I find myself making all sorts of things from scratch. Help me!

So, I do not have a full time job.  Aside from being a mom.  So I feel like I should be extra vigilant and make the time to do a lot of stuff by hand.  I do ALL of our baking.  I make our own cheese crackers, and most of the snacks we eat.  I need someone to help me.


However, I hate to be tied to my kitchen ( or house) all of the time.  So I have some labor saving devices.  The best thing I can suggest to do to do all of the cooking and still have a life is to do extra when you can and to buy a few cool kitchen gadgets.  One of my absolute favorites is the bread maker.  I have probably only made 3 loafs of bread from start to finish in it.  I hate the way the loaves are shaped and the hole in the bottom.  I have issues.  BUT  I can set it to  mix and knead my bread and it is warm so the bread will rise, no matter how cold my house is.

You can almost always find them in in thrift stores.  If you find one there ask to plug it in and set it to dough.  Watch it for maybe 5 minutes and see if the paddle starts moving.  I have seen them as low as 3 dollars. 

I started making bread for my family and my daughter said it was too tough.  So, I made up my own recipe for a sandwich loaf.  It looks hard, but I promise... it is not.

What you need:
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons oil or softened butter
2 tablespoons honey
a sprinkle of ground ginger
a TSP oj

3 tsp flax seed gel 1 tbls of ground flax and 2 bls of water )  OR one egg beaten
3 cups flour... half w/w half bread flour
2 cups of starter (or 2 tsp of yeast)
*optional* a half cup of wheat berries

So you add all of your liquid ingredients and salt into your bread maker.  Then add your sugar, ginger, wheat berries if you use them, egg, and flour.  Make a well into the flour and add your yeast.  Set your bread machine to dough and walk away for five minutes.  In five minutes come back and look at the dough.  If needed take a spatula ( rubber) and push stuff from the sides.  Then let it finish up.  The rest of the instructions are after the next paragraph. 

See the well for my yeast?

There is the yeast.  It looks like tiny rocks.  That makes me laugh.

just set it and walk away!!well for 5 minutes

See how it is not all mixed?  Just scrape it down with a rubber spatula.

It should look like this.

BUT WAIT!!!  I DO NOT HAVE A BREAD MACHINE!  WHAT DO I DO!?

Well, think about getting one. But while you are thinking you can do it by hand.  Mix all of your liquid ingredients in a big bowl ( or mixer if you have one)  Then add your others and your dry ingredients.  If you use a mixer use the dough paddle.  If you are doing it by hand I find using a sturdy fork works best.   After you get everything mixed either switch to your dough hook, OR dump your dough out on a well floured surface and knead it for at least 20 minutes.  Call it some names, and wish you already had a bread maker.  Cuss it some more and knead it for up to another  20 minutes if it is not where you need it to be.  You may need to add in more flour.  Your consistency should be a little sticky.  Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic.  Let proof for 1 hour in a warm place.   Read on.  The rest goes for all methods.

After you have your dough run through the dough cycle and the machine is beeping at you like some lost child that needs attention NOW ( or you have mixed and proofed it by hand/ mixer) punch down dough a few times to deflate it some.  Have a loaf pan you have greased and floured ( or use corn meal)  OR use pam or bakers secret.

Shape your dough into a loaf, or just dump it in like I do. Oil the top if the loaf, and make a slit in it. Cover with plastic, and allow to sit about 45 minutes in a warm place.  I usually just turn the oven light on and shut the door. 

See how shiny it is with the oil?  

covered and ready to proof for about 45 minutes.

At the end of that 45 minutes pull it out and preheat your oven to 350.  Bake in  for 35 minutes. (Tent loosely with foil after 20-25 minutes if loaf is browning too quickly.) When bread is done let sit for 5 minutes then remove from pan, place on a cooling rack, and cover until cool. Seal in a bag or container after cooled.

It didn't rise as much as it normally does.  I think I need to get new yeast.  Anyway, it smells HEAVENLY!!! 

My mom is in town.  I will be getting her help and input on recipes.  I have not seen her in over a year, and I am so excited she is here.  So my dears, I am out of here.  I am gonna go hang out with my mom.  Have a great night!  Tomorrow I will make sourdough with caramelized onions for the hubbs.