My Journey making Homemade Bread
One of my goals for 2025 is to learn how to make homemade bread and I’m happy to report that I am making progress! It’s not perfect yet, but my bread is really tasty and it’s even pretty! A friend of ours gave us a loaf of bread during the holiday season and it was so good that I had to ask for the recipe. Then my family gave me a new stand mixer and some bread-making supplies so I have been testing the recipe and process. If you are a bread-making expert, I’d love to hear your tips! And if you are new to the process, feel free to join me as we learn how to create homemade bread!
Starter Recipe
- Dissolve 1 pkg active dry yeast in 1 1/2 C warm water
- Stir in 3/4 Cup sugar
- Add 3/4 TBS potato flakes
- Let sit all day in a quart jar
Within a few hours you will notice the starter is beginning to bubble and grow in the jar. This is normal and a good thing! You will end up with more starter than you need for this recipe. Just store the extra in the refrigerator and feed it every 3-5 days (give or take) and use to make the next batch of bread!
Feeding schedule: Add 1 C warm water, 3/4 C sugar and 3 TBS potato flakes to wake the starter up!
Bread Recipe
- 6 C bread flour
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1 TBS salt
- 1 C starter
- 1 1/2 C warm water
- 1/2 C oil
Before Bed:
- Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. I use my Cuisinart Stand Mixer to make this process easier!
- Stir in liquids making a stiff batter
Divide into two halves. Spray bread pans and let sit overnight. Cover with a bread cloth.
Next morning:
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Bake for 30 minutes
- Bake for another 15 minutes with a brown paper lunch bag on top to keep tops from browning too quickly
For breakfast, slice and enjoy with fresh wineberry or blackberry jelly from last summer’s harvest. Or, of course, you can use your favorite jelly from the store.
For lunch or dinner on a cold snowy day, heat up a bowl of homemade beef stew and enjoy!
There’s no wrong way to enjoy this homemade bread! I wouldn’t call myself an expert bread maker yet, but I am definitely on the right track! Do you have any tips to share as I continue learning and trying new recipes?
