Easy Bread Recipe

I enjoy bread–particularly homemade bread.  I learned a simple way to make bread and bake most of the bread I eat.

It’s a basic bread–not something that will put bakeries out of business–but I like it better than many brands of store-bought bread, and I imagine it’s more healthful, too.  It suits my purposes for making sandwiches, toast, or just eating plain.

I use a bread making machine to mix and knead the dough .  [It’s supposed to be easy, right?]  But then I remove it from the machine and bake it in a regular oven.

Happy baking.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
• 1 cup + 4 tablespoons hot water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Cut margarine into small pieces (for quick melting) and place in bread maker pan.
2. Combine bread flour, wheat flour, and yeast in mixing bowl.  Stir well.
3. Pour water into bread maker pan.  Add salt and brown sugar.
4. Add flour mixture on top of the liquid.
5. Turn on bread maker and run through the mixing/kneading cycle (on my machine this lasts 25 minutes).  Add flour, as needed, so that the dough loses most of its tackiness.
6. Remove dough from the bread maker pan and press into oven bread pan.
7. Warm oven to ~ 120F, place pan on top rack, and let dough fully rise (about 30 minutes).
8. Heat oven to 350F and bake for another 30-35 minutes.
9. Remove bread from oven.  [Caution: hot]  Allow it to cool.
10. Enjoy.