My mother was known as a wonderful baker. Saturdays during my childhood typically began with the aroma of yeast rising on the kitchen counter and ended with oven-warm treats. Decades have passed since then, yet the scent of freshly baked bread always reminds me of Mom. I stood on a chair to reach the counter next to her as I learned the craft of bread making under her careful instruction.
Recently, I began experimenting with her original recipe (shown below) to include health benefiting fiber and incorporate tasty, fresh herbs from my garden. The results have been outstanding. A few simple adjustments to her original recipe yield a plethora of different flavors and uses, from herb and onion bread to better tasting hamburger buns than any I have found at the grocery store.
Try her recipe out for yourself. Below is the Original Recipe that Mom used. Contact me via the link for some of my Grandkid-Tested Detours.
Ahh! There are days when homemade bread makes this grandma feel like a kid again. Thanks, Mom!
Original Recipe for Sweet Yeast Dough
Mix together in a medium size bowl and set aside:
2 packages dry yeast (4-1/2 teaspoons)
¼ cup warm water (105-110 degrees F)
1 teaspoon sugar
In a large bowl, combine:
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Pour over mixture:
1 cup scalded milk
When butter is dissolved and sugar and salt are incorporated, add:
2 eggs, well beaten
5 cups bread flour
Stir together and turn dough mixture onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Form dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl.
Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk in a warm, draft free area. Punch down dough and shape it into a loaf. Let rise until doubled in bulk.
Separate dough by half. Then separate each half into four equal parts and roll into long rolls. Braid the rolls together and tuck into a loaf pan. Repeat with remaining dough to make a second loaf.
Allow to rise until doubled in bulk in a warm, draft free area. Bake about 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool and remove from pan to cool completely (Or, pull the braids apart and eat while warm the way I used to do.)
Ask for Grandkid-Tested Detours from Mom’s original bread recipe at barbhowe.org.
BarbHowe.org 