Old Fashioned Homemade Bread Recipes

OLD FASHIONED YEAST BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water, add honey and let stand until it bubbles, approx 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add salt and oil to yeast mixture, then add flour a little at time until you have a stiff dough.
• Turn dough out on a floured surface and mold into a ball shape. Place in pan and cover; let rise for about an hour.
• Punch down the ball of dough and mold it into a loaf shape to fit you bread pan. Cover with a towel and let raise again until it doubled in size.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 45 minutes. Bread is done when it is golden brown and sounds hollow when thumped.

SIMPLE HOMEMADE WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix the honey and warm water together, add the yeast and stir until dissolved.
• Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt to the yeast mixture.
• Stir until you get a ball of dough. The dough will be soft.
• ---all of these parts are super handy to do if you have a mixer!
• Put the dough on a floured surface. Knead until smooth and stretchy (about 9 minutes) adding in the remaining flour as needed to keep the dough from becoming too sticky.
• ---if you have a mixer with a dough hook...use it here!
• Place the dough in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray or coated with oil.
• Put the bowl in a warm place and cover with a towel (or use my warm water in bowl method above :)) or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray.
• Let the dough rise until doubled in size. (about 45 minutes)
• Punch your down and then cover and wait 5 minutes.
• Gently shape the dough into a loaf.
• Place in loaf pan coated with spray, butter, shortening.
• Cover (again with a towel or sprayed plastic wrap) and let rise until doubled again (about 45 minutes)
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C)
• Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes.
• if you like...apply a egg or milk wash before baking.

DAN'S OLD FASHIONED WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Pour milk in a heatproof bowl, and gently warm in a microwave oven set on Low until milk is about 100 degrees F (38 degrees C), about 15 seconds. Mix in the sugar and honey, and stir to dissolve. Mix in the yeast, and let stand until the yeast activates and forms a creamy layer on the milk, about 15 minutes.
• Place 4 cups of bread flour and the salt into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer; pour in the yeast mixture, and mix on slow speed with a mixing paddle until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute; dough will be very wet. Add the butter, and mix in the remaining 2 cups of bread flour, or as needed, until the dough begins to gather itself into a ball. Change the fitting from the mixing paddle to a dough hook, and machine-knead the dough until smooth and springy, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer the dough onto a well-floured work surface, and knead until you see the surface of the dough begin to break during folding and kneading. Roll dough into a ball, and place into a lightly floured large bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and set into a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Spray 2 9x5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
• Punch down the dough, remove to the floured surface, and knead for 2 more minutes; cut the dough in half with a sharp knife. Form the dough into logs, adding more flour if necessary, and place the loaves into the sprayed pans. Cover the pans with a kitchen towel, and place into a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 more hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place the bread loaves into the preheated oven, and turn the heat down to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake until the tops are golden brown and the loaves make a hollow sound when thumped, about 25 minutes. Cool the pans on baking racks for about 5 minutes before turning the bread loaves out to finish cooling on racks. Cover the loaves with a kitchen towel as they cool.

TRADITIONAL COTTAGE LOAF - OLD FASHIONED RUSTIC ENGLISH BREAD

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt into a bowl, stir in sugar and yeast. Make a well in the centre, stir in the tepid milk and water to make the dough. (If using fresh yeast - put the yeast in a jug with a little of the milk and water mixture, and allow it to dissolve and become frothy - mixing thoroughly, then add it to the flour.).
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 to 15 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Put the dough in a large, clean, oiled bowl. Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size.Then knead the dough for 1 minute and divide it into two-thirds and a third. Shape the pieces into rounds. Cover them and leave for 5 minutes.
• Put the smaller round on top of the larger one. Push a floured wooden spoon (or your fingers) through the centre of both rounds, to join them together. Take a very sharp knife and make cuts all around the top round and the bottom round - see my photos. Put the cottage loaf on a lightly floured baking tray, cover and leave for about 45 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220C/440F/Gas 7.
• Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. Brush the glaze over the cottage loaf and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until dark golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped beneath.
• Cool before slicing. Delicious served with butter, jam, cheese, cold meats or make sandwiches or toast for picnics and breakfast!

OLD-FASHIONED BROWN BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, pour boiling water over oats. Stir in butter and molasses. Let stand until mixture cools to 120°-130°, stirring occasionally., In another bowl, combine 3-1/2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Beat in oat mixture until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into loaves. Place in two greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°. Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

FAVORITE OLD FASHIONED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.

OLD-FASHIONED BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted and milk is hot.
• In large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir in bread cubes and raisins. Stir in milk mixture. Pour into ungreased deep round pan.
• Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Serve warm with whipping cream.