Homemade Bread

[asimplegirl]

Is anyone here interested in learning how to make easy homemade bread, that will be easy to make if SHTF?

I have an easy recipe from a great blog, that is whole wheat, and since it is fermented, the hard to digest phytates on the bread are broken down, making it easier to absorb the nutrients in the bread and other foods ingested.

So anyone easier? I will post a tutorial with pictures here for you.

(This was brought up in response to all the "end of the world" threads, as I like to call them)

Any takers?

[Dieseler]

Yes please do.

[asimplegirl]

Okie Dokie.

Firstly , you should know that I like to focus on sour dough breads, but do not like the sour taste. So, I only use a recipe that taste like regular yeast breads. I just don't like having to rely on store bought yeast, esp if you are thinking about ways to make this if SHTF, right?

But, as I stated earlier, the fermentation in the sour dough breads allow for alot of health benefits.

This bread can be made on the eighth day. But will make either three loaves out of the half you use, or you could make 6..your choice. I like making one loaf of bread, one pan of dinner rolls, one pan of hamburger buns, and one pan of hot dog buns. This is make with the amount that would make the three loaves.

For the first day you’ll need:

1 large jar or glass bowl (not metal…glass only)
2 cups whole wheat or rye flour (freshly ground if possible)
2 cups cold water (filtered is best)
Long spoon for stirring
Cheesecloth (of course)
rubberband

First, pour 2 cups of flour into the jar or bowl.

It doesn’t get much more exciting than looking at flour in a jar.

Next, stir in 2 cups of water. It should be mixed well and look soupy.

This is just a view from the top of the jar after I stirred the flour and water together. It’s pretty liquid-y. That’s just the way it’s supposed to be the first day.

Cover the top of your jar or lid with cheesecloth. This will keep dust and bugs from getting in…but it will allow the yeast and bacteria from the air to get in and do it’s thing. Isn’t it COOL that there is natural yeast in the air?! And bacteria. Bacteria has a bad reputation. Not all bacteria is bad. There’s LOTS of GOOD bacteria hanging around. Poor bacteria. So misunderstood…

I usually attach my cheese cloth to the rim of my jar with a rubberband. If you’re using a large glass bowl, you might need to tie a string around it instead. Unless you have a gigantic rubberband hanging around. If you do, I’d like to see it.

Sourdough does best in a warm place. Unfortunately we’re starting this in January. There are no warm places in Nebraska in January. (Maybe there are warm places where you live?) If you do live in a warm place, you can put yours in a sunny spot or on your patio. I’m putting mine in the most consistently warm spot in my kitchen…the cabinet above my refrigerator.

See, there it is hanging out with my culturing buttermilk.

That’s all you do on day one.

For tomorrow you’ll need: a clean jar or glass bowl, 1 more cup of whole wheat or rye flour and one cup of water.

[asimplegirl]

I will post the next day tomorrow, unless I get really bored tonight.

[Dieseler]

Awesome.

[withallmyheart]

This is great. Thanks.

If you have a sour dough starter method please share that also.

[asimplegirl]

What do you mean?

Like how to make the starter, or how to use the starter that is left later ?

Cause, what I have posted is the recipe for the starter, and after I finish posting the full recipe, and you make the bread, I will post what to do with the rest of the starter.

I plan to post step by step instructions, including baking, and restarting the starter with what is left.

If neither of these are what you are referring... you'll have to elaborate. I am slightly dense.

I will go ahead and do the second day:

[asimplegirl]

Here’s what my sourdough starter looked like after 24 hours. (It actually started separating and looking like this after only a few hours.)

I poured off the dark liquid that had risen to the top. Then I poured my starter in to a fresh, clean jar.

Once you have your starter in a clean jar or bowl, add 1 cup of whole wheat flour and almost 1 cup of cold water. Stir the flour in very well so that it is all moistened.

Replace your cheese cloth and rubber band…then put it back in your warm spot for 24 more hours. (Is this easy or what?!)

We’ll be repeating these same steps over the next several days. You have probably not noticed anything exciting happening to your sourdough starter yet. Still looks and smells like flour and water. Oh, but just wait!

For tomorrow you’ll need a clean jar or glass bowl, 1 cup whole wheat or rye flour and about a cup of cold water.

Day three coming soon....

[pinkmandy]

This is awesome. Ty! I'm going to try it. I love fresh bread.

For cheap bread, here is what my grandma used to do-

Pour 2 cups of self rising flour in a bowl. Add water til dough like. Add a splash of milk and salt. Melt a teaspoon of butter in a skillet, pour dough over top. Once the top starts bubbling, flip it over (like a giant pancake that rises really). And that's it. Cheap, quick and can be made on top of a woodstove if you have no power. You may have to tinker w/the recipe to get it just right because my measurements aren't exact as I don't follow an actual recipe.

[asimplegirl]

That's fritters!

I grew up eating those.

[pinkmandy]

That's fritters!

I grew up eating those.

They are yummy and great for a shoestring budget plus no power but I'm thinking that sourdough sounds pretty tasty. Sounds like something fun for the kids to do, too.

[asimplegirl]

Well, if you were into unschooling (allowing kids to learn through life experiences how things work), you could use this as an example of yeast being made, and fermentation and digestion, not to mention a math lesson for the measuring, and a lesson in being patient for waiting.



I don't like my bread to be too sour, and like it to have that slightly sweet baked taste, so I account for that in the steps.

[withallmyheart]

When you said this

Firstly , you should know that I like to focus on sour dough breads, but do not like the sour taste. So, I only use a recipe that taste like regular yeast breads.

I thought it was not a starter for sour dough.

Will this starter make sour dough bread?

[RSLudlum]

sorry I couldn't resist


Who Will Help Me Bake This Bread? by Propaghandi

I speak my mind I question theirs
It seems to me like no one really cares.
Peripherally blind intellectually numb
Ignorance by choice? Or just plain $#@!ing dumb?
You`re threatened by my mind
You want everything the same
But my questions still remain

You boycott your brain
You answer with fists
My question still persists
You can re-arrange my face
but you can?t re-arrange my mind
You can beat this shell about me
but you can`t touch what`s inside

So now who will help me bake this bread?
Who will be the first to speak and leave complacency for dead?
I`ve done all that I can on my own
But stagnant minds persist to squeeze blood from this stone.
But I won`t bleed for you
I` ve no need for you
need for you
Death will be the day I conceed to you

You boycott your brain
You answer with fists
My question still persists
You can re-arrange my face
but you can?t re-arrange my mind
You can beat this shell about me
but you can`t touch what`s inside

[asimplegirl]

When you said this

Firstly , you should know that I like to focus on sour dough breads, but do not like the sour taste. So, I only use a recipe that taste like regular yeast breads.

I thought it was not a starter for sour dough.

Will this starter make sour dough bread?

Yes, but in the directions I will state whether or not you should add a certain amount of liquid for a less sour bread, and a certain amount for a regular sour dough bread, with those amounts.

I just use this bread for buns, sandwich breads, and rolls...so I cannot make it too sour, or it would not taste right.

If you just follow the regular directions, and not mine that are mentioned alongside it, you will get regular old sour dough bread... NOTE: This is whole wheat, not white. You can switch it out, but I make mine as healthy as possible.

[lucius]

Thanks

[asimplegirl]

This morning I didn’t have as much dark liquid on top of my starter as I did yesterday. Here’s what my jar looked like:

Have you been sniffing your jar? I thought today mine smelled just a little tiny bit sour…just a little tiny bit.

Today…do just like you did yesterday: Pour off most of the liquid on top (I only had about a tablespoon today)…put your starter into a clean jar or glass bowl…add a cup of flour and a cup of water…stir it…replace the cheesecloth and put it back in it’s warm nest. Really, making sourdough takes no time at all. (Even including my jar sniffing time this process probably only took 2 minutes this morning.)

My jar is almost half full now…I may have to switch to a big glass bowl by the time these seven days are up!

Sourdough should always be prepared in glass and baked in either glass or stoneware. Sourdough is acidic, therefore it will react with metal and plastic. It is very porous…so it will absorb the metallic or plastic-y tastes and qualities. For that matter…I try to always stir my sourdough with a wooden spoon.

So…go sniff your jar…feed your sourdough…and come report back to us here about how your sourdough is doing!

[acptulsa]

Yeast from thin air. Had no idea. I know collecting yeast from thin air takes time, but I liked your line about how it takes no time at all. Nah--we're only on day three and haven't turned the oven on yet. But I know what you mean--just a few minutes a day.

I am definitely going to try this. And mine is going to be sour.

[rancher89]

OK, read the whole thread, the latest Mother Earth News has an even easier way to make bread. You do have to buy yeast tho, but you can use the dough as a starter for more bread...

It's issue #231 and I bought it the other day, I haven't bought a MEN for years, I've been checking them out online mostly. I don't know if the receipe is online yet or not, so here goes: "5 Minutes a Day For Fresh-Baked Bread"

The Master Recipe: Boule--makes 4-1# loaves
3 C lukewarm water
1 1/2 T granulated yeast (1 1/2 pkg)
1 1/2 T coarse kosher or sea salt
6 1/2 Cups unsifted, unbleached, all purpose white flour
(if you make pizza do with this you will need corn meal for the paddle)

Tips to amaze your friends: The "6-3-3-13" rule--To store enough for eight loaves, remember 6-3-3-13. It's 6 cups water, 3 T salt, 3 T yeast and 13 Cups of flour.

Lazy sourdough shortcut. When your dough container is empty, don't wash it, just scrape it down and incorporate it into the next batch. In addition to saving cleanup, the aged dough stuck to the sides will give your ne batch a head start on sourdough flavor.

Variation: Herb Bread: Add a couple tsp of your favorite dried herbs to the water mixture.

Here's how it's done:

1. Heat the water to just a little warmer than body temp (about 100*)
2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5 Qt bowl or, preferably in a resealable, lidded container (not airtight--use a container with a gasket or lift a corner.) don't worry about getting it all to dissolve.
3. Mix in the flour by gently scooping it up, then leveling the top of the measuring cup witha knife, don't pat down. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor with dough attachment or a heavy-duty stand mixer with a dough hook, until uniformly moist. If hand mixing becomes too difficult, use very wet hands to press it together. DON'T KNEAD
4. Cover loosely. Allow the mixture to rise at room temp until it begins to collapse or at least flattens on top, apprx 2 hours. Longer rising times, up to 5 hours will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than room-temp dough. MEN recommends refrigerating the dough at least three hours before shaping a loaf. They also say to relax, there is no monitoring or kneading....

I haven't tried this yet, but MEN has never let me down on anything yet!

[JeNNiF00F00]

Can you start this off in a ziplock bag? Seems like a very long time ago someone in my family was doing this but just was storing it in a ziplock and burping it a couple times a day.

Edit: Nevermind. I just read where you said that the sourdough would absorb the flavor of the plastic. DOH!

[JeNNiF00F00]

Oh yeah, I am wondering what is the texture of this bread? Will it be a very soft bread or a harder chewier bread?

[angelatc]

Can you start this off in a ziplock bag? Seems like a very long time ago someone in my family was doing this but just was storing it in a ziplock and burping it a couple times a day.

Edit: Nevermind. I just read where you said that the sourdough would absorb the flavor of the plastic. DOH!

I just finished one of those. It's called Amish Friendship Bread, and the recipes are on the internet. The recipe that came with it called for 2 boxes of instant pudding. I was pretty sure tha an Amish recipe wouldn't require instant pudding, so I just put a couple of bananas in it instead. (Old bananas that were almost all black - yum! They make the best bread) Came out fine.

This stuff looks really good. I don't have any cheesecloth right now - that's all that's stopping me.

[rancher89]

I'll be starting a batch this weekend, won't be going to the store til Friday for any supplies.....I have everything except yeast, so I guess I could use the OP method, except no cheesecloth, doh, uh, oopps

[JeNNiF00F00]

I just finished one of those. It's called Amish Friendship Bread, and the recipes are on the internet. The recipe that came with it called for 2 boxes of instant pudding. I was pretty sure tha an Amish recipe wouldn't require instant pudding, so I just put a couple of bananas in it instead. (Old bananas that were almost all black - yum! They make the best bread) Came out fine.

This stuff looks really good. I don't have any cheesecloth right now - that's all that's stopping me.

Ahh yes! I remember somewhat now. My dad used to make a lot of bread back when I was a kid but he doesnt have the time or interest anymore. I do however remember the pudding. I am going out tomorrow for the cheese cloth, and I am trying to find some jars as well. Anyone have a clue where I can find 1 jar or will I have to buy a pack of these suckers? This looks fun!

[asimplegirl]

Oh yeah, I am wondering what is the texture of this bread? Will it be a very soft bread or a harder chewier bread?

Well, it is just like regular whole wheat bread, slightly softer.

Think of fresh yeast rolls from school as a child....just like that, except in a loaf form.

The more sour, the firmer the texture.

[asimplegirl]

I just finished one of those. It's called Amish Friendship Bread, and the recipes are on the internet. The recipe that came with it called for 2 boxes of instant pudding. I was pretty sure tha an Amish recipe wouldn't require instant pudding, so I just put a couple of bananas in it instead. (Old bananas that were almost all black - yum! They make the best bread) Came out fine.

This stuff looks really good. I don't have any cheesecloth right now - that's all that's stopping me.

Go to any hardware store...they have cheesecloth there for some reason...like Ace or something.

[asimplegirl]

Ahh yes! I remember somewhat now. My dad used to make a lot of bread back when I was a kid but he doesnt have the time or interest anymore. I do however remember the pudding. I am going out tomorrow for the cheese cloth, and I am trying to find some jars as well. Anyone have a clue where I can find 1 jar or will I have to buy a pack of these suckers? This looks fun!

Try walmart...

I would buy a pack, but I LOVE jars.

[JeNNiF00F00]

Try walmart...

I would buy a pack, but I LOVE jars.

I like jars too but I am currently staying with my folks so the space is tight. I will check it out. Wallyworld is right down the street.

[asimplegirl]

Here’s what my jar of starter looked like this morning.

It is so exciting! When I stirred my flour into it yesterday, it was right at halfway full. 24 hours later..it has risen at least an inch if not more! And there are bubbles all through it. And I have this nice layer of froth on top. Yep…the sourdough starter is starting to become sourdough. [/QUOTE]

You’ll notice in my top picture that I instead of the brown gooey liquid sitting on top of my starter like it had been on other days, it was at the bottom. I have no idea why…but it’s not a big deal. I just poured it all into a fresh jar just like that and it mixed back in.

Jen was wondering why we need to transfer to a clean jar or bowl each day. I don’t know! My resources (Nourishing Traditions book…and my own past experiences with sourdough…and my trusty sourdough making friend, Anne) just tell me to do it! I think the clean jar just gives your starter a fresh start as you feed it (or something like that?). If you just left it in the same container and just kept feeding it in that…all kinds of crud would build up on the sides and your jar would be all yucky. Then the sourdough would have to do it’s work around the yucky crud and it wouldn’t be as effective. Yes, I think that’s the reason why.

Okay, so again for Day 4…put your starter into a clean glass container, add a cup of flour and a cup of water, stir well, cover with cheesecloth and put in a warm place.

I’m pretty sure tomorrow I’m going to need to transfer mine to my big glass bowl. It’s getting BIG! Oh, and it smells even more like sourdough today…just slightly…but I can tell it’s working.

By the way…yours might not be doing the exact thing mine is. Yours is working in YOUR air and in YOUR climate. Yours might be working faster…or slower than some of ours are working.

[asimplegirl]

Whoa-oa-oa! Get back! So much for the “sweetly sour” smell of my starter from yesterday morning.

Shew!

A few of you commented that your starter was NOT smelling sweetly sour…but more like…well none of you said exactly. Although Cindy’s husband said that it smells like some of the calls he goes on (he is a fireman/paramedic).

May I suggest a description something like a cross between a dirty gym socks and baby spit up? Okay…so sorry. DON’T let this discourage you from making sourdough!!!!! It gets better I promise! And…the sourdough bread doesn’t taste like the above mentioned descriptions. I PROMISE!

So…Day 5…if sniffing your sourdough starter makes you want to cough, gag, and run screaming from the room with tears running down your face…it’s doing exactly what it’s supposed to be doing. Good job creating a stinky masterpiece.

This morning a lot of liquid had risen to the top of my starter…and it had a frothy film on the top of the liquid. The froth was darker than yesterday and there was less of it. This is normal.

So…a note about stinky…SOUR…sourdough:

The more liquidy and soupy your sourdough starter is…the more sour it is going to be/taste. Some people like their sourdough to have a very strong taste. My family and I don’t prefer it quite so sour.

Since this is Day 5 and there are only two days left before I make bread from my starter (woohoo!)…I decided today to start making my starter a little thicker to help with the over-sourness factor.

This morning I added one cup of flour as normal…but only 1/4 cup of water. I also poured off most of the liquid that had risen to the top again before adding the flour/water. As I stirred in the flour/water…it all mixed in just fine and was by no means too thick to stir. So, depending on how thick or runny your starter is at this point, you may want to adjust the amount of water you add.