Countrified Hicks: homemade bread in an hour

Monday, May 7, 2012

Homemade Bread in an Hour

I remember growing up and watching my mother bake bread. She didn't do it very often but when she did, the whole house smelled great. One reason she did not bake bread often (I assume) is because it was a LOT of work. I remember her kneading the dough, letting it rise for an hour, punching it down, letting it rise again, forming into loaves and rising again before she baked them. Whew! I'm tired just writing about it.

I make bread at least 4 times a week at my home (usually 5-6 times). I suffer from MS and I homeschool my children so I don't have a lot of time to spare nor the energy to do much. How do I do it? I can make a 2 loaves of bread--from start to finish--in one hour. Yep, you heard me and you can too.

Here is how:

Ingredients:
5 1/4 c. flour
4 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 T. oil
2 c. hot water

PLUS:
1 pkg. quick active yeast (I use Red Star Quick-Rise Yeast)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. warm water (not too hot or you'll ruin the yeast)

Pour the contents of the yeast into a small cereal bowl. Add the 1/2 tsp. of sugar and the 1/4 c. of warm water. Let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.

As the yeast is activating, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl that you have sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. By the way, you can use any type of flour you want: whole wheat, bread, or all-purpose. You can even use a combination of flours. I use just all-purpose because that is what I have on hand. Then stir in the oil.

If the yeast is about ready, (you will know the yeast is ready when it has become bubbly) stir the hot water in with the dry ingredients and then add in the yeast mixture. The dough will be sticky.

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The dough before kneading

Stir well and then pour out onto a sprayed surface and begin to knead. I always spray my hands with cooking spray also. If the dough is too sticky, just put some flour on the table surface and your hands and mix in just a little at a time. Knead the dough about 7-10 times.

Divide the dough into two loaves. I sometimes do two artisan style loaves and sometimes I do one "loaf" and one artisan style.

Divide up and place in a warm place for 25 minutes. What I usually do is set my oven to "warm" when I start gathering my ingredients and turn it off right before I put the dough in to rise. Be sure to cover the loaves with a hand towel.

After 25 minutes the loaves should have risen nicely.

Now just remove the loaves and set them on top of the stove top and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Let it preheat just 5 minutes and then put the loaves into cook.

Let them bake for 20 minutes then take a stick of butter and rub it over the top of the loaves and put back in the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove, butter the tops again and enjoy!

Wasn't that easy?