I’m listening to Meghan Trainor’s song All About That Bass as I write this post and if I’m not careful with bread consumption this winter, it could be all about MY b-ass. It’s hard to resist eating half the loaf when it’s warm from the oven. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take since baking bread while the snow falls is one of my greatest pleasures.
I’ve been baking bread since I was in college. While others were deeply involved in clubs, studying or partying I was hanging out at my Philosophy professor’s home baking with his wife. (OK, by then I was a junior and had my fill of partying.) While he mentored me on the finer points of theories by Hume and Kant, she introduced me to “Beard on Bread.” Those folks influenced my life more than I could have ever guessed.
I think a lot of people hesitate to try bread since it’s time consuming and has the potential for utter failure. Not to mention the CARBS. That’s understandable. However, in case you too are craving the most wonderful comfort food there is – warm crusty homemade bread – keep reading and you’ll see 3 recipes and a relatively easy method.
Below are the ingredients for three different breads, white, wheat and cinnamon raisin. My method for all of them is similar so I’ve made a chart of ingredients and will explain the simple steps I use to make 2 loaves at a time.
| Ingredients | White | Wheat | Cinnamon Raisin |
| Milk | 1.5 c | 1.5 c | 1.5 c |
| Butter | 2 T | 2 T | 6 T |
| Sugar | 1 T+ | 1 T+ | 1/3-1/2 cup + |
| Salt | 1 T | 1 T | 1 T |
| Water | ½ c | ½ c | ½ c |
| Eggs | 0 | 0 | 2 (step 3 below) |
| White Flour | 5.5 c | 2.5 c | 5.5 c |
| Wheat Flour | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Yeast | 1.5 T | 1.5 T | 1.5 T |
| Honey | 0 | ¼ c | 0 |
| Cinnamon | 0 | 0 | yes |
| Raisins | 0 | 0 | yes |
| Risings | single | single | double |
Step 1: Pour 1.5 cups of milk into a glass measuring cup. Add butter, sugar and salt. Microwave for approximately 1-2 minutes (depending on your microwave power). Milk should feel hot (but not boiling) and butter should start melting. Stir ingredients to dissolve sugar and salt. If you over heated, allow a few minutes for this combination to cool slightly – if you stick your finger in and it burns it’s too hot! It should be about the same temperature as the water below. You don’t want to kill the yeast.
Step 2: Pour ½ cup of warm water (officially 110 – 115°) into another glass measuring cup. Sprinkle about ¼ tsp. sugar into the warm water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add 1.5 T yeast and stir. Then let it rest and watch it grow!
Step 3: Pour milk mixture into large mixing bowl. (If you are making Cinnamon Raisin add the two eggs now, they should already be cracked and whisked in a smaller bowl. If you are making wheat, add the honey now.) Add yeast. Begin adding flour with mixer on slow mode.
Use the dough hook attachment of your mixer.
When most of the flour is mixed, increase the mixer speed. Alternate adding flour, reducing mixer speed each time (otherwise the flour spews out of the bowl – the voice of experience). When you remove from the bowl it can still be slightly sticky.
For the wheat bread: Begin with 1 cup of white flour to get the yeast mixed in properly. Then add the wheat flour. Finish with white as needed. Don’t try to use all wheat flour in an attempt to be “healthier.” For this recipe, it won’t work and becomes far too dense.
The consistency for each bread is slightly different. The white bread when ready for kneading will be slightly more silky than the wheat bread which will be more dense and grainy. (makes sense right?)
Step 4: Sprinkle flour on counter top, place dough on the prepped counter, sprinkle more flour over dough and begin kneading. Knead dough about 20 times.
Step 5: Cut the dough into 2 sections and knead a few more times, then shape into loaves.
Step 6: Place loaves into greased loaf pans and place in oven to rise. I have a “proof” setting on my oven but you could preheat to low temp then turn off just to have a little heat. I cover my pans with a dish towel.
Step 7: After the bread has approximately doubled in size, bake at 350° for about 25-30 minutes. I test to see if it’s baked by tapping on the top. If it sounds hollow, it’s finished.
The Cinnamon Raisin Bread requires more work and time but is well worth the effort. Unlike many versions of CR bread that can be super sweet, my recipe is more earthly with a subtle hint of sugar.
After you have added and completely mixed approximately 5 cups of flour add the raisins to the bowl and mix on slow speed. TIP: I place raisins in a small microwave safe bowl and cover with water. I microwave warming the water and allow to cool as I’m making the rest of the recipe. Drain the water from the raisins and pour into the mixture. These raisins are much more tender than raisins directly from the box. Not a bad idea for cookie recipes as well.
This dough, when removed for kneading will be more sticky and silky than the other two. Knead the dough using the same method as above and place into a greased bowl for the first rising.
Cover dough, let rise for approximately an hour to double in size. Then the fun begins. Hover over each photo below to see the next steps in this recipe.
Seem like too much work? If so, let me do it for you! Contact me for more information.