Bread ... hot from the oven, aroma in the air, crunchy crust and soft inside, butter melting into every little pore.
No, you don't want to make a steady diet of it, but if you and your kids are going to eat bread, you might as well make it worth it by consuming homemade bread! It really can be simple. All it takes is four ingredients, about 15 minutes of time, and a few hours being within vicinity of your oven. And what kid wouldn't delight in messing about with a little bit of flour and a soft dough?
At Angerona Farm, the grandchildren would pile in to the delicious aroma of Bubba's bread. Bubba -- Beth Anne's grandfather, my husband -- would always have some bread hot from the oven, ready to go with pasta or dip into Garlic Chicken or with gooey cheese oozing from a grilled sandwich. Often, Bubba would have to make four loaves just to get through lunch and dinner. Happily, we usually had a little stashed away in the freezer for our own use.
Today, Bubba still makes bread and has expanded his repertoire during the years to Italian, extra crunchy crust steamed bread, harvest blend, and more. The French Bread remains a favorite, however, because it is easy, fast, and incredibly delicious!
At times he throws in a few tablespoons of flax seed to add just a little texture and nutrition. But, it's still Bubba's bread. Everyone who has ever had Bubba's bread will tell you, you just haven't lived until you taste it!
P.S. I know this recipe looks daunting because it is so long, but trust me, it is very easy. Once you have made it once or twice, you will be able to do it in a matter of minutes! And it is worth it!
Bubba's Bread
1 1/2 c. warm water (warm to touch, 105 degrees if you want to be careful)
1 T. yeast (or one small packet, such as Fleishman's)
1/2 t. sugar
4 c. flour (Bread flour is preferable, All-purpose flour works fine)
1 T. kosher salt (if using iodized salt, reduce to 1 1/2 teaspoons)
Spray oilIn liquid measuring cup, place 1/2 c. warm water. Add yeast and sugar. Stir until thoroughly dissolved, about a minute, with a fork or small whisk. Set aside.
Use large whisk or fork to fluff flour. Scoop and level off each cup of flour before dumping it into food processor fitted with a dough blade or into medium mixing bowl. Add salt to flour, turn on food processor briefly to mix salt in. If using mixing bowl, whisk to evenly distribute.
When the water/yeast mixture has formed foam on top about a 1/2 inch thick, it is ready to use. This is called "proofing" the yeast to ensure it is alive and ready to do its job. Turn on the food processor and pour a steady stream of the yeast water into the flour. Then fill the measuring cup with a cup of warm water from the tap, rinsing down the sides of the remaining yeast foam into the water you are going to use, and, again, in a steady stream, pour the cup of water into the flour mixture. Within 30 seconds to about two minutes, the flour mixture should begin to come together and form a dough ball. Allow the processor to "knead" the dough for another four minutes. It should clean the sides of the processor of any remaining flour.
If using a mixing bowl, start with a well in the center of the flour, pour in the yeast water, stir a little with a fork until you have a loose mass just in the center, then add the remaining cup of water, incorporating the flour around the sides of the bowl a little at a time until you have a mass of dough. Pour out onto lightly floured counter or clean cutting board and continue to work with your hands until it is a smooth mass of dough.
From the food processor, pull the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work slightly, forming into a smooth ball. Let the dough sit for a minute or two while you prepare the bowl it will rise in.
Put some hot tap water into a ceramic or glass bowl. Let sit for a minute or two, then pour out the water (into the food processor or the first bowl you used, if you can) and dry the bowl. The sides should be slightly warm.
Place the ball of dough into the warm bowl, cover tightly with a piece of plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise. (I turn on my oven for about three minutes to let it just begin to heat up, then turn off the heat and place the bowl in there.)
In about an hour, spray your loaf pan or cookie sheet with spray oil. Set aside in proximity to your floured surface.
Then check the dough. It should be about double in size. Pull the dough out onto the lightly floured surface, punch it down lightly and cut it into two equal parts. Set one aside and pull the other toward you, pressing it down and starting to roll it into a loaf. You don't have to be gentle with it. Keep pressing the air bubbles out as you roll the dough into a longer and longer loaf. When it is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 14 inches long, you are ready to put it in the loaf pan or on a cookie sheet.
Work the second piece of dough in the same way and place the loaf in the pan or on the cookie sheet. If on a cookie sheet, make sure the loaves are about four to six inches apart.
Cover with a damp tea towel, making sure the ends and sides are covered. Your towel is damp enough if you ran water to thoroughly soak it, then squeezed out the excess.
Allow to rise for about 45 minutes or an hour. The two loaves should have doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
When the oven is ready, remove the damp tea towel, take a large chef's knife and slice at least three diagonals in each loaf. Then put the loaves in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Bake for 28 minutes. Turn half way through if the back of your oven is hotter than the front.
Remove and put on a cooling rack. Allow to cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Kid Tips: Your kids can learn about measuring accurately by helping you with the ingredients prior to mixing. If mixing in a bowl, they can help with this. If they are a little older, they can even do most of the mixing themselves. Kids can help with kneading the dough at all stages. Just make sure they have washed their hands before starting, and get to work! You and they will love the reward!
