by Justine Carmen Maria Callahan
If you’re like me, you want some easy-to-make homemade options for your loved ones because, well…our food is so toxic. I can’t fully take credit for this recipe, because it’s inspired by one I found about a year ago, but here is my take. I have simplified it and removed some sugar to end up with an easy to make, double batch of white sandwich bread that my kids can’t wait to taste. Every. Single. Time. It’s not organic or entirely healthy, but it is homemade with far less ingredients than store bought bread. ENJOY!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 warm cups of water
- 1.5 teaspoons of yeast
- 1/5 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup of oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 5-6 cups of flour
Note: I don’t specify oil or flour type because you can customize to your preference! I’ve used vegetable or olive oil, and bread, all-purpose flour, or a combination of both. Do what works best for you and your family!
Here are the steps:
- Combine your water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl (I opt for a metal bowl or mixing bowl to dirty less dishes) and allow to sit for 5 minutes. You can cover it to trap the heat but this is not necessary.
- Once it appears a little frothy, mix in your oil and salt well before adding all of the flour.
It is best to add half the flour, then one cup at a time. If it is too dry, add a small amount of water. If it is too wet, add a little more flour. You want it to be just dry enough to work with, but not so wet that you cant use your hands.
3. Cover the dough and allow to rise for 1 hour.
4. Once an hour has passed, knead the dough about 5 minutes to release the air. NOTE: This is a double batch, so you will only cook half. You can freeze the other half until you are ready to use. Everyone is different, but we go through a loaf every 7-10 days, so I only have to do all of this two times a month!
5. Once the dough is kneaded, shape into a loaf and place in a lightly buttered or oiled baking pan to rise for another 30 minutes. You want to make sure you don’t have any air pockets so that you don’t wind up with any large holes in your bread. This is for sandwiches, after all…
6. Once the time has passed, put the loaf in the oven at 390 degrees for 40 minutes. When it is done, immediately move it to a cooling rack. Do not cut it into slices until it is fully cooled, typically 3 or so hours.
7. Enjoy!
Not quite getting it right? Watch the video on this blog to see the visual version – it may help! If you still have questions, just comment below. I’m happy to help!
Hudson Valley Childcare Agency 