Basic Bread, by hand

by | Aug 25, 2015 | Breads

Bread is the staple of life. It can be nourishing and it is a wonderful comfort food. Fresh baked bread from the oven can bring a family together and create fond food memories that can last forever. This is a tried and true “by hand” recipe, it can be made in a mixer, but I love doing this by hand. It takes a little longer, but the end result is amazing and worth the effort.

Basic Bread, by hand
Author: Chef Brad
Ingredients
  • 3 cups hot water
  • 1 /3 cup sugar
  • ΒΌ cup butter, oil, lard, or Crisco
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoon yeast, Saf instant
  • 5 + cups of flour
Instructions
  1. In a bowl add water, sugar, oil, salt, 2 cups flour. Mix well with a spoon and add yeast and 3 cups of flour. Mix well and than dump out on a flour surface. Start kneading by folding the closest edge to you away from you towards the furthest edge. With the ball of the hand, press the folded edge into the dough turning the dough around as you complete the fold. Keep repeating the process adding flour as needed, being careful not to add to much flour. After the dough is well kneaded, about 6 to 8 minutes, place in oiled bowl and cover and let rise to double. Punch down and from into loafs, 2, and let rise again until double. Bake in a 350 degree oven until done, about 30 minutes.
  2. For Whole Grain Bread, substitute 3 cups of white flour with fresh ground whole wheat flour and let rise until double, twice, before forming into loafs.
  3. For Cinnamon Bread, before placing in bread pan to bake, roll out each loaf and spread with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up into a loaf and place in oiled pan and let rise until
  4. double.
  5. For Cinnamon Rolls, Roll out entire dough after first rising, spread with butter and than with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Sprinkle lightly with water and than roll up tight and cut into rolls. Place in sprayed baking pan and let rise to double. Bake for 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven and than drop the temp to 325 degrees and bake for 12 more minutes. Top with a sugar glace and enjoy.
  6. For Fry Bread, divide the dough into small golf ball pieces and roll out on a oiled surface and fry in hot oil, flipping over and cooking both sides. Top with honey or use for Navajo tacos.