Pour in the yeast mixture and remaining 1 cup of warm water. Stir until combined.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. (I usually heat my oven up for 2 minutes making sure I can still touch the sides with my bare hand without burning myself, then turn the oven off)

Stir dough down to release the air. Divide dough in half and place each half in a greased 1 quart round casserole or ovenproof bowl. Brush tops with melted butter and add topping of your choice.


Let rise again in a warm place until doubled. (about 45 minutes) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire rack. Makes 2 loaves.



These freeze really well in a gallon freezer bag and, drumroll please, cost 46 cents per loaf.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please include a link to your post, not your homepage and please link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

7 comments:

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy said...

Great looking bread!! I'll have to give it a try! Thanks!

Susannah said...

As a fellow-Washington state resident, I agree. Fresh warm bread on a cool night like we've been having is just the ticket!

...and I can even smell it!

Thanks for hosting. :~D

April@The 21st Century Housewife said...

I love the look of your bread, Gayle - what a versatile and delicious sounding recipe. I've posted a recipe for an easy, economical and delicious soup that would taste lovely with it. Have a great weekend!

Melodie said...

I have one of my favorite breakfasts ever linked up for you today. Eggs with an Asian kick!

Bright Sky Mom said...

I make bread 2-3 times a week -- this week I'll try your recipe (with all whole wheat flour). Looks delicious!
Lee

Christine said...

We tried this recipe last night and fell in LOVE!! Thanks for posting it!

I didn't quite follow the rising times and ended up with one big loaf. I let it rise the first time as stated in the directions. I then put the whole thing into a glass pie pan (because I don't have the kind of baking dishes listed). I then let it rise again, but only for the amount of time it takes to heat my oven completely, so about 15-20 minutes (because I forget to check the oven earlier). It rose a lot during the first few minutes of cooking and turned out wonderful!!

Rena said...

I had a sick baby this weekend and didn't make it to the grocery store. I had everything I needed for supper in the pantry except for bread. I remembered this recipe and tried it. It was delicious and smelled wonderful while baking. Thanks for sharing.