“No mistakes; only opportunities to learn.” Elise

There are few aromas more delightful than the smell of home baked bread. An activity that has diminished in the frantic pace of contemporary life. Many people express apprehension and never experience the rewarding and enjoyable activity our family has come to love together. Learning the basics will give you the confidence you need to bake your heart away.  Although I am not a professional baker, I can tell you that baking bread is one of the easiest and most relaxing past times you can do. Below is a list of helpful hints to encourage you to get into the kitchen with your family and get baking! If you are willing to fail the first time or two, a little effort will go a long way.  Master a recipe or two and then go on to try a new one. Soon you will have a repertoire of recipes in which your whole family will enjoy.

Although the rising process takes a while, the baking itself is usually less than thirty minutes or so. Kneading is without a doubt my favorite part of baking bread. I remember my grandmother making breads like Massa, a Portuguese Sweet Bread, a flat bread called Boule that I thoroughly enjoyed slopping up the red sauce that accompanied her Pan Fried Fish, and of course Portuguese Bread with is similar to Italian bread, but with its own unique flavor. We would eat warm Portuguese bread for breakfast served with a big block of butter and several types of cheeses. We always enjoyed this with black pekoe tea and milk. I remember my grandmother cutting half a loaf of Portuguese bread and telling me in Portuguese, “Eat! Eat Sweetheart!” Oh, to be a child and to be able to eat that much bread!

The smell of yeast and bread baking in the oven makes me feels so comforted! I feel like the Proverbs 31 woman found in the Bible, when making bread. For me, baking bread is such an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I can feel the smile on my face form and the warmth in my heart grow as I knead the bread and think of my family enjoying it later on.  This is even better when my children join me in the kitchen! When my children were much younger, we would use basic bread dough and make animal shapes like turtles. Sometimes we’d make pretzels, too!  I hope this encourages you. I hope you find yourself wanting to get into the kitchen and enjoy this pastime as well.

Baking with yeast

Louis Pasteur is credited to developing the fermentation process we know of today as “proofing.”  There are many types of single-cell fungus which assists us in creating the most amazing loaves of bread and rolls. As a child I remember my grandmother using yeast cakes, also known as wet, fresh or compressed yeast. This type of yeast is not usually found in local grocery stores. Some specialty food stores still carry these cakes however.

Most people use the dry active yeast found in little packets, which is perfectly fine, but I purchase my yeast in bulk at BJ’s Wholesale Club because I make a lot of bread and it is substantially cheaper. I refrigerate my yeast and use it rather quickly, too!  The two-pound package of vacuum-sealed yeast in this post costs only $4.16. Why spend $4 on a small container of yeast or $1.12 on the little packets? Two pounds of yeast in these packages would cost you over $47.00!! I’d suggest that you head over to BJ’s today!

There are two kinds of yeast, instant yeast and regular dry active. Dry active yeast is dormant and just waiting to come alive. Warming water or milk between the temperatures of 120 to 130 degrees will awaken your yeast. When “proofing” your yeast never let salt and yeast come in direct contact. Adding a little sugar will feed the yeast. Make sure you stir the yeast so it dissolves completely. A foam will form on top of the liquid letting you know that the yeast is ready to go to work!

More baking tips

  • First of all when baking you should always use the freshest ingredients and be sure to use them when they are at room temperature.
  • When baking with yeast, make sure your dough is covered and set in a warm place. The best temperature for dough to rise is 80 degrees. You can let the dough sit in the window on a sunny day, but make sure it is in a draft-free area. I have a warming drawer which helps the dough rise quickly, but I have to watch it carefully and be ready to use it as soon as it has risen. If I am going to be out for a while, I just set the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a large dish cloth and let it sit.
  • If you need your dough to rise quickly just add a little more yeast.
  • You can make in indentation with your fingertips to see if the dough is fully risen. If the dent stays, the dough has risen properly.
  • It is very important to preheat the oven before baking your bread. Breads need a constant temperature.
  • For a golden crisp crust and a soft moist center, put a shallow pan of water on the bottom of the oven. You can also spray the sides of the oven with water.
  • You may find that the amount of flour differs each time you make the same recipe. This is due to the humidity and the temperature.
  • Do not over mix your dough because this will allow too much carbon dioxide gas to escape and will result in your bread collapsing.
  • Unlike meats and poultry checking if your bread is done cannot be determined by a thermometer. Follow the time on the recipe but know that it may vary five minutes or so depending on the weather. Begin checking the bread five minutes before it is supposed to be done. The bread should feel firm, but not too hard. Turn the bread over and tap with your knuckles. If the bread sounds hollow it is done if it sounds dull it is overdone.
  • Resist the temptation of slicing the bread before it has cooled and always use a serrated knife. This is my biggest problem!
  • I bet you didn’t know that you can use your slow cooker to make breads especially quick breads. Follow the recipes just the way you usually make it. Grease and flour a metal loaf pan and cover in aluminum foil. Don’t let the pan touch the bottom of the slow cooker. Crumble up some aluminum foil and place on the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the loaf pan on top. Cook on high for 2 top 3 hours. Do not open. After two hours, check by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the loaf.

See, that’s not so bad! I hope I have convinced you to try these tips and start baking! You’ll be hooked, just like me!