I'd like to tell you of a little loaf of bread who came to visit the other afternoon. It filled our kitchen with steady wafts of homemade goodness, twirling and swirling around for all to smell and smile at. This little loaf popped easily out of its bread pan home and happily steamed as I took a taste-test slice. Absolutely wonderful. A couple slathers of butter and a mason jar of milk later, my tummy was satisfied as can be.
Homemade bread. There's nothing like it.
But guess what is special about this particular loaf? From the bloom of the yeast to the ding on the timer, this bread only took one hour to make. Yes. Start to finish.
Mix it, pour it, rise it, bake it, eat it.
Sixty minutes.
There's no messy kneading, but you still get the pleasant taste and a slight rise from the yeast. I love this bread because it's a speedy way to calm a craving for a freshly baked loaf. Fill a basket with its slices for the perfect side to autumn stew. Or butter and broil a morsel the next day--it keeps nicely wrapped tightly on the counter for a few days.
As you can see from the pictures, this loaf is short and a little dense (not meaning to insult it or anything...). Because this bread is best when sliced thickly, it's perfect for open-faced sandwiches, but not ideal for a regular sandwich.
I am still getting the hang of yeast bread recipes myself, so if you look sideways at the little granules in a jar like I do, this is a great bread to start with. Using instant yeast also helps me breathe a little easier; I haven't had it fail me yet!
Now that I have this under my belt, I think I'll be ready to conquer a nice wheat sandwich loaf or, even better, a round of crusty artisan.
Any stunning (easy) bread recipes you're dying to share?
Quick and Easy Homemade Bread
only slightly altered from 101 Cookbooks
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
1 tablespoon runny honey or agave nectar
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
1 tablespoon runny honey or agave nectar
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats (not instant oats)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing
1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing
In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit (5 - 10 minutes).
In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.
Brush a 8-cup loaf pan generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes to rise.
Preheat the oven to 350F with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35 - 40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan.
Before pulling the bread out of the oven to cool, I poured some melted butter over the top and set the broiler to high, just for a moment or two.
Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn't steam in the pan. Serve warm, slathered with butter.
Makes 1 loaf.