Food is a very personal thing, and whether it is fresh, homemade bread, or a hot bowl of soup, there is something about the act of cooking that is so intrinsically rewarding.

The smell in your house when baking bread is one of the most beautiful things you can experience. It is an intoxicating smell that permeates your entire house. For many people, this is an appealing smell, and it draws them to the kitchen. Like bread, baking is a process that has many steps and can be done by anyone.

So, are you ready to bake your bread?

It’s Bread Time!

For some people, bread is a major staple in their diets. Most people know bread is the main ingredient of a sandwich or a burger. But few people know that bread is one of the oldest methods of using flour as a source of energy. It was definitely a primitive way of brewing the mixture of wheat and water, but it is still commonplace to this day.

Everyone wants to know how to make their own bread, but the recipe can be daunting with all the measurements and ingredients. So today, we are going to take a look at how to make your own bread, and we will show you how you can bake the perfect loaf of bread at home.

Let’s start off with the ingredients:

  • 1/ 4 ounce or one pack of Active dry yeast

  • 1 tbsp Salt

  • 3 tbsp sugar + 1/2 tsp Sugar

  • 6 - 1/4 to 6 - 3/4 cups of bread flour

  • 2 1/4 cups of Warm Water

  • 2 tbsp Canola oil

Baking Instructions:

Step 1: In a big bowl, dissolve the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and yeast with the warm water; let it stand for a bit until you have noticed some bubbles forming n the surface. Whisk in 3 cups of flour, salt, and the remaining three tablespoons of sugar. Pour into the mixture the yeast, mix it well or until it is smooth. Stir into the mixture the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Mix in well until you form a soft dough.

Step 2: Place the dough onto a floured surface and start kneading. Knead it for 8 to 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Put it into the greased bowl and grease the top part. Cover it and place it in a warm place. Let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the size doubled.

Step 3: Punch down the dough. Punch firmly into the center of the dough to deflate it. Then, start folding the dough’s edges into the center to form into a ball. Place the ball of dough into a floured surface and start kneading it again for 5 minutes. After that, divide the dough into halves, shape it into a loaf, and place each of them into the greased loaf pans. Cover the pans to let the dough rise and doubled for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Step 4: Bake it at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until the dreamed golden-brown color is achieved. The bread should reach an internal temperature of 200 degrees or have that hollow sound when tapped. Remove the loaves from pans and let them cool by placing them into wire racks.

Step 5: Enjoy your baked goods!

Why Should You Bake Your Own Bread?

For most of us, bread is a staple in our diets. It can be used for several different meals, and it’s especially important to bake bread from scratch in order to ensure that the right nutrients are present to support good health.

There are all sorts of great reasons to bake your own bread: you can avoid the chemicals and preservatives found in commercially produced bread, you can control the ingredients and their amounts, and you can easily customize your loaves to suit your own taste and dietary preferences.

What about you, would you like to bake your own bread? For those who have tried baking it, how was the experience? Describe to us the baking experience below and share some bread tips for other beginners out there.