Flour On My Jeans

Recently I've been getting fresh, raw milk from a local dairy and since I get a gallon of the stuff twice a week now, I'm kind of scrambling to use it up quickly enough. Cooking for two is way different than for a family...you just don't eat as much!!

Anywho, yesterday I got to baking, one because I like it, two because I think my bread is better than the store's and three...I have way too much milk laying around!

I'm sure many of you make your own bread for longer than I've been around and it's delicious...so please don't be offended by this post. For those of you that don't bake all that often...this is not a hard recipe, give it a shot!

Start with a big 'ol jar of milk....yummm

I use honey to make the crust soft, but sugar makes it crispy...whatever you like...

Scald the milk, butter and honey (or sugar)...you know it's scalded when there's small bubbles around the rim of the saucepan

Dump your milk mixture in the biggest bowl you have, trust me, you're gonna need it, and add some cold water and two cups of flour. While it cools, get your yeast to proofing...

When your yeast is ready, aka foamy and puffy, your house will start to smell like bread! I always add a pinch of sugar at the beginning, seems to help it proof...

Throw the yeast into your milk mixture and then add enough flour to make a dough! You're getting to the point where kids and younger siblings are suddenly interested in helping... :)

Flour your counter, but if your counter is like mine, first close your eyes and sweep everything on it off and into the sink. There. Now you have room to get to work. Now knead that puppy for about 10 minutes! Yup! Use your muscles!! And if it feels sticky, it doesn't necessarily need more flour, you may just need to knead it more...haha...OK, I'm over the needing/kneading...moving on....

Wash and grease your ridiculously huge bowl, throw your beautifully smooth dough in there, turn it over to grease both sides and cover with a towel and put in a warm spot to rise for an hour...or until it's double it's size...

It'll look something like this...yum.

Punch your dough down, and repeat. At the end of the second rising, divide into four greased and floured loaf pans, let rise until double then pop into your hot oven. Bread is done when thumped it sounds hollow!! Just watch it when you leave your loaves to cool....

Because you might come back to find this!!!
Enjoy Dolls!

White Bread

2 cups milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar or 1 cup honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water
11 cups flour, approximately
2 packages active dried yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar

Scald milk, butter, sugar or honey and salt. Put mixture in very large bowl and the water. Add 1 cup or so of flour. When mixture is lukewarm, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of water with just a pinch of sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes to proof. When yeast is foamy, add to the milk mixture. Add enough flour to make a dough and knead for 10 minutes. Let rise twice, punching down between each rising then divide between 4 greased loaf pans. Let rise until double, bake in a 350 degree F oven for about an hour, until crusty brown and sound hollow when tapped. Allow to cool on racks.

Makes 4 loaves
Adapted from a 200 year old recipe from Scotland, via Tasha Tudor

Please share some of your favorite recipes with me!!

xo xo Liz