Bread Making

What does a Mom do when there's no bread for lunch?  Make it, of course! That's what we did.  I have loaf pans that I bought several years back from King Arthur Flour Company, and they are the length of a loaf of bread that you would find in the grocery stores.  I own four of them, and use them on a regular basis.  Here's the recipe.....90 minutes, start to finish!

First, heat 3 cups of milk and 1 stick (that's 1/2 a cup) of butter in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.  The butter needs to be melted completely, and you want the mixture nice and warm.

While the milk and butter are warming up in the microwave, measure 8 cups flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 4 tsp. salt, and 4 tsp. yeast in your mixer bowl.  With the dough hook, mix together the dry ingredients.  With the milk and butter warmed, slowly add it to the mixer bowl, with the mixer set on stir.  Once all of the milk/butter mixture has been added, increase the speed to 2.  Continue mixing until dough is nice and smooth (in my mixer, this only takes about 3 minutes).

Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes, and gather your other items to get your bread ready for the pans!  You will need a cutting board, additional flour for dusting the board, a bench scaper, loaf pans (2 regular pans will equal one of my larger pans), shortening or butter (for greasing the pans), cinnamon and sugar (for making cinnamon bread).

 Lightly dust your board with flour, and dump out the dough.  Divide it into two pieces.  Set one piece aside.

  

Flatten out one piece of dough, roughly about the length of your loaf pan, with your hands.  For regular bread, roll up, pinch seam and ends, and place in greased pan.  For cinnamon bread, once dough is flattened out, sprinkle on sugar and cinnamon to taste.  Roll up, pinch seams, and place in greased pan.

Using a serrated knife, make 3 to 5 diagonal slits in the top of each loaf.  Allow loaves to rise for 30 minutes (at the 20 minute mark, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.)

Place the loaves on the lowest rack of the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove immediately from the loaf pans, placing loaves on their side to cool.  ENJOY!  This recipe yields 4 regular loaves of bread, and can be cut in half if need be. I have also used this recipe to make dinner and cinnamon rolls.



Regular Bread



Cinnamon Bread



 May God bless you and your abundantly!