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Way OT, Bread making

I don't know if any of you all make your own bread, but if not then you are missing one of life's little pleasures. A Pumpernickel is hearty as in sopping up the juice in soup, lintels, of whatever, with just butter or oleo, or for a sandwich. Fresh bread is one of the simplest treats in life. With the lockdowns in place, now is a time for you all to give it a try. When this is all done, you will not be able to go back to normal bread. You won't be sorry. ENJOY!!
The great thing about making your own, is that after a few tries, you can have it dialed in to your personal taste. If you can reload, you can positively make bread and no danger of blowing your face off!!
 
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My wife of going on 40 years can't make pop tarts,so I was the cook raising my 4 boys. Who interestingly all are great cooks with their families. When they were little,the grocery stores would sell out of bread everytime the weather arseholes would call for snow.

I looked in this cookbook mom gave me one winter about making it. It was stoopid easy. Me and the boys would make it and then,just about eat all of the two loaves before it ever cooled down,haha. They still talk about it. Makes "store bought" bread kind of a letdown?
 
Ah yes. Now you’re speaking my language. My wife and I have several starters. Here’s a loaf my wife made a couple days ago (my wife loves taking pics of them). We make about 4 loaves a week. We do sourdoughs, focaccia, olive loaf, buttermilk, whites and more. Love me some bread...
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The only thing better than setting down and eating fresh home made bread with the butter you made from milking your own cow is smelling it right out of the oven. Miss mother's and grandmother's home baked bread and butter. Hmmmm, maybe that is what I will do tomorrow??? Been a while and I have no will power once started! lol Don't have the home made butter but I have store bought which is almost there. Think my yeast may be out of date?
 
Anadama Bread

"It took me 2 years of trial and error to get the perfect Anadama recipe and this is it. The culmination of many variations, it makes the best toast, which we serve with our own strawberry jam. Originally the bread was perfected in Maine and eaten by fishermen. The wives would make cornmeal mush for their tired and cold husbands coming off the fishing boats. One day a fisherman tired of just cornmeal mush said to his wife, 'Anna, damn it, I'm tired of mush - make bread,' and she did and he called it Anadama bread. How true, I don't know, but it makes all us Mainers laugh!"--Granes Fairhaven Inn, Bath, Maine

Yield: Makes 2 loaves
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1/4 pound margarine (or butter)
  • 3-1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup cornmeal
    Consider adding about a heaping ½ cup sugar
  • 3-1/2 cups flour
  • 1 Tablespoon salt - yes just about one Tablespoon!
  • 2 packages dry yeast
  • 3-1/2 cups flour
Bring just to boiling point molasses, margarine (butter), and water.

Lower heat to a simmer and add cornmeal, whisking as you add it slowly. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Let it cool.

In large bowl mix all dry ingredients except last 3-1/2 cups flour. Add cooled wet ingredients to dry and beat for 2 minutes.

Add last 3-1/2 cups flour and blend with hands. Turn out on floured board and knead for 5 minutes, adding more flour if needed for right bread consistency.

Let rise in greased bowl until double; punch down and let rest 5 minutes.

Make into 2 loaves and put in two 9x5-inch greased bread pans.

Let rise until double again. Bake at 400 degrees F for 45-50 minutes. 375 in my convection oven!

Cool on rack.

This is a sweet, dessert, or breakfast bread. Outstanding with over easy fried eggs!
 
I’ve always done a lot of cooking and smoking meats. This past fall and winter I got into baking homemade breads. However I didn’t stock up on flour ahead of time. All local stores are sold out now.
 
For those of you that have bad hands like my wife and myself and would love to make bread but just can’t do all of the needing that is necessary here is the absolute best consumer bread kneading machine on the market. It holds a massive amount of flour and ingredients (I believe it’s about 11lbs if finished dough).

Ankarsrum Original 6230 Black Chrome and Stainless Steel 7 Liter Stand Mixer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKJR8RL/?tag=accuratescom-20

You can also look into the stretch and fold or coil filled methods instead of actual kneading. They are much easier on your body and take far less time when handling the dough but still produce absolutely amazing breads with great structure and crumb.

We also use a Brod & Taylor proofing box which you plug in and keep constant temperature for proofing. They’re sold out on Amazon right now so the prices are stupid high but normally they’re under $200 and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.
 
Interesting this topic has come up.

I'm the cook in the family. While I've made bread in the past I don't do it regularly.

Given the current situation and 1/ having extra time on my hands and 2/ less ability to "just run to the store and get bread" *yesterday* I made whole wheat bread.

It came out fantastically well.....to the point I thought "I should do this more often!".

The comments re other bread types (Rye, Sourdough, etc.) sound like great options to explore.
 
I made some a couple days ago. It was VERY dense. I suspect the yeast (even though it passed proofing) wasn't up to par. I really like the basic flour, water, salt, yeast recipes. I bake it in a dutch oven because I love the crust.
 
I made all of our bread for several years in the late 80s. Have thought about resuming before CV19 arrived but trying to trim some pounds :( As has been said, hot out of the oven, Parkay, Blue Bonnet or butter on the heel slice - Yowza ! ! !
 

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