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One of my favorite things to do on a cold winter day is baking bread. Bread baking in a warm oven on a cold day is so wonderful. The aroma of the bread baking fills the house with a wonderful scent and the oven helps warm the house up. Baking bread is my therapy for a dreary winter day. The benefits of making bread go beyond the reward of a slice of homemade bread.
I eat store-bought bread as it just does not taste that good to me. Don't get me wrong as I still buy bread for my family for school lunches. While my kids love slices of homemade bread with butter, they prefer the wimpy store-bought bread for their peanut butter sandwiches. My family also uses tortillas for sandwiches. When you live in New Mexico, tortillas are used more often than sandwich bread. So when I make homemade bread, it usually is enjoyed as is or just with butter, vegan butter for this dairy-free girl!
I have plenty of bread recipes that I enjoy baking. Sometimes I just baking a plain loaf of honey wheat bread and other times, I make a crusty artisan loaf of bread. My favorite loaf of bread is one that has plenty of grains and seeds in it. Then there is my favorite no-knead bread that is loaded with cheese and jalapenos. So when I bake bread, I like to go all out and make unique flavors. My weakness is fresh-baked bread and I enjoy every bite of those carbs. I could never give up carbs as I love bread. Keep reading to discover some amazing bread recipes and bread baking tips.
To knead or not to knead?
Most bread yeast bread recipes require you to knead the bread dough. My list does include a no-knead bread that you need to try. This is a process that I quite enjoy. Sticking my hands into bread dough and adding flour while getting an arm workout in is so much fun. On days that I am pressed for time, I will use my bread machine to do the job of kneading the dough. My bread machine comes in handy when I make my homemade pizza dough. Another benefit of a bread machine is allowing it to do the bread rising. Some people also use their bread machine to bake the bread but not me as I like to bake my bread in the oven. That way I can control the shape of the bread.
Ways to proof bread dough
There are many ways to proof your bread dough. If your oven has a bread proofing setting, then this is the best way to help your bread dough rise. My new oven has a bread proofing setting so I love that my bread dough can rise at the perfect temperature of 80°F – 90°F. Other ways to help your homemade bread dough to rise or proof can be as simple as covering the bowl of bread dough with a towel and setting it by a warm sunny window. You could even use a bread proofing basket. With my old oven, I would place the bread dough inside and turn on the oven for a couple of minutes to warm it up and then I would turn off the oven temperature. This would make the oven a warm spot for bread dough rising. I have also heard of people placing their bowl of bread dough on a warm radiator. If you do a lot of bread baking then you might want to look into a bread proofing box.
Bread pans are a must
Bread pans are a must for baking bread and I like these Aluminized Steel Loaf Pans as they are the perfect size for a one-pound loaf of bread. These are commercial grade bread pans that do a great job of baking the bread. If you are making artisan bread then I recommend a pizza stone, which is also great for making pizza. A pizza stone will give your artisan bread the crispy crust and it does not limit the shape of your bread. If you want to get really fancy with bread baking and make a loaf of artisan bread with a chewy crust, then I would buy a Cast Iron Covered Dutch Oven. This pan will give amazing results to your bread baking and it is also great for other things like braising and casseroles.
The basic bread baking ingredients
The main ingredients for making a loaf of bread are flour and yeast. Some people like to use unbleached bread flour while others, like me, prefer all-purpose flour. Just don't make the mistake of using pastry flour like I did once, when I was out of all-purpose flour, as it leaves your bread very dense. When making wheat bread, I like to use a combination of whole-grain wheat flour and all-purpose flour. I like to buy my yeast in bulk as it is a better deal when compared to those individual packages of yeast. I store my yeast in the fridge so it lasts a long time. You can even store your bulk yeast in the freezer. Just make sure to bring the amount of yeast that you need for the bread recipe to room temperature for best baking results. Other ingredients that are needed for bread baking are salt and some type of sweeteners like sugar or honey. The sugar is the food for the yeast that helps the bread rise.
Bread baking requires warm water
Warm water is needed in bread baking as it wakes up the yeast. If the water is too hot, then it may kill the yeast. The perfect temperature of the warm water is between 105 and 110 F. Some bread bakers can feel the water and know it is the right temperature for yeast and bread proofing. Water at just above the 100-degree mark will stop feeling cool to the touch and will feel comfortably warm - not at all hot. That is so not me and I like to use a kitchen thermometer so I know that the water is at the right temperature. You don't need a fancy bread thermometer as one that you use for cooking meat is just fine.
My favorite bread recipes
The below list is just some of my favorite bread-making recipes. These are the recipes that I have made several times and have made for my friends. The best recipe for beginners would be my honey whole wheat bread. This whole wheat bread is also perfect for sandwiches. All of these bread recipes can be made dairy-free if you have allergies like me. Just use plant-based milk and vegan butter. For the recipes that call for protein powder, I recommend using plain unflavored protein powder. My preferred unflavored protein powder is made by Nuzest. I like this vegan protein powder as it is plant-based and gluten-free. To get the recipes for the bread just click on the links or photos.
Make sure to save these bread recipes to Pinterest!
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
EVERYTHING SPICE PROTEIN BREAD
No-Knead Dairy-Free Jalapeno Cheese Artisan Bread
Parmesan Rosemary Artisan Garlic Bread With Sea Salt Rosemary Garlic Butter
Green Chile Cheese High Protein Bread
Rosemary Potato Batter Bread With Caramelized Onions
Pull-Apart Cheese Bread
Rosemary and Caramelized Onion Sun-Dried Tomato Focaccia
Green Chile Cheese Bread
https://www.momknowsbest.netW/2017/12/green-chile-cheese-bread.html |
Make sure to save these bread recipes to Pinterest! |
Which loaf of bread would you like to make first?
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26 comments:
I'm definitely not brought with leavened products so I don't try too hard, but so you invite me to the wedding. I want to try making bread too!
I am excited to make most of these! I just love bread. I've always said carbs make me happy.
Very useful. My partner used to bake all the time but he hasn't since we moved in to our new house (2 years ago!!). I might convince him to start again with me in toe, ready to learn.
Thank you for sharing these useful tips.
Oh, yes. I definitely have to try these!
This bread dough looks delicious! I love how you baked it fresh. I have never made actual bread before.
I love homemade bread. It's my favorite! I see so many recipes here that I'd love to give a try. I've been wanting to make homemade bread lately too.
These all look so amazing! I used to bake bread all the time. But then we had some family gluten issues and are not able to have it in the house. Maybe another time we will!
It's been a while since I've made homemade bread. I can't wait to try some of these!
I would like to start with the pull apart cheese bread. I have not had much success with making bread, but I will take your tips to heart and try again. Hopefully I get things right this time.
It would be very difficult for me to give up bread. Especially after seeing this list! I want to try the rosemary caramelized onion one!
Yuuuuuuuum. I love bread so I am ALL OVER this. My mom used to make this pepperoni bread that was AH-MAZING. Mmm. Now I'm drooling.
mm.. my mom loves making bread. I have bought her bread pans before. Never too much, she says!
And oh my - I need her to make me some of these! Or I need to make them for her..
I have always wanted to master the art of baking my own bread. These are some simply wonderful recipes!
Thanks for sharing this selection of breads they all look fantastic! Going to try out the Rosemary and Caramelized Onion Sun-Dried Tomato Focaccia. Never made a Focaccia before
I am amazed how much variety of breads you have shared here. These look so yummy.
All these look really good! I wish I could try all!
I have never made my own bread before, but i think that needs to change! I love bread and I have been wanting to try baking it myself. I love that there are so many recipes here to try.
I have never made fresh bread. Looks so good and pretty easy, will give your recipe a try
I tried the previous recipe you wrote! I have to admit, I did a very good job at following the recipe and the result was quite rewarding because it was really good! Have to run this one as well. Thank you 😊
I have not eaten bread in a little while and after reading this post I now feel like eating bread. It does bring back a lot of memories with my mother making bread and us as kids eating freshly made bread with butter, delicious.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed my recipe.
Me too, I am a carb person.
My husband likes when I make bread and has requested that I make the pretzel bread
Focaccia is a family favorite
Yes!! For some reason I have always been intimidated by bread baking. I think you've convinced me I can do it! Thanks for laying out everything I need and several recipes to try.
omg homemade brad is the best! My mom makes for us everyday and I absolutely adore it. Will check some of these so we can try ! Thanks!
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