The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread

Merdy, this one's for you.

Baking your own bread seems a bit daunting, doesn't it? The only peope I ever knew growing up who made their own bread regularly were the Besancons. Meredith Besancon is one of my best friends from high school (those of you who also follow my Facebook or Xanga lives will recognize her as the tall, gorgeous blonde, often next to the shorter, gorgeous curly-haired brunette, Julie). Each day in high school she brought a sandwich made with her mom's homemade bread. Susie, Meredith's mom, was a teacher at our school and also brought those beautiful sandwiches, though hers was always carried in this awesome worn leather lunch sack. But that's another post. (Merdy, is it weird that I remember all of that?).

A few years ago, I started to dabble in making the occasional loaf of bread, but it was only recently that I realized I could make bread regularly, substituting yummy homemade goodness for that imposter stuff you buy at the grocery store. (Unless you shop at Whole Foods or Central Market...then you're lucky).

I'm always on a hunt for the best recipe for something, and this is my latest favorite recipe for everyday wheat bread. I like to double it and keep the extra loaves wrapped in foil in the freezer. Don't be scared...after a few tries you will get the hang of it and it will become the most delicious form of stress relief you have ever known.

Everyday Bread

Adapted from Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess

3 1/2 cups bread flour (for white bread) or 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups white bread flour (I use Gold Medal's Better for Bread)

1/2 T. salt

1 T. sugar

1 packet Rapid Rise yeast (this is key...do not use active dry)

1 1/3 c. warm tap water (the original recipe, which I have adapted, recommends adding a tablespoon of instant potato flakes to the water. Haven't tried that yet myself, but I"m sure it would be great!)

1 T. butter, softened, plus 1 T. butter, melted, for brushing loaf before baking

Ok...so here's how you do it. Mix your dry ingredients together in a large bowl or mixer bowl. Gradually add water little by little until the dough starts to hold together but is not soggy wet. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Place dough ball in a greased large bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. Punch dough down, knead briefly, and shape into desired loafs (you can do a rustic round loaf on a greased baking sheet or ungreased baking stone OR pat the dough into a rectangle, roll it up, seal the edges, and place in a loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled. Brush with melted butter and bake in a 425 degree oven for 35 minutes.

I prefer a denser, grainier bread, but if you want something lighter, play with the proportions of flour. You can do all white flour, 1 cup wheat to 2 1/2 c. white, etc. Just make sure you use 3 1/2 cups total. The most important thing: LET IT RISE!!! Do not get impatient. That's the great thing about baking bread: the hands-on time is very minimal, and during the risings and baking you can do more imporant things!