Breads, Rolls, and the only recipe you will ever need!

Fluffy, fragrant, fabulous, homemade bread, who doesn't crave it?  The Holy Grail of homemaker-hood.  The mother loaf, the surprisingly difficult, inconstant, backstabbing loaf of bread.  … wait, what?

If you are like most homemakers I know, you can make a pretty good loaf of bread, but have you ever make one that totally flopped?  I have.  So, I’m going to teach you 3 very important things I have learned in my quest for the ever-constant, beautifully delicious, loaf of bread.  First, the golden ratio of bread, and instructions on how to make it (in this post) second, the science behind the fluff (come back next Friday) and third, variations on this recipe that will adapt it to EVERY bread-needy occasion (also next Friday.)

Secret number 1: bread is a ratio game of six basic ingredients. 

Yeast, sugar, salt, water, flour and time.

Yep, that’s it folks.  The secret to great bread dough is combining these ingredients in the right order and at the right ratios, then, add and/or sub in and out other ingredients for specific flavors or textures.  I would say it’s easy as pie, but… this is actually easier.  Important: I add time as the sixth basic ingredient because, while it is possible to concoct an edible loaf in under an hour (I've done it many a time) it is NEVER as delicious as bread that has risen and been kneaded and risen and been kneaded several times before finally being placed in the pan, allowed to rise again, and baked.  The silver lining?  Most of the prep time associated with baking bread is free time, when the dough is just doin' its thing for hours on end... so you can go do your thing... like clean the house, make that new Pinterest craft or, in my case, catch up on that last episode of Once Upon a Time. ... We all have our weaknesses... mine is named Captain Hook...

I calculate my ratios based on how much bread I need, and I use the water as my calculation starting point.  Tip: 1 cup of water = 1 loaf of bread, 1 pizza crust, or 12 medium sized rolls.

Now, on to the ratios: 1 tsp. yeast and 1 tsp. sugar to every cup of water.  ½ tsp salt to every cup of water, and 2-3 cups of flour to every cup of water.

Basic recipe: 1 loaf of bread or one large pizza crust or one tray of rolls:

1 teaspoon of yeast

1 teaspoon of sugar

½ teaspoon of salt

1 cup of warm* water

2-3 cups of flour.

1 Tablespoon of oil-for greasing to bowl

*tip: Warm water should NOT be hot or it will kill the yeast, which is a living organism.  To make sure your water is the perfect temperature, dip the inside of your wrist (where you spray perfume) into the water, the water should NOT feel cold OR hot, rather it should be the same temperature, or just slightly warmer.  Incidentally, this is also a great way to test baby food temperature.

Directions: In medium sized bowl, or stand-alone mixer with a bread hook, combine yeast, salt and sugar. 

Add warm water (see tip above for testing water temperature) and stir until yeast is dissolved, the water will look tan and milky.  Let the mixture rest for about 8 minutes, until the yeast gets foamy on top. 

Then, add two cups of flour, and mix until it forms a sticky dough. If you have a stand-alone mixer, continue to mix the dough until the dough is completely wrapped around the hook and is not sticking to the sides or bottom of the bowl. If the dough is still too sticky, add more flour, a quarter cup at a time, and wait at least 1 minute before adding more flour.

 

Once your dough is thoroughly mixed, continue to mix or knead your dough for at least 5 minutes.   If you are not using a stand-alone mixer then clear a counter space, dust with flour and dump your sticky dough onto the counter, dust with more flour, dust your hands with flour, dig in and knead* the dough, adding more flour in small increments, until the dough no longer sticks to your hands, be careful not to rip or stretch the dough, as that will keep it sticky. 

Rinse out your bowl, dry it and drizzle the oil in.  roll your dough into a ball and place in the bowl, then flip the dough over so that the oil coats the whole dough ball.  Cover the bowl with a damp dishtowel or plastic wrap. 

Let the dough rise in a warm place until it gets super fluffy (a good place for this is a microwave, inside an un-heated oven, or on counter top that is in the sunlight) then knead it again, squishing all the air out of it, this is really important!   And let it rise again for an hour or two, then knead it out the final time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, grease your bread pan/cookie sheet, etc… and then knead your dough into an oval and put it in the bread pan, and let it RISE again for about ½ an hour (make sure to cover in plastic wrap) before cooking.  Once risen, remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 until the tops of the loaves are hard, golden and sound hollow when you tap lightly on them.  Usually between 35 and 50 minutes.

*Kneading the dough, means folding it gently, but firmly, over and over again.  This step is VITAL to a fluffy soft bread.

TA-DA, that’s it.  Now you know.  Next week, we'll talk variations, and science (I know, the chemist in you just can't wait!)