Need a REALLY SIMPLE bread recipe please

[attack-cat]

Pretend you are typing to a person who has never made bread and can burn water! Cooking ..... evil thing but must be done! I live by the rules that follow: boil it till its soft, bake it till it buonces and fry it till its brown! Nope, I'm not good cook! But I try!

Does anyone have a really basic bread recipe? Preferably one I don't have to beat into submission (knead). And what kind of flour do I get for it? I looked at flour the other day and some said to add glutten to it. We're talkin' basic recipe here folks!

Thank you! And I promise not to send samples out! LOL

 

[annmarie]

You sound like a tough case Attack-cat! I made my first (bread machine-less) homeade bread this past weekend and it came out pretty darn well! I made the "Beginner bread" recipe from hillbillyhousewife.com. This weekend I'm going to try the recipe below, from an earlier post. It sounds even easier than the beginner recipe I made last weekend. We'll see how it goes!

I just bought a book called "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day". I thought the author was a little on the whacko side when I saw the title, but her recipe and method makes GREAT bread and you can make up enough dough for 8 loaves.

The key is that you don't have to fiddle with the yeast or the dough, nor do you do any kneading. The basic recipe is (for two loaves) (you can double or halve it)

3 cups warm water
1 & 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 & 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
6 & 1/2 cups flour (I use 4 &1/2 cups unbleached white, plus two cups whole wheat)

You just put the yeast and salt into the warm water, add the flour and stir, just until the flour is all absorbed. Then refrigerate the dough. Really! When you want to make a loaf of bread, pull off a section about the size of a small cantaloupe, then with lightly floured hands, form into a round or a loaf-shape. Place on a lightly greased flat pan (cookie sheet) and let rise for about 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450, place about a cup of water in a pan on the lower shelf, and bake the bread for about 25 minutes. You can slash the top of the dough before baking, but I don't bother. It does give it an "artisanal" appearance if you do, though.

I was really surprised by the nice texture and good flavor from such a basic recipe, with less effort than making a cake from a mix! The dough is good in the fridge for a couple weeks.

My method is a simplified version of what she says to do in the book. Still gets good bread!

The book is worth buying or checking out from the library, as there are numerous variations, including some sweet bread recipes that are delicious.

 

[farm_mom]

I didn't know how to make bread by hand until last winter. Before that I always made LEAD! Here's a basic recipe that really helped me.

http://childreninthecorn.blogspot.com/2008/01/basic-bread-recipe.html

Good Luck!

 

[PotterWatch]

I have made the artisan bread in one of the above posts. I used white flour and it came out with a kind of sourdough taste that my husband loved. The only thing is that I needed to let it bake a little longer than the recipe calls for because mine was still a bit doughy in the middle (though I used a loaf pan instead of a cookie sheet, so that may have been the problem). It was a very easy bread that suits my style (I never use machines of any kind when baking).

 

[Beekissed]

I think the bread recipe I posted on the other thread is real easy, but you still have to knead the dough. Actually, I used to think making bread was hard also, even though I watched my mom doing it all my life. She made it look too easy, so I thought it was just her expertise. Then, I tried it for myself and it was so easy! I was tickled that I could make bread as good as my mom's bread and it was so very easy!

I really enjoy kneading the bread, it is relaxing and the smells and rhythm of making the bread connects me with my mom, and her mom, and her mom.... it feels like an old family heirloom passed down, as I have passed it down to my sons. One day, when they are showing their kids how to make bread, I hope they will picture my floury hands on a ball of dough.....just like I see my Mom's every time I make bread. Actually, I'm usually compelled to call her and talk each time I make a batch of bread!

 

[patandchickens]

Pretend you are typing to a person who has never made bread and can burn water! Cooking ..... evil thing but must be done! I live by the rules that follow: boil it till its soft, bake it till it buonces and fry it till its brown! Nope, I'm not good cook! But I try!

Does anyone have a really basic bread recipe? Preferably one I don't have to beat into submission (knead). And what kind of flour do I get for it? I looked at flour the other day and some said to add glutten to it. We're talkin' basic recipe here folks!

Thank you! And I promise not to send samples out! LOL

Have you considered getting a bread machine? There is still a little bit of a learning curve involved (I mention this b/c many people do not expect it and get discouraged if the first loaf is a little odd) but it is very easy to get up to speed and as long as you follow the recipes there is not much at all that can go wrong.

You can often find bread machines secondhand at thrift stores, garage sales, talking to relatives and friends, etc. Be aware that recipes do not always translate well from one brand of machine to another (don't ask me why, it's just the way it is) so it's best if you can get a machine that still has its original manual and recipe booklet with it.

I realize this is not as homestead-y as Kneading Bread With Your Own Gnarled Callused Hands, but it may appeal if cooking is not your favorite activity

Have fun either way,

Pat, gonna try that recipe that annmarie posted

 

[attack-cat]

Thank you everyone! I printed out the recipes!

I thought about getting a bread machine but machines hate me. It's like they know its me and not my husband that flips the power button. I even broke the toaster. Charcoal is good for you! It always makes dh say one of his stupid male comments (sorry guys out there) about how the world would fall apart if men weren't here.

 

[ScottyG]

Here's a great recipe for "no knead bread" that was all hip and stuff last year. It requires a fair amount of advance notice, as it's gotta sit around for a while, but it's the easiest bread I've ever made.

No Knead Bread

3 cups bread flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water

Covered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamelsomething that can go into a 450F oven.)

1. Mix dough: The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on countertop.

2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour. Set dough seam side down on top of towel. Fold towel over the dough. Let it nap for 2 hours. When youve got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450F.

3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven. Holding towel, dump wobbly dough into pot. Doesnt matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack.


And if that's not enough, here's an awesome tutorial on how to make the bread in pictures... someone had their 4-year-old son make the bread, and documented the whole thing in photos. Take a look!

http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/09/10/no-knead-bread-revisited/

 

[justusnak]

I have made the one posted by cjparker. Let me tell you....YUMMY..and EASY!!!
Just the other day I finished the last of the dough...made cloverleaf dinner rolls....Oh my! They were yummy. I find the crust a little tough..but I like it that way. I am going to make another batch tomorrow...and try it for pizza crust. Oh...and it makes a GREAT french bread loaf. Oh, and just let me add.... East peazy Lemon Squeezy!! LOVE that recipe! Thanks 1000 times over cjparker!!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

The easiest bread recipe I have ever found is on the www.hillbillyhousewife.com website. YOu can find all types there. Check it out but don't try to cook it on high.