I don't know about you but it seems to be getting harder and harder to find good tasting bread. When you do manage to find some you pay dearly for it just like everything else nowadays. Personally I'm getting a little tired of giving my money to someone else when I can make it myself. I'm on a mission to get back to basics, save money, be more self reliant and mostly to know what goes into the food my family eats. We started on this journey by having our own flock of chickens. Don't even get me started on the difference between store bought eggs and fresh eggs from the coop. Let's just say there is no comparison in taste or looks.
This sweet little flock give us lots of these.....
They give us more than we can eat....so we have extra for others.
We also have a garden......
from which we get lots of good food like this....
But back to the bread, I haven't made my own bread since I learned how in high school back when they still had Home Economics class. I remember how fascinated I was with the texture of the dough as I kneaded it and the fun part was punching it down after it would rise. The smell of the bread baking was heavenly and of course the taste of it was unparalleled, nothing like today's preservative laden goo. So I set out on a quest to find the perfect recipe to make my own and NOT with a breadmaker. The first recipe I tried was heavy and turned out pretty flat so yeah, it was a fail. I got lucky on the second attempt however and made two super delicious loaves of bread. I got the recipe HERE
The only thing I did differently is to brush an egg wash over the top of the dough just before popping it into the oven. Here's the bread.....
The Mr. couldn't wait for the bread to cool before slicing off some to eat with real butter. Ya know, it doesn't take that long to make the bread and the rewards are many. Not only do you get to eat some of the best tasting bread around you also get a bit of a workout on those arms and we all need that don't we :)
So why not give it a try, you won't be sorry. Next on the list is installing a clothes line out back so I can save money on electricity and enjoy some wonderful crisp fresh smelling sheets.
Partying at:
Metamorphosis Monday
Partying at:
Metamorphosis Monday
Have the garden happening, do the line drying of our clothes, Husband won't let me have chickens so looks like bread is the next thing will be trying that recipe.
ReplyDeleteOK...you've inspired me. Wish I could have some chickens, darn city limits.. :(
ReplyDeleteSummer is just too hot to make homemade bread, but now that the weather is changing, I am anxious to get started baking bread again!!! Preservative laden goo is a good description!! Price is going up and quality is going down anyway, homemade is much better! We have chickens too, the eggs are so much better than store bought eggs. It would be shameful for store bought eggs to compare them to the real fresh eggs that we get from our girls! Plus, I don't like what "factory" chickens are fed. My girls eat real food, tomato peels, grass, vegetable scraps etc., not to mention that they know where to find the best worms. If you think that is gross, investigate what "factory" chickens eat! My girls do get some feed, but I try to give them as much from my kitchen as I can.
ReplyDeleteWe have a clothes line, but it will be raining today, so hanging out clothes is not possible today. The clothes smell better, last longer, and look better when hung out to dry. When you get your clothes line installed, you csn tell people that you have a solar clothes dryer! Just wait, somebody is going to ask you for details on your solar clothes dryer, you can smile and tell them that it is a clothes line, or you can let them wonder!!
Have you considered keeping a duck for eggs? Duck eggs make incredible baked goods. I have read that some French bakeries use duck eggs for that reason. Again there are some that find that gross, but investigate what goes on in the places that process your food! Duck eggs look mighty fine after that!!!
Making my own bread is at the top of my 'to do' list, so I'm heading over to check out that link! I already have my own chickens and would NEVER go back to store eggs! Your bread looks great! ~ Maureen
ReplyDeleteLooks so good! I can't wait until I have a working oven again! So, can you send me a slice? Yummmm!
ReplyDeleteYour bread looks delicious! I love hanging sheets outside to dry! Nothing like it!
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