How I make bread...a little photo tutorial

The other day, Kandyce asked me for my bread recipe. I have this problem when it comes to recipes. I don't use them too much anymore. When I've done something over and over again, like baking bread, I've modified the technique, adjusted the ingredients, and just done it so many times that the recipe becomes second nature. On top of that, the "recipe" is different almost every time, depending on what I'm feeling like eating, what I have on hand, and what the occasion calls for.

But I would like to help those who want to make some of the things they've enjoyed at my house. So here, dear K, is a little bread tutorial with an approximation of a recipe to get you started. I did measure while I was mixing this time so these amounts are pretty accurate.

Into the bowl of my favorite machine in the whole world, the trusty Magic Mill Mixer, I put:


2 tablespoons yeast (I buy it in bulk at BJ's)
5 cups warm water (not too hot or it'll kill the yeast - just warm to touch)
1 tablespoon salt (I usually measure it in the palm of my hand. For this recipe I poured the salt into the palm of my hand and then measured what was there. It was very close to a tablespoon. Nice to know)
1/2 cup oil (usually canola, sometimes olive)
1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup brown sugar (a note on sweeteners, the yeast needs a little something. Sometimes I use molasses, sometimes honey, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on what I want - a sweet bread like cinnamon raisin bread or something less sweet like rosemary bread)


Into this liquid mix, I add the flour and the Magic Mill does the kneading. The amount of flour depends on whether you are using white, whole wheat or a mix. For the bread above, I used 5 cups of white flour and 5 cups of whole wheat.

After the kneading is done, pour a little oil in the bowl of the mixer and turn the dough to oil it. You can see the oily shine on the dough here. This just keeps it moist and keeps it from sticking to the bowl as it rises. And, see, I really was writing things down while I did it.

Cover and let rise in a warmish place...

Here's the risen dough - it takes close to an hour to double in size.

And here it is, punched down and ready to be turned out onto the floured counter, kneaded a tiny bit more, divided and shaped into loaves. This batch made 5 medium sized loaves. Just the perfect size for slicing with dinner. I often make my loaves a little larger, but I wanted extra to give away so I had more, but smaller, loaves.

Lovely, elastic dough, full of yeasty air bubbles, ready to be kneaded and shaped.

Set the loaves to rise - this usually takes about a half hour for mine - and then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Sorry, I didn't take pictures of the finished loaves, but they were lovely, golden brown, and delicious....and at least one loaf was quickly devoured.

Now it's your turn. If you want more info on the Magic Mill, take a look here. This is the company that I ordered my mixer from years ago and I have never regretted the large initial expense. The machine has probably paid for itself several times over in what I have saved on really good bread. I've seen Kitchen Aid mixers and I'm sure they are fine, but I think the Magic Mill is a better, simpler, more elegant design, easier to use, easier to clean, larger, etc., etc., etc. No, I don't get a commission. I just love this machine.

My next bread making venture is to learn how to make sprouted grain breads. Any tips?