Bread Dough

Bread Dough

Saving Money By Making Your Own Bread Is Easy

Have you seen the price of bread lately? It's enough to make one wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper to make your own. You know what? It is! For the cost of a typical loaf of bread (between $2-$4), you can make more than one loaf of homemade goodness. A large bag of bread flour can make quite a few loaves with a handful of other ingredients. You'll need some yeast, salt, sugar, milk, water, oil and maybe an egg or two, depending on your chosen recipe.

When you're at the grocery store, take a moment to look at the flour aisle. You'll see cake flour, all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and bread flour. Not all flours are created equal for every task. You may be tempted to grab the all purpose flour so you can use it for other recipes as well, but don't do it. If you're going to make bread, get the bread flour.

When making bread, there are a few things to keep in mind. Choose a basic recipe if you've never made bread before. Plan ahead. Read through the recipe a few times to familiarize yourself with the ingredients and the process. It is important to follow the recipe exactly.

Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you start. Yeast likes a warm environment. The measuring of dry and wet ingredients is of utmost importance to create a tender, tasty loaf. Pre-measure your ingredients if you find that helpful.

Follow your recipe exactly. If it says to mix the ingredients in a certain order, do it. Making bread is a science as much as an art, and if you want your loaf to turn out the same way every time, follow the directions to the letter!

When all your ingredients are mixed, it is time to knead the dough. You will need additional flour to spread on your counter and to dip your hands in so the dough doesn't stick to you or the Table Top. Kneading is necessary to develop the gluten in the bread dough, mix in air for rising, and distribute the ingredients so the yeast can feed. Yes, the yeast actually feeds on the sugars in the dough, and creates a fermentation process, which enables the dough to rise properly. The biggest rookie mistake in bread-making is not kneading the dough long enough. Use a timer if you need it. You'll want to knead the bread between 8-10 minutes.

When you are done kneading, form the dough into a ball and set in a greased bowl. Cover and let rest. Your dough will need to sit for 1-2 hours to rise. Make sure your kitchen is warm to aid the rising process.

At the end of this time, you'll want to uncover the dough, punch it down, shape the dough how you want it be when you bake it, and cover it for another rising session. When it is done rising, it is time to bake. Pre-heat your oven before baking. Once your bread is done, let it cool completely before slicing.

Once you've mastered a basic bread recipe, you can make artisan breads, French bread, herbed breads, rolls, and more.

About the Author

For some yummy
homemade bread recipes
to get started on your first few loaves visit
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/breadrecipes.htm
and start baking today.

Kneading Bread Dough