How to make home made bread....

I started this post last night and finished about 6:30 this morning...but I would not load.. frigin thing...

Ok everyone - here goes nothing...
When a person starts to learn/teach themselves how to make bread, a person must realize that its a task that takes time to perfect. Trust me I am SOOOOOOOOO still learning! The 2 main things are good flour and yeast - both of which vary extensively! There is quick rising yeast, regular yeast, yeast cakes, wet yeast etc. I have used all - and depending on what I am makeing will vary using each. For the white bread I make I just started using this one - because my Amish friend told me too....

Its fool proof... it really is. Most yeast is used in warm water - this you put straight into the dry ingrediants baby... I encourage you to use the trial and error method when teaching yourself to make bread. Get a couple of differant recipes and just adlib, I truely feel thats the only way to learn somthing try and try again. SO, for this recipe I used this yeast - ok?? Next comes the flour - again, there are so many differant kinds of flour - unbleached all purpose, bread flour, high gluton flour, enriched flour bla bla bla.... Flour has all sorts of differant purposes but the one flour that I NEVER EVER USE - is the enriched flour and this is the reason. The way this is processed, from what I understand - this flour is bleached there for all the good stuff is taken out and added back in later...right... I am not one for all the processed stuff, shut up about the ramen noodles ok - but you can never get all the good stuff back into it. For this bread I use this flour - but again, try differant things for yourself. I use this too, because my Amish friend told me to....

I do everything my Amish friend tells me too.... Fidget, you cant use this flour my friend...

Now that I have explained these two things, I think we are ready to start.... first take a large bowl - this one is mine. Got it at a thrift store for $6!!!!!! I did the Elaine dance right there in the store. The clerk called 9-1-1 because she thought I was haveing a nervous breakdown. SO - here is my bowl...

What is that little speck on there you ask? Oh, thats Bob the sandtrooper -I do everything Bob tells me to do....

What do you mean thats weird? Dont you have a sandtrooper that guides you? No, well you cant have mine - I need him......

Dont mind the spots on the bowl, this was the second batch of bread for the day and I didnt wash the bowl very well....so dont eat bread at my house ok....thank you

Next you put the baby in the bowl..

no you cant have him either.....what is it with you people. Uncle Bubby was the instigator in this one.... Hi Uncle Bubby!!

Now for the serious stuff....please keep in mind this is a trial and error process and it is somthing that you can all do, but it takes some learnin' and experimentin'...

This is the recipe that my Amish friend gave me - I have several recipes so this is just one that I have used.

White Bread

2 Tablespoons yeast

3/4 cup sugar - I use 1 cup

2 Tablespoons salt - Kosher of course

12 cups flour

I put the flour in, then sprinkle on the yeast, salt and sugar....

While I am doing this I melt my lard...it calls for oil, but I use lard of course....cuz its GREAT stuff...Its seems to be a little thicker than oil and holds the bread together so well!

The recipe calls for more flour, but I put about 12 cups in to start with and add more as needed while I stir it. I have used up to 16 cups of flour for a batch of bread. Before I pour this in I stir the dry ingrediants so that they are well mixed. Then I pour it in along with 5 cups of lukewarm water - NOT HOT - hot water will kill your yeast therfore bread will not rise. This is where you start to stir your bread and add more flour - this will build muscles people. After I get started with the spoon most of the time I use my hands to work the rest of the flour in, sprinkleing it as I go...you want it to be a bit sticky - but not mushy and NOT TO DRY! This is where the trial and error comes into play - just work with it and keep trying.... at this point you start to kneed your bread. I take it out and work it on a counter top that was made for makeing bread...its great, but I forgot to get a picture of it... dang it - Bob did'nt tell me to, so dont blame me...between you and I, he gets a little disorganized and confused. I did get this one...

and this is when it has been mixed completly and kneeded...

Kneeding is also a trial and error thing - you can over kneed it and get tough bread or under kneed it and get huge air pockets... This should be soft and elastick -e..... like this....


When you tug a piece out like this it should 'bounce back'...Now cover it and let it rise in a warm place till its 2 times it original size.. at least that's what Bob the Sandtrooper says...and my Amish friend....


When it has doubled, it needs to be punched down again to get the air out...



Then it must raise again till its doubled - at this time you make loaves and put them into tins...
You dont need to punch it down before you make loaves. When you cut it up and form the loaf that takes care of the air in it. I just take a knife and start wacking pieces off and adjust them later to make same size loaves...

Then let them rise till they are over the pans....

Then bake them on 350 for 20 mins, turn them in the oven and bake them for 15-20 more. I didnt get pictures of this, sorry - but when they are done take them out and put butter on the top, leave them in the pans for about 10 minutes on their side on a cooling rack. Then take them out of pans and leave them on the rack for another 1/2 or till completly cool - then bag them! Your done -

The whole time I am baking bread this is what is playing in my mind......


I always wanted to be a dancer... *dances with the broom around the flour strewn table*