Speaking of Bread…

I have recently started making bread more often as well (when temperatures outside top 115F, and it is costing you way too much to keep the house at 85F, you don’t bake… at all.) I own a bread machine, but I hate it. It takes up too much space on my counter top, and I hate that square loaf it makes. I could just take the bread out after the kneading and put it in a loaf pan to raise, and bake myself, but then I still have that counterspace issue. So I have a different recipe, it is a batter bread.. NO KNEADING!! it tastes great and my kids love it.

Batter White Bread

1 tbsp yeast (or one package, my family likes yeast, we use a little extra)

2 tbsp oil

1 1/4 C warm water

2 tbsp white sugar

2 tsp salt

3 C all purpose flour

1. in measuring cup, mix water, sugar and yeast, let set 5 mins, until bubbly (this activates your yeast, and also makes sure it is still alive.) In mixing bowl combine 1 1/2 C flour with the salt, then add the yeast mixture, beat by hand 300 strokes, or 3 minutes in a mixer. Add remaining flour, scraping bowl often, and mix all together until smooth.
2. Cover with clean cloth and let rise until doubled in volume.
3. Stir dough down gently, and spoon into a lightly greased loaf pan (9X5″) pat down with lightly floured hands to help shape. Cover again and let rise for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375F
5. Bake for about 45mins, until browned. when you tap on the top of the loaf, it should sound hollow.

I did a little bit of math, I had most things on hand, and don’t recall what I paid for them.  But this loaf uses 22.5 CENTS worth of flour. How much is a loaf of bread where you are? Here it is a a minnimum, 5 times that.