Cooking Homemade bread without a bread machine

[d1sneyf4n]

Does anyone have a homemade bread recipe that you do not need a bread machine for? I thought I saw one on here awhile back on a certain thread but I can not seem to find it. Thanks

 

[MazdaUK]

I haven't got one to hand but if you have quantities for a machine and are using easy-blend yeast its easy - put dry ingredients in a bowl, mix in wet ingredients, knead for about 15 mins (good for Bingo wings! or it might be 5 ), leave covered in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Knock back and either shape or put in loaf pan, bake until sounds hollow when tapped. If its too wet add a little flour, too dry a little more liquid (make sure its tepid - about hand hot).

I'll try to find a recipe, or look at bbc.co.uk/food

 

[piratesmate]

I'll have to go dig out my copy of Carla Emery's Old-Fashioned Recipe Book which has the basic recipe I always used for "from scratch" bread. I haven't used it in years, but I loved it because it was so flexible. My books are currently "hidden" somewhere in the attic.

In the meantime, here is a recipe for French Bread that I collected here about 5 years ago.

French Bread

Put in large mixing bowl and let stand five minutes
1 cup lukewarm water
1 pkg yeast

Add
1TBsp sugar
1 ½ tsps salt
2TBsp melted shortening
stir well
Add 1 cup whole wheat flour and beat thoroughly.
Add 2 cups unbleached white flour (or enough to make stiff dough)
Let rest 10 minutes, then knead well.
Let rise, and punch down, let rise again.
Divide into 2 equal parts. Shape each into a long slender loaf.
Place on a cookie sheet, sprinkled with cornmeal.
Put diagonal gashes about ½ inch deep.

Beat together
1 egg white
1tsp salt
1 TBsp water
Brush this on loaves and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Let rise until doubled.
Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 25 minutes more.
Cool on rack.

 

[snookhams]

I have made this basic bread many times and altered it by adding other ingredients e.g. cooked onions, cheese or sundried tomatoes

360ml warm water
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons melted butter
3 teaspoon slat
1 1/4 tablespoons runny honey
600g strong white bread flour
2 teaspoon fast acting yeast

Put the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl. Mix to a soft dough witht he honey, egg yolks, butter and water. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes ( i have also kneaded this in my kenwood food mixer to save time). Shape as desired and put onto a greased baking sheet / tin. cover with greased cling film (greasing it stops it sticking, and using helps the bread to rise a little quicker)

brush with beaten egg and add toppings if desired sesame seeds are my favourite. Place in a pre-heated oven 425F/gas mark 7, once you put it in turn the heat down to 400F/gas 6. Bake for 25 - 30 mins. When cooked the loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

 

[d1sneyf4n]

Thanks for all the replies. I will be trying them out.

 

[greeneeyes]

Just want to add that google is your friend. You should be able to find a ton of recipes.

 

[snookhams]

I am not sure if you wanted a plain bread recipe or not but we make this with the students at the school I work at - my first reaction was yuck!! but my kids love it and it is a firm favourite now - we make it to help them get the extra carbs they need for their swimming training and its never a problem getting them to eat it.

CHOCOLATE BREAD
2 1/2 teaspoons fast acting yeast
375 mls luke warm water
1 tablespoon softenend butter
30g cocoa powder
500g strong white bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
60g sugar
125g dark (bitter) chocolate (chopped inot large chunks)

Place the flour in a large bowl, add the butter and rub in, add the rest of the dry ingredients (not the chocolate) and mix well. Gradually add the water until a soft dough is formed. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead well for 5 minutes. The dought should become soft and very elastic. Make a hole in the top of the dough and tip the chocolate chunks in, knead the dough until they are evenly distributed. Shape the bread either into rolls or we prefer a loaf and leave to rise in a warm place until double in size. Brush the tops of the rolls with beaten egg. Bake in a pre heated oven gas mark 7 /190C/375F until well browned approx 20 - 40 minutes (about 20 mins for rolls and longer for a loaf).

 

[MazdaUK]

Somewhere I have a recipe using Nutella - its for the machine, but it makes the whole house smell like Willy Wonka's factory

 

[saremca]

I bake all of our bread by hand. I was given a bread machine some years ago, but it took all of the fun out of bread making. The kneading and shaping and rising are the fun parts for me, so I traded the bread machine to my SIL for her pressure cooker.

A good website to check out is The Fresh Loaf. Lots and lots of recipes for bread and baked goods there. Some really good tutorials on bread making as well.

 

[Bren's Mom]

Here's a really easy one...and my favorite!

Tastefully Simple Copycat Beer Bread

12oz beer (not light or corona)
3 C. self rising flour
1/3 C. sugar
3 Tbsp. butter, melted.

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9" x 5" loaf pan with baker's cooking spray.

2. Combine flour and sugar; stir in beer (you might have to use your hands to get it mixed thoroughly, I find a sturdy wooden spoon is just fine). Dough will be sticky.

3. Pour into prepared loaf pan; brush top with melted butter.

4. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from pan and finish cooling.

 

[MissMet]

I have WDW's recipe for pretzel bread.