Baking Bread

There's something special about breaking homemade bread while around the dinner table with family. I also love reading Scripture where Jesus breaks bread with his followers and can't help but think about that each time I break bread with my own family. 

 

I've tried numerous bread recipes and various bread pans to produce shapes. This is our new, recent winner and I'd feel selfish not sharing.

For starters, I used THIS BREADPAN that I ordered from Lehman's. It was very inexpensive and works very well. Although it is hand wash only, it hasn't had any rust problems and has been very durable.

 

Recipe

 

*Note: We double this recipe to fill both of the Lehman's sections of the bread pan, making two loaves.

 

Bread Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water (not too warm or you'll kill the live yeast)

1 tsp. salt

2 tsps. butter (room temperature)

3 1/2 cups flour (you can use white, whole wheat or 1/2 and 1/2)

2 tsps. active dry yeast

 

Topping

1 egg white

 

Directions

1. Pour warm water into a bowl

 

2. Add the yeast and stir together until yeast has dissolved

 

3. Add the salt, butter and flour and stir with a spoon until it's tough enough to be kneaded with your hands

 

4. Sprinkle a bit of flour over your dough to prevent your hands from sticking and begin kneading your dough until it is well mixed and not too sticky.

 

5. Butter or oil your Lehman's pan and place dough into pan, forming it to the pan

 

6. Cover, set in a warm place and let rise until it doubles in size.

 

 7. Bake in oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.

 

8. Take bread out of the oven and brush egg whites over the top

 

9. Set bread back into the oven for 5 more minutes, then remove.

 

10. Call some friends/family over to share it with you!

 

*I've found that this bread keeps for about 4-5 days if wrapped in saran wrap well.

*This shape of bread makes great baked French toast.