Bread

Who doesn’t love bread?! It’s a family favorite for us – whether it involves yeast or not!

Here are some of our top tips to keep in mind when making bread:

• HOW MUCH YEAST TO USE: 1 package of yeast = 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast measured out
• TESTING YEAST: To make sure yeast is still good, mix 2 ¼ tsp yeast with 1 tsp sugar and ½ cup warm water. Let sit for 8-10 minutes. If it bubbles and has a yeast-like smell, then it’s still good. If it doesn’t, the yeast is old and no longer working.
• TO FREEZE BREAD: Let it cool completely and then double wrap in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe Ziploc bag. When you want to reheat it you can place it in the oven and warm it until ready to go.

TOP TIPS

1. Be patient: give the bread enough time to properly rise so that the gluten develops effectively and makes a nice and fluffy loaf of bread. If you rush the process then the bread will be flat and dense, rather than light and fluffy. 
2. Use as little flour as possible when kneading. Most doughs need to be sticky, but if too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time.
3. Don’t overwork your bread when kneading it. You’ll know it’s been kneaded enough because it should be smooth and hold it’s shape when shaped into a ball, but should also still feel elastic.

So many reasons to love quick bread…

• They DO NOT require yeast, which is great for emergency situations when yeast may be hard to find!
• They’re QUICK (hence the reason why they are called quick breads). Since yeast is not involved, you do not have to let the bread rise, which cuts down on the time to make.
• Quick bread recipes are great for BEGINNERS. They usually just require mixing the ingredients and baking!