Bread Bowl

I got a package in the mail today! I knew it was from my mom and I knew it was for my birthday. I told Kaylee, who I was on the phone with at the time, that I was just going to wait until my birthday to open it. Then she oh-so-wisely reminded me that I had declared the entire month of June my birthday month. So, without any further hesitation I opened it!

And this is what was in it :



The truth is, I have been coveting this bread bowl that my mom has had since I started making bread for my family. I figured that maybe I might get it if my parents ever sold their house, and if not then, then when we were going through their will. So, basically, not anytime in the near future. Wichita is not the most health conscious city and when we moved here I was having a lot of trouble finding bread that I liked all of the ingredients in. Enriched flour this, bleached flour that, high fructose this, sugar is the 2nd ingredient, blah, blah, blah. So, I decided that I would just try making bread and see how it went. Turns out it was pretty darn easy! I usually make 2 loaves at a time, stick one in the pantry and freeze the other, and that’s enough for a week! And wouldn’t you know it, but I needed to make bread today and I was totally procrastinating. I was, that is, until my present arrived and then I had an excuse to make a bunch of dough so it could rise in my new bowl!

Here’s the recipe in case anybody wants it

Buttermilk Bread

3/4C water
1/2C buttermilk
1T lemon juice
2 1/4t active dry yeast
3C bread flour
1T brown sugar
1T butter, room temp
3T flax seed (I used golden flaxseed meal, then the kids can’t see it in the bread)
1t salt
Warm water and buttermilk up to about 110 degrees. Dissolve yeast in liquid and let stand about 5 minutes until foamy.

Put remaining ingredients in mixing bowl with dough hook attachment. Pour in yeast mixture. Knead in mixer about 5 minutes until dough is pliable, but a little tacky. Feel free to do the kneading by hand, but I’m about convenience. :)

Put dough in oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let stand in a warm place for 1 hour



It should then look something like this:



Punch dough down and put in bread pan (or pans in my case)



Cover with towel again and let rise until 1-2″ over edge of pan (a couple hours or so)



Then bake at 350 for 30mins. I take my bread out of bread pans as soon as they come out of the oven and put them on a cooling rack, which isn’t as easy when you use glass pans, but is a piece of cake with silicone ones! :)

Voila! Fresh bread! Tastes good and your house smells even better!