Nothing like home-made
I spent yesterday afternoon baking fresh, healthy bread from scratch.
Yes, I know this is white bread, and thus less healthy than it could be. But it's still healthier than store-bought! My bread consists of flour, sugar, salt, shortening, yeast, and scalded milk. No more, no less. Look at the ingredients list on a bag of Wonder and see how many ingredients there are...and how many of them you can actually pronounce!
It's sort of wondrous, really, how that bare handful of ingredients can come together under my hands, change each other in fundamental ways, fill my home with wonderful scent, and become sweet, soft, fresh bread.
I could tell this batch was working well. It had the perfect light texture while I was kneading it, but firmed up nicely as I added more flour. Then on the first rise, it more than doubled in the alloted time, and rose well the second time, too. I ended up with two of the most beautiful loaves I've ever made!
And it tastes good, toooo!
Here's the recipe I use. It's very basic and simple...nothing fancy...but it works!!! Proven and true.
Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups milk, scalded (heat just until bubbles start around the edges, but not until it boils!)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1tablespoon shortening
5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups white flour (I usually end up using 5 1/2 or 6)
Soften yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in small bowl. Set aside.
Combine hot milk, sugar, salt, and shortening in mixing bowl and cool to lukewarm.
Stir in 2 cups of the flour; beat well.
Add the softened yeast; mix.
Add enough of the remaining flour, a little at a time, to make a moderately stiff dough...this can take a while!! ((I usually use a stand mixer for this stage, but I've also had fine results with a hand mixer, or even just a sturdy wooden spoon...the spoon method takes much more effort, of course, so isn't recommended!))
When dough is desired consistency (usually when it begins to form a ball and pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl), turn out onto lightly floured surface. (Floured surface is important...dough will be sticky!!)
Knead dough until smooth and satiny...8 to 10 minutes. Add more flour while kneading if necessary. (You'll get a feel for the right consistency after you've done it a few times; it's hard to explain how it should feel until you've done it, you know?)
Shape finished dough into a ball and place in lightly greased bowl (PAM will do). Turn ball to make sure whole surface is greased. Cover bowl with dishtowel and place in a WARM spot until double...usually about 1 1/4 hours.
Punch down to remove excess gas.
Cut into 2 equal portions and shape into balls. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
While balls are resting (juvenile laughter here), grease and flour two loaf pans. PAM will NOT work. MUST grease and flour. (Use butter or shortening to grease. To flour, put a small amount of flour into greased pan and turn pan, tapping as you go, until entire greased surface has a light layer of flour stuck to it.)
Now shape balls into loaves. Roll flat into an oblong shape using a rolling pin, then roll up the oblongs starting at one end, sealing up the edges as you go.
Place loaves into greased/floured loaf pans, cover with dishtowel, and let rise in warm spot until double...45 to 60 minutes.
Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 35 minutes or till done...lightly golden-brown crust.
Turn baked loaves onto surface right-side-up to cool before cutting. If you try to cut them while they're still really hot, the knife will just squish the loaf out of shape, not cut it!