Making bread has been a challenge for me. I almost gave up when I tried this simple recipe for whole wheat bread. I don't even have a bread-making machine so I always knead by hand. I tried to use as little flour as possible when kneading this batch.
At last, success!! Check out the yummy results:
The nice thing about making bread is how the house smells. Bread aromatherapy seems to make the kids calmer, the house homier. It just smells of good memories and fun thoughts. I even made an extra loaf to give away. My mom said the bread was soft and had a mediterranean taste to it. My friends delighted at the half-loaf: "Oh, it really looks like bread!" turning it upside down in disbelief--half-looking for proof that I didn't pick it up at an artisan bakery.
When you eat home-made bread, meticulously sliced, with even just butter or jam, you will wonder how you could have eaten the commercial bread from the grocery. Now I know why they call processed food junk. There's hardly anything in the commercial bread. Home-made bread is bursting with cracked whole-wheat and a nutty taste. You know every ingredient there is in it, and it does not include presevatives, dyes, or chemicals you can't pronounce.
You can almost feel and smell the fiber, in a good, wholesome way. The texture is rougher and the color is darker than any whole wheat loaf I've known. Plus, it came out of your oven a couple of hours ago. I don't know of anyone who makes bread at home, but I will continue to bake my own bread and maybe share with the community.
If you want to make your own, check out the recipe
Mother Earth News. You will need to set aside time and muscle to do it, though. There's something about watching the dough rise and then punching it down. It is simply satisfying to watch the dough rise through the oven. Eating something you made or something you grew is just twice the joy. I find that slicing the bread into 1/4" slices, with ham and mayo was delightful. But the bread was so hefty, just PB and J made for a treat!
11 comments:
(((emailed from Gina)))
minotte,
thanks for the bread. great for breakfast...toasted w/ butter or jelly.
Gina
Hi, Minotte! I'm a reader from Pasay City. One of my cousins who lived a long time in California came back to the Philippines with her breadmaker. She makes her own bread at home almost never buys them at bakeries or supermarkets. As soon as I found out where whole wheat flour sells cheaply here in the Philippines, I'm making my own, too. :)
((emailed from Rhea)))
I'm so impressed by the bread you made! Galing talaga! Right now I've gone as far as home baked cakes, but I guess like you, I'm also not sure about whether the home baked bread will rise and turn out soft.
Any tips for me? How did you do it? The home smelling like bread and additive-free bread appeals to me big time!
By the way, I bought Nicole an ice cream recipe book and she tried to make chocolate ice cream. Texture is as good as commercially available ice cream, though we don't have an ice cream maker.
Hope the family's doing ok.
By the way check out our blog on the band that performed at our school. Nothing too grand, just simple photos and short write ups.
www.thebandhaleatsscwfamilyday2007.blogspot.com
I also posted some photos in our family day blog. Again, nothing too great, just a simple memory spot.
www.sscwfamilyday2007.blogspot.com
Take care! Rhea
That's excellent, Minotte!!! I love making bread too. My MIL is a fantastic baker, so I'm learning the tricks of the trade from her. I do have a breadmaker, but I love REAL homemade bread...not from the machine!
I've got some easy recipes for different types of bread. If you're feeling up to it, I can e-mail you. I think I may have some dessert bread recipes on my blog. I'm not sure if I've got a raisin bread or banana-chocolate chip bread one on there.
You are absolutely right about the way freshly baked bread makes the house smell!!!
I make whole wheat bread in my machine. I love the smell too!
(((emailed from r4allstars)))
I just wanted to say I love your blog, and your grateful and frugal
attitude. It's very inspirational in these days of Hummers, mc-
mansions and other signs of excessive living.
I have recently starting making homemade bread but just could not get the fluffiness that I was looking for. I have even ground the wheat fresh and let it rise an extra time with no luck! Can't wait to try this one out -- it looks wonderful.
Krisi
Minotte,
((emailed comment))
That bread is wonderful! Sorry I missed you at the office yesterday. We are going to be out of town (sort of) for the next two weeks. When I get settled back into the house, I will place an order. I have never been able to make bread that turned out so yummy! You are much more persistent than I.
Julie HW
My wife makes cookies and pies. Fresh is always better. :)
Sorry to hear about your husband. :(
I love making bread. I often freeze it after the first rise in small roll sizes so I can have fresh all week, it just needs a few hours to unthaw and rise before cooking.
Thanks for coming by my blog. Your blog looks real interesting, I'm an immigrant too!
That bread looks absolutely wonderful!!
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