On day one of this series I shared that my first baby step to becoming more "crunchy" or natural in how I did things for my family was to use butter instead of all of the "fake" alternatives.
Let me tell you, nothing is a better canvas for that natural butter than homemade bread. Now, for a disclaimer, I am currently eating a paleo diet for health reasons (mainly arthritis) but I still feed my family bread and this is an area that I began becoming concerned about because I noticed something. As I began learning to make my own bread from scratch I noticed a profound difference in my homemade bread and storebought. When I would make a fresh loaf of bread it would only keep in my house for a maximum of 3-5 days before starting to mold. So why did a loaf of bread from the store often last for 3-4 weeks. That concerned me. With the amount of preservatives and other things I cannot pronounce (even with a college degree under my belt) I wondered if that was really healthy for my kids. I decided that it probably was not.
That is when I quit buying white bread at the store (though once in a blue moon hubby will sneak it in the house) I have purchased a loaf or two in a pinch but I no longer buy the cheapest stuff I can find. If I don't make it myself I am pretty diligent to read what is in my bread, often leading to me shaking my head and deciding to go home and make a loaf.
Okay, so this is where most people become disenchanted. Making bread can have a bit of a learning curve to it. However, many people have made bread with "quick bread" recipes and had great success. Just think have you ever made pumpkin, zucchini or any other quick bread? Not so bad, right? The only difference is the adding of a different kind of leavening agent. In lieu of baking powder or baking soda, you are using yeast. It really isn't so terrifying at all, promise! And nothing in the world tastes better than fresh home-baked bread!
Click on the picture if you are interested in getting a copy from Amazon.com, I do get a small referral bonus if you go through my link.
Let me tell you, nothing is a better canvas for that natural butter than homemade bread. Now, for a disclaimer, I am currently eating a paleo diet for health reasons (mainly arthritis) but I still feed my family bread and this is an area that I began becoming concerned about because I noticed something. As I began learning to make my own bread from scratch I noticed a profound difference in my homemade bread and storebought. When I would make a fresh loaf of bread it would only keep in my house for a maximum of 3-5 days before starting to mold. So why did a loaf of bread from the store often last for 3-4 weeks. That concerned me. With the amount of preservatives and other things I cannot pronounce (even with a college degree under my belt) I wondered if that was really healthy for my kids. I decided that it probably was not.
That is when I quit buying white bread at the store (though once in a blue moon hubby will sneak it in the house) I have purchased a loaf or two in a pinch but I no longer buy the cheapest stuff I can find. If I don't make it myself I am pretty diligent to read what is in my bread, often leading to me shaking my head and deciding to go home and make a loaf.
Okay, so this is where most people become disenchanted. Making bread can have a bit of a learning curve to it. However, many people have made bread with "quick bread" recipes and had great success. Just think have you ever made pumpkin, zucchini or any other quick bread? Not so bad, right? The only difference is the adding of a different kind of leavening agent. In lieu of baking powder or baking soda, you are using yeast. It really isn't so terrifying at all, promise! And nothing in the world tastes better than fresh home-baked bread!
Click on the picture if you are interested in getting a copy from Amazon.com, I do get a small referral bonus if you go through my link.
Here is my favorite, basic, easiest starter recipe from the above book. The Taste of Home baking book is my go-to recipe book for baking, I absolutely love this gift that my mother gave me a few years ago...so much so that it is tattered and very worn but well loved!
With this recipe I don't knead it, I let my kitchen aid mixer do most of the work for me using the bread dough hook in lieu of kneading.
Milk and Honey White Bread (just click and it will link you to the recipe)
Do be forewarned though, once you get the hang of home made bread...you won't be able to go back to store bought without missing it!
Want to be sure you don't miss a single post in this series? Be sure to subscribe to my email notifications to get emails about new posts...top right corner of the screen, just add your email and you will also be entered to win a natural freebie at the end of this series!
With this recipe I don't knead it, I let my kitchen aid mixer do most of the work for me using the bread dough hook in lieu of kneading.
Milk and Honey White Bread (just click and it will link you to the recipe)
Do be forewarned though, once you get the hang of home made bread...you won't be able to go back to store bought without missing it!
Want to be sure you don't miss a single post in this series? Be sure to subscribe to my email notifications to get emails about new posts...top right corner of the screen, just add your email and you will also be entered to win a natural freebie at the end of this series!
