Home food storage: Baking bread

Many people have asked for my bread recipes. Baking bread is a good skill for food storage. Bread requires only a few basic ingredients, is very filling, can be eaten as a stand-alone food, goes well with about any meal, and, besides that, in a crisis, homemade bread is surely a comfort food!

These recipes are excellent because they only require that you have a sturdy mixer with dough hooks. Even someone like me, with little experience and almost no skill at baking, can turn out a decent loaf of bread.

These two bread recipes yield delicious loaves. An experienced breadmaker will not need the detailed instructions included in the recipes. However, for a novice breadmaker, the detailed instructions should make these recipes quick and easy to bake.

Wheat Bread

In mixer, put 3 T. yeast, 2 T. salt and 2 cups lukewarm water.
Wait a few minutes, until the yeast is foamy.
Then add: 1 T. salt, 1/2 cup sugar or honey, 1/2 cup oil and 3 T. dough enhancer*.
Mix on low speed for about 1 minute.
Then add: 3 cups wheat flour and drizzle 1 cup lukewarm water into the mixer.
Continue mixing (on medium speed) for 2-3 minutes.
Then add: 2 cups wheat flour and drizzle 1 cup lukewarm water into the mixer.
Continue mixing for 2-3 minutes.
Then add: 2 cups wheat flour and drizzle 1 cup lukewarm water into mixer.
Continue mixing 2-3 minutes.
Then add: 2 cups wheat flour and drizzle 1 cup lukewarm water into mixer.
Continue mixing for 1-2 minutes.
Then add wheat or white flour until the dough scrapes away from the sides of the bowl (about 3-4 cups of flour total).
Mix for about 10 minutes while you grease the pans.
You will need 4 regular loaf pans or 12 small loaf pans (or any combination, such as 2 regular loaf pans and 6 small loaf pans).
Then, turn the dough onto a clean surface. It helps to sprinkle your hands and the dough with flour to make it easier to handle.
Then, divide the dough into four equal pieces (or 12, or however many loaves you are making).
Shape them into roundish rectangle pieces and put one in each loaf pan.
Then put the bread into a cold oven.
Set a timer for 25 minutes. The bread will rise in the oven.
At the end of the 25 minutes, leave the bread in the oven and turn the oven to preheat to 325.
When the oven has preheated, set the timer for another 25 minutes.
When the timer goes off, the bread is done.
Remove the bread from the oven, let it cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then remove it from the pans and allow it to cool on a cooling rack.

This bread also freezes well. When it has cooled, wrap it twice in saran wrap and freeze it. Later, defrost it on the counter or in the microwave.

*"Dough enhancer" is not absolutely necessary, but it really does enhance the flavor and texture of the bread. It is a soy product and is available at some grocery stores or online at places like Emergency Essentials. It is called "Dough Enhancer."

Other notes
Yeast: I buy yeast in 2-pound containers and store it in the freezer. When I use it, I measure the amount into the mixer, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to come to room temperature before I add the water to it. After the water is added, it will still need 2-3 minutes to "proof" (or, "become foamy," as I wrote in the recipe).
Water: Typically, I microwave 2 cups of water in a glass measuring cup for 30 seconds and it is the right temperature. Test the temperature of water by pouring a little on the inside of your wrist. It should feel warm, but not hot.

This is dough enhancer.

These are the dough hooks, or dough attachment, for my mixer. The middle blade is a kneading arm. The dough attachment is sturdier than standard mixing blades. Most mixers will have a dough attachment, but they may look a little different (and they may be sold separately).

This is yeast, just poured from the package.

This is yeast that has been covered with warm water for a minute or two. The yeast is beginning to proof.

This yeast has been sitting in the warm water for 2-3 minutes and is fully proofed. The water looks murky. Yeast will proof quicker in warmer water than cooler water. Water that is too hot will scald the yeast. It won't proof in cold water.

This is dough that has just been turned out onto a clean surface from the mixer. I use this vinyl sheet, but a clean counter top will work too.

This is dough that has been divided into four parts. It has been sprinkled with flour to make it easier to handle (so it isn't sticky).

This picture shows the four parts that have each been rolled into rectangles. It is not necessary to knead the dough, and only takes about 30 seconds to roll or fold each part into loaf shapes.

This is the dough in the loaf pan, ready to be put in the cold oven to rise.

White Bread

(This loaf baked about 3 minutes too long; it should be a lighter color).

White Bread

In mixer, combine:

2 T. yeast, 3 T. sugar, 1/2 cup lukewarm water

Allow to stand until yeast is foamy.
Then add:

3 cups lukewarm water, 1 T. salt, 2 T. oil

Mix on low speed for 1 minute. Then add:

6 cups white flour, 1 T. cornstarch

Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.

Then add about 2 cups flour (until the dough scrapes away from the side of the bowl).

Mix 5 more minutes.
The dough will be satiny, but sticky.

Cover with a thin cloth, allow to rise until double in size (about 45 minutes).

Then, grease two baking sheets.
Then, turn the dough onto a clean surface. (It helps me to sprinkle flour on the dough and on my hands to make it easier to handle).

Divide the dough in half. Shape into round loaves.

Place one loaf on each baking sheet.
Score the top of the loaves with a sharp knife.
Cover with a thin cloth, allow to rise until double, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

The top will be golden.

Other notes:

This is a picture of the dough just after it has finished mixing.

This is a picture of the same dough. It has been covered with a cloth and been allowed to rise for 45 minutes. It is ready to remove from the mixer and divide into loaves: