Yummmmy Bread

First, I must give credit where credit is due.  My inspiration for making my own bread came from this post on the Money Saving Mom's website.  I have since made some changes that worked better for us.  This recipe took months to perfect...I will never go back to store bought bread again.

So now I am sharing my recipe with you...because I'm nice!  This is truly the easiest, fail-proof bread.

The first secret is my friend Mr. Breadman.

Now before you start thinking I am cheating and letting the machine do all the work, let me tell you that you can dump a lot of things in this machine and they all have the potential of coming out horribly wrong (just ask my husband).  The ingredients and ratios are what took forever to perfect.

If you don't have a bread machine click here to see how to make the dough by hand.

I purchase our flour in bulk at Sams Club.  And yes that is a dog food storage container from the Container Store...how else do you store outrageous amounts of flour???

Here are the stars of the show.

My secret weapon...a VERY old bread pan that I found in my Nana's cupboard.  I like to think she has a part in every loaf coming out perfect.  I actually have two of these pans, one from her cupboard and one from her sister's (they are both no longer with us so it makes them extra special to me) and they are identical, thin, shiny, metal pans.

Now on with the show, but I am sorry but that is the end of the pictures for now...it's too late to start a loaf!

Add the following ingredients to your bread machine in the order listed:
1 cup of warm water (110-115 degrees F) I just let my sink run until it is hot now that I know what the avg temp of my hot water is
1 tablespoon milk (I switch between skim and 2%)
2 tablespoons oil (I use canola)
4 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups wheat bread flour (I buy this in bulk at Sams Club...it's a big white bag with a red man on it)
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
4 tablespoons milled flax seed
2 teaspoons dry yeast (get this in a vacuum packed brick at the grocery store, be sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge after you open it)

Set your bread machine on the dough cycle, mine takes 1 hour & 18 minutes for this part.  Once the cycle is complete, take the dough out and form it into a loaf.  You may need a little extra flour to keep it from sticking to your hands.  Place in a greased bread pan and cover with a clean dishtowel  Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  My loaves always rise more once I put them in the oven.

I NEVER preheat my oven, I just put the loaf in, turn it on and set the timer for 30 minutes...perfect loaf EVERY time!  Sometimes, if it's really cold, I will set the oven to warm and let the bread rise inside the oven rather than on the counter.


I buy my gluten and flax from Amazon in bulk for SUPER CHEAP here and here.

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you try the recipe...I would love to hear what you think.

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