Not Yo Mamas Wonder Bread!

This post is about bread... but first things first. My totally awesome cat kicked ass last night...Sammy had her first kill. And boy was she proud. Pranced around all night while she got tons of praises and attention. Bosco (the chocolate lab) was jealous, but it's not our fault he hasn't killed a mouse yet. Sammy didn't destroy it, the little guy was still altogether. I could picture Sammy pawing the thing to death with her clawless paws. I didn't feel too bad about it though, after all, I did trace his little mouse body and take a picture of him. Then he was tossed out in the rain.

doesn't he look like he's just sleeping?

Now that your appetites are fully intact...on to the bread.

A plain and simple white bread. Very simple. I just started making bread recently. See my first post in April, blogs, bread, and beer. Since then, I'm kind of addicted. It always surprises me how easy bread making can really be.

This bread is very good. It's pretty quick, about 2.5 hours from start to finish. It has a lot of flavor, a little sweet, and holds together very well without being heavy. Great for sandwiches or even better, grilled cheese. It even toasts well.



Homemade Amish White Bread

found at amandas cookin, adapted from AllRecipes.com

• 1 c. warm water (110 degrees)
• 1 c. warm milk (110 degrees)1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
• 6 c. bread flour

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. Stir the 1 c. of warm milk in now. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Using the dough hook on a mixer or with a wooden spoon by hand, mix in flour, one cup at a time. Knead until smooth.
2. Place dough in well oiled bowl; turn to coat top. Let rise about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down, knead a few times. Divide dough in half.
4. Shape into loaves and place into 2 greased 9x5-inch loaf pans. Allow to rise 30 minutes or until dough has risen about 1" above pans.
5. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Brush the top of the loaves with a little melted butter right after you take them out of the pans so that the crust stays nice and soft.