There are virtually hundreds of different recipes in making bread. However, it will be more advantageous if you start with the basics. Homemade breads is very easy to prepare, more nutritious and has a personalized touch that cannot be copied by machines and commercial bakers. You can learn the basic steps then develop your own creative form. Here are tips.
What You Need
You will need 1 big mixing bowl. Experts recommend that you prepare a second one just in case. If you only have one, you can wash it in the middle of the bread making process. Other tools you will need include 1 spoon to stir the dough, 1 measuring cup, 1 measuring spoon (1 teaspoon recommended), 1 bread pan to bake the bread in and 1 hand towel to cover the bread as the dough rises to prevent dust and drafts from making contact.
The food ingredients you will need are 1/4 cup of milk, 5 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 pack of active dry yeast from your local grocery store, 5 teaspoons of butter, 2.5 to 3.5 cups of flour (preferably unbleached white) and non-stick cooking spray or corn starch to keep the bread from sticking to the pan and bowl.
About the Process
Mix the dough first using a stand mixer, instead of the usual stirring and kneading. Warm the bowl by filling it with hot water. Mix the yeast by following the instructions on the package. Adding a cup of warm water to the yeast then stirring will lead to tan-colored water with a few bubbles. Melt the butter in a microwave oven, then add the salt, milk and sugar to the yeast liquid, stirring everything until it appears light tan. Add 2 cups of flour. Start stirring then add 1/4 cup of flour every 1 minute or so. Continue adding flour until the dough becomes sticky. Try to aim for the dough just leaving a thin layer of flour.
Kneading the Dough
Kneading is done next. Take some flour between your hands then rub it together over the area where you plan to knead. Get the dough ball then place it on the table. Beat the dough for 10 minutes. Punch the dough flat and fold it into a ball again and again. Put the ball of dough back into the bow.
Place a cloth over the bowl and set it in a slightly warm place for 1 hour. Ideally, this should be set over the stove top. Expect the dough to rise after an hour. It should at least be twice as big as its original size. Lay it out and make a rectangular shape. Place it in a bread pan afterwards.
Final Steps
Take the towel and use it to cover the homemade loaf. Wait for another hour. Clean all the rest of the tools and ingredients. Expect the bread to raise more. Place the loaf of bread in the oven and set at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Afterwards, pull the bread out and take it out of the pan to cool.