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I _love_ cooking. I especially enjoy baking my own bread. While it can seem intimidating at first, it's not really that hard. If you are in a dryer climate, or if it's winter where you are, while you are working on the bread (even when you are letting it rest and rise) I highly suggest putting a VERY LARGE pot of water on the stove and letting it boil. Your bread will thank you, and you will notice it comes out a bit fluffier than it would otherwise.



White Bread (from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)
5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm (120-130 degrees) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining dough to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough. Cover; let rise in a warm place (such as upper rack of a cool oven with a bowl of warm water placed below it on the lower rack) until double in size. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Shape dough halves into loaves by patting, tucking edges underneath. Place shaped dough halves in prepared pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 40 minutes. Cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Immediately remove bread from pans, and cool on wire racks.

No problem! I have a ton more recipes to post, but I figure one a day is better than total spamination.

My dad bakes bread at least three times a week because we would rather have homemade over store bought. Sometimes he gets lazy and doesn't make any at all though. e_e

I try to do it once a week, but at the rate my house goes through bread when it's home made, I really need to do it three times.

Ooh, baking bread is so much better than store-bought bread! My brother devours bread (and other food) so quick that we call him the locust. We use a bread machine for it. Anyone else use one? The bread turns out a little different than oven-baked bread, but it's not bad.
I like adding stuff like oatmeal, rolled wheat, or spices smile

O:

You totally just reminded me of an amazing banana bread recipe.

Yep, I love baking bread. I am way better at baking than cooking. I mean, I can survive with my cooking, and I am pretty darn good at pastas, but I'd rather have my baked goods.

:]