Homemade Bread

**My name is Jessica, and I’m Laurie’s sister-in-law (I'm married to her brother Dave). She has kindly invited me to contribute to her blog, so I’ll be posting recipes and tips from time to time.**

I love weekends! Saturdays are great, especially when I get to spend some time in the kitchen. Yes, you read that right. I was actually quite happy to spend most of today in the kitchen. I love to cook, but weeknights tend to get a little hectic sometimes. So…I do most of my planning and prep work during the weekend. For me, the hour or two I spend in the kitchen on Saturday is time well-spent when Monday rolls around -- and dinner goes more smoothly throughout the week.

One of the things I made today was homemade bread. I have searched high and low for a good homemade bread recipe, and this one has consistently been the best, by far. It’s a definite favorite at our house.

Because the recipe makes three loaves, I usually make two loaves of bread (baking one and freezing the other) and then make a batch of cinnamon rolls or breadsticks to freeze for another day.

I found this recipe at www.allrecipes.com and you can find the specific recipe here. My notes are in red. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 cups warm water (approximately 110 degrees)
3 tablespoons active dry yeast
3 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
8 cups bread flour (You can use bread flour or all-purpose, I've used both.)
2 tablespoons dough enhancer (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, salt, oil, sugar, and 4 cups flour. Mix thoroughly, and let sponge rise until doubled in size. (Make sure you mix the dough well so that it has a smooth consistency. Then let it rise for at least 20 minutes. )

2. Gradually add about 4 cups flour, kneading until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn several times to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled.

3. Punch down the dough; let it rest a few minutes. Divide dough into three equal parts. Shape into loaves, and place in three 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch greased bread pans. Let rise until almost doubled.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. The loaves may need to be covered for the last few minutes with foil to prevent excess browning. (This bread does brown very quickly, so I would recommend covering it with foil for about the last 10 minutes of baking.)