December 23. Best Simple Bread Recipe.

Baking bread with children is a memorable experience for both the child and the adult. So much sensory information! On many occasions during my years in the classroom we baked bread together as gifts for parents or simply as a tasty treat to have in the afternoon. At home I bake bread quite often basically because there is simply not a lot that's better than a slice of fresh bread and butter in the morning.

I've tried many recipes, but this is the one that has consistently yielded the best bread.

In a big bowl:

1 cup of warm water + a tbsp of sugar + 2 tbsp yeast --- leave it alone for 5 minutes

Add: 3 tbsp olive oil + 1 C milk + 1 tsp salt + 2 tbsp sugar + 3 cups of flour

Stir the mixture 50 times to the left, and 50 times to the right

Gradually add 3-4 more cups of flour until the dough is not sticky and ready to be kneaded.
Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes (3-4 songs on your mp3 player).
Let it rest in a warm place (over the lit oven) for 1 hour in a greased bowl.
Punch the dough down and let it rest again for 30 minutes.
Form the loaves into 2 small bread pans and let it rest for 10-30 minutes.

Bake the loaves for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove them from the pans and bake for 5 more minutes. Let them cool before you slice them.