Breads/ Recipe

Super Soft Homemade Bread Recipe

Yeast scares the balls out of me. Both the kind that makes fluffy, fragrant dough as well as the kind that gives us infections in our lady parts. One word: Ouch.

Homemade Bread Recipe - She Eats

…Or at least, it did. Until I tried an amazing super soft homemade bread recipe. Of course, I mean the fluffy fragrant dough kind of yeast. Not the kind that gives us infections. That kind still scares me.

To be honest, I don’t know what I found so intimidating about yeast to begin with. There are just some things that seem so big or technical or extravagant to make that they meander around my culinary bucket list for way longer than they should.

And let me be straight here: Bread is the least extravagant thing on that list. In fact, it’s the most simple, humble item on there. But it just seemed so tricky. What if the yeast didn’t rise? What if the “warm spot” wasn’t warm enough? Have I used enough liquid? Too much flour? A simple bread recipe, for such an innocent and dietary staple, is awfully intimidating.

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So what pushed me over the scratch bread recipe edge? Michael Pollan. He got me all riled up and excited (as his books so often do) to explore the world of bread. As he said in his newest book – and I’m paraphrasing here – there is something innately beautiful and inspiring about a loaf of bread. Something so nostalgic and fundamental about it that’s tied deeply to the quiet moments of a kitchen and the lineage it’s grown from. Whether that be the historical domesticity of our grandmothers, rights and access to land, or even just the simple smell of bread baking in an easy bake oven – bread is important.

And as I gingerly mixed the water with the flour in the bowl, I felt that connection to history. To politics. To the fundamental nature of bread – to nourishment.

Then came the kneading. Hey – any excuse to smack, bang and punch something, I’m into. Totes McGoats. I like to punch things!

Fresh Scratch Baked Bread Recipe

And yet, as I espouse the greatness that is bread, I feel like the gluten allergy epidemic merits note. Granted, I’m no doctor. Or nutritionist. Or scientist. But I don’t think we as a society have developed a mass allergy to wheat. Wheat itself can’t be blamed for the thousands of people who are suddenly suffering from horrible cases of “wheat belly”. Rather, I believe it’s the evolution and global proliferation of GMO grains that’s entered our diets in recent years that’s to blame. Never before in the history of humanity have we seen so many allergies and food sensitivities – and not just to wheat. What else can be concluded except that franken-foods and food-like substances are causing them? Please, if I’m wrong, I want to hear from you. I don’t mean to downplay people’s experiences or reactions to certain foods! As someone who has an alcohol sensitivity (and no, I won’t stop drinking), I know full well that the symptoms one experiences are very real, and very painful indeed. However, I’d be curious to know if those who have sensitives to wheat have tried heritage grains like Red Fife and what their reaction to them have been. Has it made a difference? Have you found your way back to wheat? Did it make things worse?

And in the meantime, I’ll keep kneading and needing my bread. Because let’s face it – I like my carbs. And there isn’t anything much better than smell of fresh baked loaves wafting through the house on a chilly, snowy and dark afternoon. Now, if you ask me, that’s a good day.

Super Soft Homemade Bread Recipe

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 1 loaf

Incredible, super soft (and simple!) homemade bread.

Ingredients

  • 3ยพ C Unbleached All-purpose Flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 Tsp Salt
  • 1 C Warm Whole Milk
  • 1/3 C Very Warm Water
  • 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
  • 3 Tbsp Organic Local Honey
  • 1 Envelope (approx 2ยผ Tsp) Yeast

Instructions

  1. Adjust your oven rack to the lowest position in the oven possible and pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Once the oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain the heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the oven.As that heats, put the yeast, very warm water and honey in a bowl. Cover and set atop the warming oven. After 10 minutes, continue to step 4.
  2. Mix 3ยฝ C of the flour and the salt in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Mix the milk, butter, and yeast mixture in a large bowl. Add the flour and gently mix together with your hand. When the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead to form a smooth, round ball, for about 8 - 12 minutes until elasticy. You may need to add a touch more flour or water, depending on the humidity levels in your house.
  4. Pour a dollop of oil into the large dirty bowl and place the dough in after, rubbing or shaking it lightly around the bowl to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the warmed oven until the dough doubles in size, 40 to 50 minutes. Be sure you've turned the oven off at this point or you'll melt the plastic!
  5. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle no longer than 9 inches. If necessary, press the edges over to the bottom with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed. Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9 X 5" loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel; set aside in a warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 minutes. The top of the oven works well here too.
  6. Keep one oven rack at the lowest position and place the other at the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place an empty baking pan on the bottom rack. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan or kettle. Pour the boiling water into the empty pan on the bottom rack and set the loaf onto the middle one. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 195 degrees. OR if you don't have a thermometer, until the crust is golden and sounds hollow when you gently knock on the top. Remove the bread from the pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool as long as you can stand it.
  7. Eat.

Notes

Do you have a love affair with bread? Does it hurt you? What do you think about the gluten-allergy phenomenon?

 

  • Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
    January 3, 2014 at 12:26 PM

    That might be the fluffiest bread I have ever seen. I’d like to lay down on it and have a rest (I’m back at work and already feeling exhausted). My goal for 2014 is to bake more with yeast – I still get a little nervous when a recipe calls for it. It seems so…temperamental!

    • Kristy Gardner
      January 3, 2014 at 1:16 PM

      I can bring you a few and tuck you in if you want, Amanda! hahaha… Good goal! Me too! Let’s tackle it together ๐Ÿ˜‰

      P.S. TGIF

  • Kirsten
    January 3, 2014 at 4:07 PM

    Kristy,
    (Yes, I’ve been spending the afternoon watching Ironman 3 with the kids and catching up on your blog posts, why do you ask?)
    As soon as I saw this post, following the braising post, I thought “Pollan: Cooked” and wondered if you were doing the book via the blog. Kristy on Michael?
    Um . . .
    Anyway, the bread looks delicious, and thanks for the tip on G+ to use a chef’s knife to cut mine to decrease the crumbs. I *could* say that I’m cheating, using my bread machine to make my sourdough bread, but I prefer to say that I’m being efficient. I mean, I use my VitaMix to grind my wheat berries, you know, so it’s a slippery slope to denigrate one machine while glorifying another. I did teach my daughter how to make her beloved challah using the bread machine to make the dough then braiding and baking in the oven.

    As far as genetically modifying things, while I think it is utterly horrid to insert genes into a grain so you can spray a poison over and entire field, and to drive by those same fields and see them utterly brown and barren, devoid of life, after harvest and until the next spring (my raised beds had weeds seemingly minutes after I tucked in the garlic in October)
    I’ve rambled too much . . . where was I? Oh! So the examples above are bad. However, in 7th grade I learned about Gregor Mendel and his peas–and I know that genetic modification has been around for centuries. The tools to wield change are much more precise these days, but the concept is not a new thing.

    • Kristy Gardner
      January 5, 2014 at 9:18 AM

      HAHAHAHAHA…. First, I know, right? He inspired me! Second… “Kristy on Michael” creeps me out because that’s my brother’s name. lol…

      I don’t think a breadmaker is cheating at all! I used mine all the time until it broke. I didn’t really think of it quite the same way as doing it by hand because I just trusted the machine more than myself. Now I know I’m not too bad either ๐Ÿ˜‰

      I agree about GMO or GE… I know engineering can create hybrids that are drought resistant or disease resistant etc… I think it’s the colonization by Big Ag that has become the problem and led to mono-cultures, chemical requirements, pest killing, etc….

  • Sarah & Arkadi
    January 3, 2014 at 8:37 PM

    That bread looks so comforting! We have never tried baking bread as of yet ๐Ÿ˜‰

    • Kristy Gardner
      January 5, 2014 at 9:19 AM

      Thank you Sarah & Arkadi! You totally should. It’s so comforting. And delicious. Of course. This recipe is pretty simple – even for bread novices like us ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Teresa, foodonfifth
    January 4, 2014 at 6:29 PM

    You know Kristy I used to have “fear of yeast” and would not come within 100 miles of a yeast bread recipe until I had a food styling job that required I make lots of loaves of yeast breads! Yikes! I did it and now I really feel comfortable tossing all the ingredients together and just letting it all rise…except when it doesn’t for some weird reason…which does happen every now and then.
    Your loaf is just beautiful and much prettier than any “store bought” white bread ever! Great work.

    • Kristy Gardner
      January 5, 2014 at 9:21 AM

      Thanks Teresa! That’s quite a fea(s)t!! Do you make a lot of the food for your food styling assignments?

      I think sometimes the yeast is just dead. Or maybe there wasn’t the right bacteria in the air… It does happen from time to time which is why I’m now making a point of buying 2 packets, just in case the first one doesn’t work. I always look at the expiration date too and if it’s anywhere NEAR when it’s supposed to expire, I get a different one. Just to be safe. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl
    January 5, 2014 at 1:59 PM

    Do you think this would be ok with almond milk? I’d love to try it, it looks so dreamy soft!

    • Kristy Gardner
      January 5, 2014 at 4:15 PM

      Hm…. I’m not sure Pamela. I don’t see why it should be an issue. I know a lot of my dairy-allergy friends will use almond milk in exchange for dairy-based milks in their baking. Or water, even. Give it a shot and let me know how it works.

  • Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
    January 5, 2014 at 7:48 PM

    There is something just quite right about a fresh loaf of bread being pulled from the oven. It’s perfection or at least I assume so because I’ve never made my own bread (aside from banana bread, which so doesn’t count), although I have plans to one day. In fact, I even have the starter thanks to Kirsten at Farm Fresh Feasts.
    I’m with you. I think a lot of our food allergies has to do with what our food actually includes now; a host of chemically enhanced crap. No thanks.

    • Kristy Gardner
      January 6, 2014 at 8:36 AM

      Agreed. It’s insane how holistic baking bread is – even if it is white bread. *GASP* …. but it’s so ….. fundamental….? to our food ways I don’t even care. I just wanna bake my own! Next task: whole wheat flour.

      PS. I’ll have to check out Kirsten’s starter. I’d love love LOVE to nurture a starter!!

  • Lindsey @ BWBacktardVeggiez
    January 6, 2014 at 2:45 AM

    You’re actually onto something with the thought on gmo grain etc in our food chain making people get wheat gut. At least here domestically in the good ole US. If you dig around you will read peoples accounts of travelling to Europe (that labels and/or bans gmo production and imports) and being able to eat bread that here would make them sicker than dirt.
    Odd. But I’m sure Montsanto’s on it. Rest easy.
    And seriously, I’ve made bread 50+times and it always comes out hard and hockey puck like.
    Mucho Respecto. Fo sho. โ˜บ๏ธ

  • Lindsey @ BWBacktardVeggiez
    January 6, 2014 at 2:48 AM

    Is it obvious I wrote this on my phone?
    I’m from BW Backtard Veggiez. I’m leaving it like that bc that is friggin hilarious!!

    • Kristy Gardner
      January 6, 2014 at 8:39 AM

      HAHAHAHAHAHAHA it IS hilarious!! you’re probably one of the funniest ladies I know.

      PS. Let’s hope Monsanto and all the other big ag giants get on the EU bandwagon and ruin, uhhhh, i mean “make better” the European bread ASAP… Wouldn’t want to confuse the gluten-allergy peeps…

      PPS. Are you baking with whole wheat flour?? I want to but am super scared. It’s supposed to be heavier though..

  • lindsey @ NW Backyard Veggies
    January 6, 2014 at 7:06 PM

    I have tried: Wheat flour, white flour, pastry flour, bread flour, and mixed any of the former in any number of concoctions.
    No dice.
    BUT – I can make the meanest, tastiest, puffiest popover you ever did see. I’m a bit known for it round these parts.
    I have heard rumors that if you bake with wheat flour, you must add gluten or something like that.

    • Kristy Gardner
      January 7, 2014 at 7:21 AM

      Hm. Odd. Maybe you have super clean air and thus there’s no bacteria….? lol… I just had to google “popover” – you mean yorkies!! YUM!!!! They’re my FAVOURITE!!!