SOW Love, Make Bread!!

 

Easiest Bread EVER!!

 

SOW seeds of LOVE with homemade bread!

 

Is there anything else in the world that shows how much you care about the ones you love than cooking or baking for them? Bread making can be easy and fun with these easy tips, ENJOY!

 

I have been trying to make bread for years. YES, years! But, making bread just has not come easy for me. It always comes out hard as a rock no matter how hard I try or what recipe I've followed. But, that has not deterred me from continuing to try.

On a recent trip to Costa Rica I stayed with my friend, Ginnee, and she gave me a hands on tutorial on making bread. You can visit her blog here Finca Quijote, Costa Rica . It was so easy and fun and I actually made bread that was edible! One of the first things I did when I returned home was to try my hand at making bread, all by myself, without Ginnee's help.

I made these garlic knots and they turned out so YUMMY!

Once you make the basic dough, what you do with it after that is only limited by your imagination. Turn your dough into any creation you want from sweet to savory. Nothin' says Lovin' like bread right out of the oven. So.....Let's SOW Love and make bread!! 

One of the things I learned from Ginnee....measuring is overrated.
Another important thing I learned from Ginnee....no need to make a big mess, when you can do everything in one bowl.

What you will need:

• Large bowl
• Regular teaspoon (the one you use to stir your coffee)
• A large scoop or small cup (I have a 1/2 cup scoop that I keep in my flour jar)
• A whisk
• A medium sauce pan
• A towel or large lid

 
Ingredients:

• Yeast
• Sugar
• Salt
• Flour
• Luke warm water

Directions:

• Step 1: In your sauce pan bring about a 1/2 cup of water to boil. Meanwhile....
• Step 2: In your large bowl add 4 spoonfuls of yeast, 4 spoonfuls of sugar, about a teaspoon of salt & 3 scoopfuls of flour, whisk together.
• Step 3: Pour a small amount (about 1/4 cup) of boiling water into a large measuring cup, then add enough cool water to it so that it just feels warm. (you should be able to comfortably put your finger in it without getting burned). Reserve the rest of the water in the pot, making sure it stays hot.
• Step 4: Pour water into dry ingredients, a little bit at a time, while whisking, until it is soupy, a little thinner than pancake batter.

• Step 5: Place your bowl with a towel or lid over it on top of the pot of hot water, let sit in a dark area (it doesn't have to be completely dark, just make sure it's not right under any lights) for 20-30 min. This will activate the yeast. It will look foamy at this point.
  
  
• Step 6: Take your bowl off of pot and start adding in more flour. Add enough flour until it gets to a point you can work with it, about 2 cups. Using your hands (make sure to put a little oil or flour on your hands so dough doesn't stick) incorporate the flour, mixture will be sticky so add extra flour as needed until it's no longer sticky, but not too much or it will be too dense.
• Step 7: Add a small amount of oil to the bowl, roll your dough around so that it is coated with it.

• Step 8: Put bowl back on saucepan and cover with towel or lid. Let rise about 1 hour. Should double in size.

• Step 9: Now take your dough out of the bowl and put on a lightly floured surface. At this point you can shape it into anything you want to. 
• Step 10: Bake in a 350 degree oven until top is golden brown. About 45 minutes to an hour, depending on what you are making.

For Garlic Knots: Take a piece of dough, roll it in your hands till it looks like a rope, then loop one end around and under the other and push it through so that the end sticks up. Should be a tight circle with one ending sticking up and the other underneath. Put on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. After baking put in a bowl with olive oil or butter and chopped, fresh garlic.  

For Artisan Loaf: Take the dough, flatten it a little and then fold the ends under so that you have a round loaf. Try not to work with it too much or it will get tough, be gentle so that it stays fluffy. Put on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

For Loaf: Put dough in a greased loaf pan. Depending on how big or small your loaf pan is, you may be able to make 2 loaves.

For Cinnamon Raisin: Add about 2 more spoonfuls of sugar at the beginning of procedure. Then after 2nd rise, take dough out of bowl, flatten out, sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar & raisins, roll it up and put it on a baking sheet or in a greased loaf pan.

I hope you enjoy this experience. If you make a mistake and things don't turn out as planned, please don't stop trying. There is ALWAYS a learning curve when trying anything new. Just keep trying and eventually you will be making bread all the time. I'm very happy I've never given up. I love that whenever I'm in the mood for fresh bread, it doesn't take long to whip up a loaf or two.

SOW much Love,
Sindy 

Casa Quijote

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET GINNEE OR JUST GO HANG OUT AND HAVE "REAL" COSTA RICAN EXPERIENCE YOU CAN BOOK A ROOM WITH GINNEE'S DAUGHTER, ERIKA. THEY ARE AN AWESOME FAMILY WHO WILL TREAT YOU LIKE ONE OF THEIR OWN. BOOK YOUR STAY NOW AND JOIN THEM FOR THANKSGIVING WITH ALL THE FIXIN'S!

Casa Quijote

Finca Quijote