Home is Where the Bread Is

They say when you are attempting to sell your house, you should bake cookies. The scent of home baked cookies conjures up feeling of home and warmth and family. That might be. For me, it’s the smell of bread baking that really hits home.

Strange though since we didn’t have home baked bread. Bread was served at every meal – slices of white bread were common at the table. Holidays meant dinner rolls, again a creation from the local bakery. There are two smells that remind me of home. The smell of breads baking and tomato soup. In our town, we had a big bakery and when the winds were just right, you could smell that bread all across the valley. In the summertime the roads and highways were stained red from the tomatoes that fell off the trucks on their way to Campbell Soup. And there were times when the smell of soup simmering and breads baking just came together. Home. It smelled like home.

During the Pandemic of 2020, it was nearly impossible to find yeast or flour on the grocery store shelves. Everyone, it seemed, had taken up baking breads. We found ourselves with all this time on our hands and nothing to do. Kiddo spent a few months at home with me, while Hubby continued to work both in the office and remotely. The event industry became an essential supplier of tables, chairs and tents first for the medical facilities, and later for the restaurants that had moved their businesses outdoors.

Eventually the notion of baking our own bread wore off. Maybe folks in the city never did go all crazy. I don’t know, but out in the country, we were baking bread like no body’s business. I guess we were all looking for some sense of normality. And maybe, with that underlying fear of “the end” we needed to know we would be okay – we could always bake bread!

When 9-11 happened, people flocked to Houses of Worship. I prayed that they would stay, but once no longer afraid, they left. When the pandemic happened, people clung to any sense of family roots. I prayed it would continue. For some, it did. But for many, life returned to normal and family became a bunch of people we put up with during the holidays. And that’s too bad.

Today happens to be National Bake Bread Day and Sweet Butter Day. Yeah, two different National Days, but they sure do go together well. Nothing beats home baked bread, all warm and inviting, slathered with sweet, creamy butter. Oh my! Wouldn’t it be nice to get back to those home-spun basics again?

Easy Homemade Bread
2 cups warm Water
2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 cup Butter
4-1/2 cups Flour or more
1 teaspoon Salt

Heat oven to 170-degrees. Once warm, shut off heat.

Warm water in a tall measuring cup. Once warmed, add yeast and sugar, stirring once to ensure all the yeast is mixed and does not clump together. Set this mixture aside, allow the yeast to activate and double in size, about 30 minutes.

While the yeast blooms, let butter come to room temperature and soften. Using the spoon and level method, measure flour into a mixing bowl. Add salt. Once the butter has softened, add to the flour mixture. Set aside until yeast is ready.

When ready, add the yeast to the dry ingredients. Mix on low until the dough forms into a solid mass and begins to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Keep kneading the dough with a dough hook for about 5 minutes longer.

Note: If necessary, add more flour, a quarter cup at a time until the proper consistency is reached.

Oil a ceramic bowl. Transfer dough to the bowl, turn to coat lightly in oil. Cover with a clean tea towel. Place the bread dough in the warm, draft-free oven and let rise for 30 minutes or more, until it has doubled in size.

Lightly flour a work surface. Dump the dough out onto the floured surface. Punch down the dough to release the air. The dough should lay flat on the counter.

Form the dough by rolling the flattened dough into a log. Pinch the trailing edge together to prevent dough from unrolling. Place the loaf in a bread pan or on a baking sheet. Cover dough and let it proof a second time, doubling in size again.

Heat oven to 375-degrees. If desired, brush the top of the loaf with an egg wash. Place in the heated oven to bake for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350-degrees, continue to bake for another 30 minutes.

Remove from oven when the bread is a beautiful golden brown, and gives off a hollow sound when tapped.

Home baked breads are best served warm with sweet, creamy butter. This bread can also be sliced for sandwiches.

Original Recipe: Chef Markus Mueller

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The heavens proclaim the glory of God