That looks absolutely beautiful. My bread always comes out doughy on the inside and cement on the outside. I'm either not adding enough flour or not kneading enough.

k, I thought for sure I'd over kneaded..but it seems pretty good..I thought the boys might bolt on the fact that it's not their "white" sandwich bread.
But in an effort to save pennies on my grocery bill and give them better foods..I told them this was the deal. :o)
It does toast better than just plain for a sandwich though.

Of course it does dry out quickly, so I'll need to be baking a batch (2 loaves) every few days. LOL
add that to my English Muffins once every few weeks.

Can be found here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Julia's White Bread

Applause!

Good Job!!!!!

Warning: It's addictive.

Nancy

Your bread looks great! I bet your boys (and you) did enjoy it. I would.

Terri....Congratulations. Absolutely beautiful bread!!
Home made is SO MUCH MORE SUPERIOR to "store-bought".

I love every aspect of making your own by hand...especially the kneading process (gives you time to meditate and get in touch with your "inner-self".)

"kandm" Sounds, to me, as though you might need to have the thermostat of your oven calibrated. Yeast could be at fault, too (if past expiration date). Do you follow the proceedures given in your recipe (especially the proofing times)?

Way to go Terri. Perfect loavs. Nothing better than homemade bread. Just remember though, once you get them use to homemade bread, that becomes the standard and they won't want "store" bread ever again.

Ann

P.S. I forgot to mention....in making white bread or Italian bread....instead of using plain water in the recipe, I use water that I had boiled peeled potatoes in. Whenever I boil potatoes for dinner I always save the water for bread-making. If you boiled potatoes in salted water, take this into consideration when using your bread recipe.

Good for you, Terri, those loaves look perfect to me

Ann T is right, the boys will get used to homemade bread and never want the storebought stuff again.

Homemade bread is way cheaper, better, healthier. I've even convinced Ashley to eat homemade bread on occasion, especially cinnamon raisin and cheddar beer although she still prefers the white squishy store stuff for bologna sandwiches. Ugh.

Tonight I think I'm going to bake Cheddar Beer bread. I just toss everything into the bread machine and go out and clean the pool. By the time I'm done I can take the dough out of the machine, put it into pans and let it rise, then bake. By the time it mixes and rises it's cooled off enough here to turn my oven on!

Annie

Congrats Terry. I make white and honey wheat (still use your rolls recipe and people rave about it every time) bread but I prefer the likes of store bought Wonder bread... the white bread recipe I use is supposed to emulate the real Wonder bread... but it doesn't come close to being as soft.

I'm glad your family is enjoying the bread! A grilled chees on homemade bread is quite a treat. Did you use your Kitchen Aid? I don't remember if you have a bread maker.

Lisbet, now you tell me..I just "tossed" potato water lastnight!! I've been getting good at recycling..but I forgot all about that..I even have some quart jars in the cupboard!!! next time I won't forget..

Annie, Please share the Cheddar Beer Bread..

Bobby, I used the KA and my hands..but I do have a bread machine, infact there are English Muffins (okay the dough) in the machine right now.

Ann, I learned my lesson about homemade..I make English Muffins once or twice a month! LOL

First attempt? they look terrific! I could eat a loaf by myself. Good job!:)

Congratulations on that bread Terri! Looks great. I'm glad the boys are enjoying it! I don't have anyone here who eats much bread, so I've given up making it on a regular basis. I did make some garlic cheddar bread the other night cause sometimes I just really want good bread.

Thats a beautiful loaf Tracey! Is it the no-knead variety? I think I'll try that next..just cuz I can..LOL

DD, It's my first attempt at a mixer based loaf bread dough. I have a few bread recipes for the bread machine. But I was looking for a plain ol white the boys would eat and not fuss to much about.

Beautiful. Sometimes you just gotta have white bread.

Funny...I was smelling white bread as I read this. I sat down to try and catch up with the CF while my bread baked. It's that Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day...I was skeptical, but that stuff is good (and easy!).

That is my favorite white bread loaf recipe. Yours turned out great! I usually add a couple tablespoons more butter though!

I follow the recipe, but when it comes to the flour amount most recipes seem to have a range. Something along the lines of "add x1/4 cups to x3/4 cups flour". I live in a pretty humid area so I'm guessing I'm not adding enough. I've found that if I let it have a long rise it improves the texture.

You are probably right about the oven temp, I believe mine is off by at least 50 degrees.

Terri,
No, it' not the no-knead bread but it's not difficult. I found this recipe in the paper a few years ago and it was the first free form bread I tried. It's actually for olive bread, but I sub in cheddar cheese and about 1/4 t garlic powder. The recipe has a lot of steps, but I follow it and the bread turns out great every time. Keep us posted on your bread adventures!

Here is a link that might be useful: Rustic Olive Bread recipe

Great looking breads! When I first started making breads about 30 years ago (I can remember because DS#2 was just a baby, barely walking) I made every recipe by mixing in a large bowl with a big ole wooden spoon and then kneaded by hand. Now I use my Kitchen Aid mixer for breadmaking almost exclusively. Some of you use your bread machines. I say "whatever works for you!"

I'll share this information that I use in my bread classes on mixing breads in a heavy-duty mixer. This information is found in one of my bread books, the name/author has escaped me for the moment.

Mixing and Kneading Bread in a Heavy Duty Electric Mixer

1.Put dry yeast and proofing water into mixer bowl; whisk, proof yeast.

2.Fit mixer paddle on.

3.Add rest of liquid ingredients (milk, eggs, butter) to the yeast/water.

4.Add half of the flour amount of the recipe and any other dry ingredients.

5.Turn mixer on medium speed (#4 on KA) and beat 2 minutes.

6.Reduce speed to low (#1) and add rest of flour ¼ cup at a time.

7.Remove paddle, scrape well. Attach dough hook.

8.Scrape down sides of bowl, turn speed to #2 and add more flour 1 TB at a time (dough will cling to hook then spread back to sides of bowl).

9.Increase speed to #4 and knead 5 minutes. At the end of this kneading time the dough should cling to the hook and clean the sides of the bowl. If not, add flour 1 TB at a time, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.

10.Remove the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a towel, let rise per the recipe  or  turn out dough, knead by hand a few times, form into a ball, drizzle a little oil in the mixing bowl, put dough in, swirl in bowl and turn oiled side up, cover, let rise.

Hope this helps all the breadmakers here!
Teresa

kandm, a short amount of flour would not make a loaf doughey inside....think of ciabata, not doughey but a very wet dough.
Get an instant read thermometer and take the temperature of your bread....should be 180 to 200 on the inside.
And bread is very forgiving as to baking temperature....any thing from 350 to 425 will do very well....you just have to get it done inside.
Linda C

LOL, Teresa, you and me. I made my first loaf when I was 7, in the kitchen with Grandma. Let's see, that was 46 years ago....

Everything was mixed and kneaded by hand, but now I just toss everything into the bread machine then bake it in the oven. Somehow, I don't think Grandma would mind, and I still use her recipe. It's just as good as ever.

Terri, I made the cheddar beer bread for today's office potluck, it's soft and good:

CHEDDAR BEER BREAD

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons milk
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
8 ounces reduced-fat extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
Grease two (9x5 inch) loaf pans.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm beer slightly. Stir in milk and 2 tablespoons margarine to melt. Pour contents into bread machine pan. Pour in flour. Make a well in the center of the flour, and sprinkle salt onto one side of the mound that forms. Into the well, pour the sugar and yeast. Sprinkle with pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs. Begin the dough cycle.

Meanwhile, slice the cheese into pea-size crumbles. Avoid using shredded cheese, as it may clump. Once the dough forms into a sticky ball, gradually add the cheese crumbles.

As the cycle continues and the cheese fully incorporates into the dough, the ball should still be somewhat soft and sticky. If it is too dry, add a bit of milk.

When the cycle has completed, punch down the dough, and divide it in half. Place each half into a greased loaf pan, and allow the dough to rise, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
When the dough has risen, bake for 1 hour, or until the loaves are golden brown and make a hollow sound when thumped. Immediately turn out onto a cooling rack, and brush with melted margarine. Cool completely before cutting.

This recipe came from the Bread Machine cookbook that Momto4kids sent me. In spite of the instructions I used a package of pre shredded cheddar and it wasn't low fat, olive oil instead of butter and some Bud Light that was left from a couple of weeks ago when David was here and they were using the pool. I put the cheese in the machine right along with the beer.

It could easily be made by hand too, dump everything in the bowl, mix and then knead, just like any other bread. Oh, and my machine has a pre-heat cycle at the start so I don't warm anything up either.

Annie

BB, that's the hardest part the incorporating the butter..lol it's some slick mess..

Tracey, thank you for the recipe.
Teresa, Thanks for the tips..printing that out now! I much prefer your specific speeds and timing to "winging" it. LOL

Annie, thank you too for this recipe..

Terri~who's printer is now busy~

My information above came from The Bread Book by Betsy Oppenneer. I always like to give credit where credit is due.

Teresa

I tried your mixer method and times today making French Bread Rolls for burgers tonight..First sheet is in the oven now..

Why are most loaf pans so short? I wish they had pans which were the size of a bagged loaf.

King Arthur sells them.

That bread looks wonderful, since I started baking my own DH won't eat store-bought :)

Teresa, when do you add the salt in your method? I've seen recipes that have you wait to add the salt till after you've added the flour, and I've seen recipes that have you add the salt with the liquids. I find that when I have to wait to add the salt, I tend to forget to add it at all. But I'm thinking there's some good reason to wait on the salt, something about the chemistry involved. Is that true?

For those of you that like the store bought Wonder bread, or any store bought bread, just look at the expiration date on those loaves. Any bread that has a 3 week shelf life worries me. lol

Sally

Sally,
The reasoning behind adding salt later is that salt can inhibit the action of the yeast. But I don't worry about that except with some artisan breads that are raised with a sponge or with a sourdough starter.

Salt is added in step #4 "Add half of the flour amount of the recipe and any other dry ingredients."

Hope this helps!
Teresa

Thanks, Teresa. That step just slipped by me as I read your post.

Sally