bread machine

Honey Wheat Bread for the Bread Machine

April 21, 2016 by Asharae 3 Comments

Today I’m sharing a recipe that has become the go-to bread in our kitchen. Several years ago I “borrowed” my mom’s bread machine and somehow just haven’t given it back yet. The bread machine is one of those weird kitchen appliances that takes up entirely too much room, and is really only good for one purpose, but I really do think it’s worth its weight in gold.

Homemade bread is approximately 1273 times more delicious than store-bought bread, and the bread machine makes it so much more attainable. If I was kneading bread by hand or even watching it in my KitchenAid Mixer, I would rarely make it. With the bread machine I make bread almost every week. It’s so easy to throw all the ingredients in, push a few buttons, and forget about it for an hour and a half. I do prefer to use my machine to knead the dough and do the first rising, but then I bake it in the oven in a regular 5×9 loaf pan.

After the dough has completed its cycle, you just remove it from the bread machine pan and pat it out on a floured surface (I like to flour a rimmed baking sheet because it makes for easy clean-up!) You want your dough to be roughly rectangular, and about the length of your well-greased 5×9 loaf pan. Don’t think too much about this though – it doesn’t have to be perfect!

Once you’ve patted the dough out, fold it into thirds. Look! It’s a little bread burrito!

Once your dough is folded, gently lift it and flip it into your greased bread pan so that the seam or fold is on the bottom.

Use a knife to make a shallow (about 1/4 inch deep) cut in the top of your bread. This will allow space for it to expand while it rises a second time.

At this point we wait again. Time to let the dough rise. Set it aside in a warm place till it looks about the size you want it to be once baked. My method for this is to heat my oven up slightly and then shut it off. I put the dough in for about 25 minutes before removing it. This speeds up the rising process quite a bit, especially if your house tends to be cold.

Once the dough is almost the size you want it to be when finished, remove it from the oven so you can preheat it to 375 F. Once the oven is good to go, put your dough in for 25 minutes. It’s finished when browned on top and hollow-sounding when tapped with your finger.

Carefully remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely before cutting it. If you have a cooling rack, that’s perfect for this. If you place your bread flat on a plate, it can get soggy on the bottom as the steam from the bread will condense on the plate as it cools. And no one likes soggy bread.

Mmmm. Fresh-baked bread perfection. That wasn’t so difficult was it?

If you’ve got a bread machine, use it! If your mom or grandma has a bread machine, borrow it! You can thank me later. This bread is perfect for sandwiches, grilled cheese, french toast, and even just dipping in olive oil and spices.

And one last note – if you don’t have whole wheat flour or prefer not to use it, you can follow my original bread recipe instead.

Honey Wheat Bread for the Bread Machine

Asharae Kroll

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Ingredients

1 c warm water
2 Tbs butter softened
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs honey
2 c bread flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 packet yeast 2 1/4 tsp

Instructions

Place ingredients into bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
Mine recommends to put the water, salt, butter, and honey in first.
Add the flours on top of that.
Make a small well in the flour and add the yeast.
Adjust your bread machine to the Dough setting, 1.5lb loaf and let it run. I like to check on it about 5 minutes in to make sure it's not too wet or too dry. If it looks too wet and sticky, add a tablespoon or two of flour. If too dry and flaky-looking, add a tablespoon or two of water. Let the machine run through its whole cycle and try not to peek at it too much! (Bread machines heat up slightly which helps the rising process, each time you open it you let some of the heat out which can cause it to rise slower.)
Once the dough cycle is finished, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Gently press into a rectangle about 9-10 inches long (you can measure it along the side of your 9x5 pan). Fold one of the long sides in toward the center and fold the other long side on top of that - you're essentially folding it in thirds. Gently place the dough, seam side down, in your well-greased 9x5 pan. Use a knife to cut a small slit (about 1/4 inch deep) down the middle of the dough - this will allow it to expand.
Let the dough rise for 30 minutes or so until it looks good. If your house is colder, this could take up to an hour or more. I like to heat my oven for a few minutes, turn it off, and place the dough in for about 30 min to speed up the process. Whatever it looks like now is approximately the size it'll be when it's done baking. Toward the end of this final rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. (Take the bread out at this time if you used the oven to let it rise.)
Once dough is finished rising, bake for 25 minutes at 375.
Bread is finished when you tap it with your finger and it sounds hollow.

Guest Post by Tim Kroll – Focaccia / Pizza Dough

August 28, 2014 by Asharae Leave a Comment

This pizza dough recipe is a long-standing tradition in my husband’s family, so I felt it was only appropriate that he write about it! We’ve taken a little liberty with the recipe itself, and discovered that it makes an excellent dough for focaccia as well! Today I’m just sharing the recipe for the dough and photos of the focaccia version – if you’d rather make pizza, you can be creative with your own toppings!

A while back my in-laws gifted us one of those three-ring-binder-church-cookbooks full of recipes from families in the church where Tim’s mom grew up. I love it because I know that there is family history within the pages of that book – each recipe has a story behind it and belongs to a family that enjoyed it enough to share with the whole church. I know that on page 58 I’ll find a recipe for “Pizza From Scratch,” with notes scribbled in the margins. Without further ado, I’ll let Tim share his family’s story of this recipe.

My family likes traditions. Traditions like riding in the car all cozied up on Christmas Eve looking for the neighborhood with the best light display, gathering around the Thanksgiving table with the plethora of family on my mom’s side, celebratory birthday banners that appeared the morning of each of our birthdays – sneakily designed by someone in the family, and french toast every Sunday morning (but seriously, every Sunday morning). These are just some of the fun traditions I had growing up.

Another wonderful tradition that we started when I was in middle school was weekly homemade pizza. We’d usually rent a movie from one of the local rental stores and top the pizzas in whatever way our hearts desired. Inevitably my mom would try to sneak healthy things like green peppers or wheat germ into the recipe, but it still made for a tasty meal! I love how the pizza crust isn’t a thin crust, but also isn’t so doughy that you feel like it’s more bread than toppings. Growing up we usually made 3 or more pizzas, went downstairs to watch our movie while we ate, and put the left-overs (if we had any) in a ziploc bag to be enjoyed the next day for lunch. If I ever had friends over to share in the tradition, they’d always tell me (and mostly my mom) how delicious the pizza was.

When dressing the pizza, I fully recommend using a spoon to spread the sauce on the dough, and because I’m not a huge crust person, I would try to get the sauce as close to the edge as possible (within a half inch or so). Get a good mozzarella cheese blend to top the sauce, and then ever so carefully spread your desired toppings equally spaced along the top. I like to think that with all the years practice I’ve had growing up, I’m pretty good at spreading the toppings on the pizza in the most precise manner possible! (Asharae’s note: Tim takes this very seriously. Can you tell he’s more of a mathematician than I am?)

One thing to note, my mom loved it when she got a bread machine that could mix the ingredients together for her. Even if you don’t plan ahead, you could easily get inspired to make pizzas while reflecting on a delicious lunch, and still have plenty of time to make the homemade pizza dough and get it ready in time for dinner. I have used store-bought pizza dough in the past, but it never has been as good as this recipe.

I hope that you’re reminded of your own family traditions as you make this recipe, and who knows, maybe it will get a new spot in the rotation of your family’s traditions!

Simple Pizza Dough / Focaccia

Makes two large cookie-sheet-sized pizza crusts.

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Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 1 hr 50 mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

For Dough

1 1/4 c warm water
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
4 c flour
1 package dry yeast 2 1/4 tsp

For Pizza

Pizza sauce of your choice
Mozarella Cheese
Toppings of your choice

For Focaccia

Olive oil
Kosher salt
Italian Seasoning
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

(With a bread machine) Place ingredients in bread machine in the order listed (unless your bread machine manufacturer recommends something different). Choose the Dough setting and the largest loaf size. Let the bread machine work its magic!
(By hand) Sift flour and salt together, set aside. In a separate bowl dissolve yeast into warm water, stir in 2 Tbs vegetable oil. Pour into flour and salt mixture and stir until it comes together. Knead vigorously until smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, brush with oil, cover and let rise until doubled in size.
Once dough is ready, divide in half and spread on two floured baking sheets.
(For pizza) Brush crust lightly with olive oil (this keeps it from getting soggy from the sauce), top with sauce and toppings of your choice. Bake 15-20 min at 400. Broil for a minute or two if your cheese isn't bubbly enough.
(For focaccia) Once dough is spread out, make divots in the surface of the dough with your fingers. Try not to poke through the dough - these divots will hold the olive oil. Drizzle several Tbs of olive oil over the top of the dough, allowing it to pool in the divots you made. Sprinkle dough with kosher salt, Italian seasonings, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 10-12 min at 400. Broil for a minute or two if you'd like the top to be crispier.

Notes

This dough is freezable. I usually make the full recipe and then place half of it in a freezer safe ziplock bag and freeze it till later. When ready to bake, simply let the dough come to room temperature first, spread on a floured baking sheet as usual, and bake as instructed.

Basic Bread Recipe for Bread Machine

March 12, 2014 by Asharae 9 Comments

Hunger is the most basic of needs. We all feel hungry at some point. Some more often than others. Some with more intensity than others. We hunger for food, for relationship, for stability, for safety, and for peace in our lives. I lived in Costa Rica for a summer, and my host mom there would always pray before meals “Danos hambre y sed para tí Dios” – Give us hunger and thirst for you Lord. She’d pray, not just thanking Him that our everyday need of hunger was satisfied and our thirst satiated, but asking Him for more feelings of hunger and thirst. This has stuck with me for years. A need, not just for food, but a need for the Lord. That’s exactly what it should be and what it becomes if you let it – a hunger and thirst for the Lord – the most basic of needs. He is our most basic of needs. He is present with us, and we need Him every day.

This blog is an outpouring of many things – my heart mostly, my desire to bring friends and family together with food, my love for deep conversation shared over drinks and dessert, and my longing to cultivate a home that is warm and welcoming, where people feel comfortable to simply be themselves. One of the chief goals I have in creating this blog though, is not just to be an excuse to make and eat good food, but also to use it as a way to provide for others who hunger. I am so privileged to have food in my pantry and filling up my fridge, but not all are quite so blessed. It’s only fitting that what is shared here – the stories and the recipes surrounding community and joining around the table – benefit not just my little community in my own home, but the community beyond my four walls.

I know that blogs can take a while to get going, to get followers, advertising, and sponsors to the point where they turn any kind of profit, but my goal is that once we’re to that point, we’ll donate a portion of what we make to provide for people who hunger – those who hunger for food, for shelter, for security, for the Lord. My thought right now is that each quarter we’ll choose a different non-profit to donate to, and we’ll highlight them here on our blog so you’ll be able to donate directly if you wish! So go ahead, share this blog with your friends! Follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Every bit helps!

Let me know if you’re familiar with any wonderful organizations that provide for those who hunger! I would love to compile a list of non-profits and such that we could potentially give to!

Since we’re talking about our most basic needs, I thought it was appropriate to share a recipe for the most basic of foods – bread! If the thought of making bread terrifies you, fear not! This is the EASIEST bread I have ever ventured to make. My goal is to learn how to make one of those round crusty artisan loaves that crunches when you break it open. Mmmmm. One day. For now we’ll settle for this bread, which is pretty darn delicious straight out of the oven. If you have a bread machine (or can borrow one from a friend – I’ve been “borrowing” my mom’s since Christmas) then you’re in luck! This recipe specifically calls to use the Dough setting on your bread machine, and then you can bake it in a well-greased 9×5 pan in the oven to get a beautiful loaf of bread! I’ve been making this at least twice a week for the past month or so and it always disappears quickly! It’s great for sandwiches, french toast, dipping in olive oil and spices (bonus if you add in the vinaigrette we made yesterday!) I’m sure this bread would be delicious with parmesan and garlic mixed into the dough – I’ll let you know how it turns out when I try it!

Fun fact: This bread made its internet debut in a styled shoot we did last month! Check out the featured post on The Lovely Find and the full story on our photography site!

Basic Bread Recipe for Bread Machine

Asharae Kroll

A super simple bread recipe for the bread machine.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hrs

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 25 mins

Course Bread

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
2 Tbs butter softened (or shortening for crispier bread)
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs honey or sugar
2.5 cups bread flour
1 packet yeast 2 1/4 tsp

Instructions

Place ingredients into bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
Mine recommends to put the water, salt, butter, and honey in first.
Add the flour on top of that.
Make a small well in the flour and add the yeast.
Adjust your bread machine to the Dough setting, 1.5lb loaf and let it run. I like to check on it about 5 minutes in to make sure it's not too wet or too dry. If it looks too wet and sticky, add a tablespoon or two of flour. If too dry and flaky-looking, add a tablespoon or two of water. Let the machine run through its whole cycle and try not to peek at it too much! (Bread machines heat up slightly which helps the rising process, each time you open it you let some of the heat out which can cause it to rise slower.)
Once the dough cycle is finished, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Gently press into a rectangle about 9-10 inches long (you can measure it along the side of your 9x5 pan). Fold one of the long sides in toward the center and fold the other long side on top of that - you're essentially folding it in thirds. Gently place the dough, seam side down, in your well-greased 9x5 pan. Use a knife to cut a small slit (about 1/4 inch deep) down the middle of the dough - this will allow it to expand.
Let the dough rise for 30 minutes or so until it looks good. If your house is colder, this could take up to an hour or more. I like to heat my oven for a few minutes, turn it off, and place the dough in for about 30 min to speed up the process. Whatever it looks like now is approximately the size it'll be when it's done baking. Toward the end of this final rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. (Take the bread out at this time if you used the oven to let it rise.)
Once dough is finished rising, bake for 25 minutes at 375.
Bread is finished when you tap it with your finger and it sounds hollow.