#11 Breadmaking Tips for Dummies (Like Me!)

I have had a conflicting relationship with the idea of making my own bread. I love the idea of it but have struggled with turning it into practice. I am writing this piece in case you are experiencing similar feelings regarding baking your own bread. 

Baking bread should be a simple task. It is discussed in the Bible and every other historical book published as a common activity that anyone could accomplish. Despite our many modern conveniences, I have found that it isn't quite that simple. 

I love the smell of fresh baked bread. I love the memories of watching my grandmother making homemade biscuits. I love the ability to provide bread for my family that isn't laden with the harmful preservatives, seed oils and high fructose corn syrup found in a lot of the commercially available breads. 

I hate the multiple steps listed for most bread recipes. I hate watching the clock to ensure that the dough doesn't rise too much. I hate the rigidity of the process that doesn't allow for the multiple interruptions that I experience in a day's time. I don't enjoy kneading the dough. 

Is it a lost cause? Should I just accept that I am not meant to be a person that bakes bread for her family? Absolutely not! I have tried many different ways to make this happen and while I'm still not an expert, I have found ways to avoid store-bought bread and enjoy our favorites. And you can do it, too! Here are some tips and observations from an amateur bread-maker:

#1 - Start Simple.

There are a million bread recipes available on the internet. Some of them even claim to be "easy". I love the artisan style breads but when you are starting to make your own, start with the simplest and most beloved type in your home. For us, that was sandwich bread. I found one with easy ingredients and experimented with it. There are many variations that can be made such as swapping honey for sugar, adding wheat bran, etc. Those variations can wait until you have successfully produced a loaf of bread that you and your family will actually eat. So, start simple and give yourself a win before tackling the harder recipes. We have to learn to crawl before we can learn to walk, right?

#2 - Get a breadmaking machine.

This may be controversial. Is it really homemade bread if you use a machine? In my opinion, yes. I have tried it both ways and with a family of seven and multiple distractions in a day, I need things to be easy when they can be easy. 

Bread machines can be pricey so consider shopping for one at yard sales, consignment stores and auctions. A lot of people purchase these machines for a passing whim and barely use them before packing them away so many used machines are in like-new condition. Another option is to borrow one from a friend. It doesn't matter how you get your hands on one, but it is important to get one. 

As with any new skill, it is important to be able to see progress. Having a bread maker will take away some of the steps of error and lead to better success and then more confidence to try more.  

#3 - Avoid sour dough. 

I don't mean that you should avoid sour dough bread making indefinitely. I suggest that you master the skill of easy breadmaking before adding the complexities associated with sour dough. 

Sour dough bread requires a sour dough starter. These can be purchased, shared or created. Regardless of the source, you will need to maintain the starter. It isn't a difficult process but it is one more thing to add to your routine. I have found that if I am going to turn something into a habit at home that I need to do so in small increments. So, save the sour dough for when you need more of a challenge. 

#4 - Yeast can go bad. 

For those experts out there, this may seem like a "duh" moment but it was a simple fact that I did not understand. I had attempted breadmaking in the past and failed miserably so I stuffed the bottle of dried yeast into the back of my pantry. After purchasing a bread maker, I wanted to try again. It took several very dense loafs of bread-like substances before I realized that my yeast was the problem. So, save yourself some trouble and get new dry yeast!

#5 - You must separate the yeast and the salt. 

 When I was attempting to discover the source of my failures with the old yeast, I found many resources reminding users to separate the yeast and the salt when piling the ingredients into the bread maker. This was news to me as the user's manual never mentioned this important part. 

 The purpose of adding salt to a bread recipe is to slow down the fermenting process of the yeast so that it doesn't go overboard. If you place the salt and the yeast together in the bread maker, the yeast won't get a chance to do any of its work before the salt takes effect. 

In order to ensure that each portion of the bread gets to do its work, I add the water (or other liquid like buttermilk), yeast and small amount of sugar to the pan of the machine first. Then I add the flour. Bread consists of a larger amount of flour than other ingredients so it can also serve as a barrier between the yeast and the salt. The salt is added last. 

Everything gets mixed up well in the machine but this separation has helped to ensure that my bread is light and delicious. 

#6 - Wheat flour is not the same as store bought wheat bread. 

For years, I had purchased the whole wheat store bread in an attempt to provide a healthier option for my family than the traditional Wonder Bread. So, when I first tried to make my bread at home, I used wheat flour. It failed. It was heavy and didn't taste the same as the store's version. 

The ingredient list for the store version: Whole wheat flour, water, sugar, vital wheat gluten, yeast. Contains 2% or less of soybean oil, molasses, wheat bran, salt, sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium propionate (preservative), calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate, ascorbic acid, enzymes.

Obviously, I was missing something. Instead of fretting about it, I returned to the basics and used all-purpose flour. After achieving success with this bread (It was even called "the best bread ever!"), I puffed up my chest in pride. I have experimented with various wheat brans, flours, etc. and can successfully incorporate this into the loaves without it resulting in a product my family refuses to consume. 

#7 - Rename your failures.

If you haven't guessed by now, my progression to produce my own bread has seen its share of ups and downs. There have been many failures that my family refuses to eat. While these failures are disappointing, I have also discovered that our flock of chickens are not nearly as picky as my children. This is another reason why I love our chickens!

So, instead of labeling my less-than stellar loaves of bread as failures, I have decided to rename them as "homemade chicken treats". I am no longer a failure at making bread for my family, I am a person that goes above and beyond to spoil her chickens with homemade treats. 

What if you don't have chickens? Then, I suggest that you get chickens. The benefits of having chickens would fill a whole other blog so I won't go into detail here, but simply to say, get yourself some backyard chickens! 

#8 - Homemade bread does not come pre-sliced. 

Now, I'm not that slow as to believe that freshly baked bread will be automatically sliced. I am making this point to suggest that you obtain a good bread knife. We don't have one yet and our slices of bread are very odd shaped. If any of my readers have a suggestion for a good bread knife, please let me know in the comment section. 

#9 - Use quality butter and condiments for your bread.

If you are going to go through all of the effort to bake bread at home, make sure that the food that you pair with it is delicious and good quality. I make a honey cinnamon butter that tastes amazing on top of warm bread. Another option is a good, flavored olive oil and pepper for dipping. Whatever you use, make sure it tastes great. You worked hard to produce this delicious bread so don't ruin it by loading it down with bad companions. 

#10 - Celebrate. 

When you achieve success make sure that you take some time to celebrate. You didn't cure cancer, but you did accomplish a goal that you set for yourself. Accomplishing any set goal should result in a form of celebration. Take a picture of your bread and share with friends and family (or with us in the comments below!). Sit down and enjoy your tasty treat. You earned it! 

#11 - Challenge yourself.

After you have successfully baked a few loafs of delicious bread, find ways to challenge yourself. This could be setting up a weekly routine to ensure that you continue this habit. You could tweak the ingredients. You could try baking bread without the bread machine.

Pick one and go for it. Don't forget that missteps are not failures but simply homemade chicken treats!