How do you make bread without the bread machine?

Question

I know there are ways to make it with simple ingredients like flour, salt and yeast, but all the recipes I'm finding require bread machines.
Can someone provide a recipe please.

Answer 1

I like it best baked in the oven, I've used a bread machine before and it's just not the same, I've posted a recipe below from cooks.com, I Hope you like it

HOMEMADE WHITE BREAD

1 c. milk
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 pkg. active dry yeast
6 c. sifted enriched melted shortening flour
3 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. shortening
1 c. warm (not hot) water

Scald milk; stir in sugar, salt and shortening; stir until sugar dissolves; cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast on water; stir until dissolved. Add milk mixture. Stir in 3 cups of the flour; beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour. Turn out on a lightly floured board. KNEAD; fold dough over toward you. Press down away from you with the heel of your hand.
Give dough a quarter turn. Continue until dough is smooth and elastic, and does not stick to the board. Place in a greased bowl; brush top with melted shortening. Cover with a damp cloth; let rise in warm place, 80-85 degrees until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour). Punch down, turn out on lightly floured board.

Divide dough in half. Shape into 2 loaves, place in greased loaf pans, 8 x 4 x 3 inches. Cover with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place 80-85 degrees, until center of dough is slightly higher than the edges of the pans, about 1 hour. Meanwhile set oven for hot, 400 degrees. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from pans immediately and cool on a rack.

Answer 2

Molly Katzen has a great primer for making bread by hand -- it's either in the Moosewood Cookbook or the Enchanted Broccoli Forest. Both are fantastic cookbooks, by the way.

Basically, you sprinkle the yeast in lukewarm water -- too hot will kill the yeast, and too cool will make the yeast grow too slowly. Leave for five minutes.

Add a little bit of the flour, mix well, let it rise for 30 to 60 minutes. This is the "sponge" and it will help your yeast grow big and healthy, and make good bread.

Add the oil/butter, salt and sugar/honey, mix well, and then add as much flour as you can. Keep kneading it, and sprinkle more flour on the table/cutting board. When the dough feels like your ear lobe (a little give, but not too soft and not too hard), it's done.

Put it in an oiled bowl, then flip it over so the top is oiled too. Cover with plastic wrap or a wet towel (I like plastic wrap because it doesn't stick as much). After an hour, the dough should be doubled (so make sure your bowl is big!). You "punch" it down, by well, punching it in the middle with a clean hand -- put a little flour on it.

Knead it again -- usually about 15 to 20 minutes -- and put it on/in your oiled baking dish. Cover again, and let rise for about 30 minutes, or until doubled. I usually let it rise an hour.

Bake. Let cool at least 15 minutes -- but if you let it cool for three or four hours, it's easier to cut. If you are making rolls, then go ahead and eat them as soon as you can handle them.

Of course, every bread is different. Look for a recipe in one of your cookbooks (or on-line) and give it a shot!

BTW, pita breads are quicker than other breads, don't need as much kneading, and are fun to serve to guests. You may want to start with those.

Answer 3

I use this recipe all the time. Crusty French Bread This recipe produces two crusty and chewy loaves that are so very good and so much better than store bought. 2 loaves 50 min 20 min prep 2 cups warm water 1 tablespoon yeast 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons salt 5-5 1/2 cups bread flour Dissolve yeast in warm water (110 degrees) and sugar in large bowl; allow yeast to proof or foam (about 10 minutes). Add salt, oil, and 3 cups flour; beat for 2 minutes. Stir in 2 cups flour to make a stiff dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in oiled bowl, turn dough to coat all sides, cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down and divide in half. Shape dough into two long slender loaves. Grease and sprinkle with cornmeal either a french bread pan or large cookie sheet. Place loaves in pan and cut diagonal gashes on top of each loaf Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Note: You can sprinkle or spray water on the loaves during baking if you want a really crunchy crust

Answer 4

Caraway Rye Bread

This seeded light, soft rye bread is delicious in sandwiches.

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cups white rye, medium rye or pumpernickel flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 cup sour cream (low-fat is fine)
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups First Clear Flour
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten OR King Arthur Whole-Grain Bread Improver

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the water, sugar, rye flour and yeast, mixing to form a shaggy dough. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix and knead the dough together -- by hand, mixer or bread machine -- till it's fairly smooth. (Remember, the nature of rye dough is to be sticky, so don't be tempted to add too much flour.) Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Gently deflate the dough, knead it briefly, and shape it into two smooth oval loaves. Place the loaves on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them, and let them rise until they're almost doubled, about 1 hour. Gently slash the tops of the loaves in two or three places just before baking.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F to 200°F. Remove the bread from the oven, and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

Answer 5

The same way people always made bread -- by hand. Check out recipes on the flour bag.

Answer 6

Ciabatta

INGREDIENTS:
Biga:
1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees F)
1/3 cup warm water
1 cup bread flour

Final Dough:
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm milk (110 degrees F)
2/3 cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

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DIRECTIONS:
To Make Biga: In a small bowl stir together 1/8 teaspoon of the yeast and the warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In a bowl stir together yeast mixture, 1/3 cup of the water, and 1cup of the bread flour, then cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let Biga stand at cool room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 1 day. You are looking for this to rise and then fall back onto itself. The smell should be alcoholic and somewhat pungant.

To Make Bread: In a small bowl stir together yeast and milk and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In bowl mix with hand or a sturdy spoon the flour and salt, add the milk mixture, biga, water, and oil and mix until the ingredients are incorporated; I place this dough into a tupperware bowl sprayed with cooking spray and seal the lid.

Let dough rise at room temperature. At the 20 minute mark, turn the dough out onto a floured table, GENTLY pull out into a square, then fold the sides into thirds, like a brochure. Next fold the top third down and bottom third up. Place back into tupperware and reseal. Do this again at the 40 minute mark. Allow dough to continue to rise until double in bulk. (Dough will be sticky and full of air bubbles.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut in half. Transfer each half to a parchment sheet and form into an irregular oval about 9 inches long. Dimple loaves with floured fingers and dust tops with flour. Cover loaves with a dampened kitchen towel. Let loaves rise at room temperature until almost doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
At least 45 minutes before baking ciabatta, put a baking stone on oven rack in lowest position in oven and preheat oven to 450 F.
Transfer 1 loaf on its parchment to a rimless cooke sheet or inverted pan with a long side of loaf parallel to far edge of cookie sheet. Line up far edge of cookie sheet with far edge of stone, and tilt cookie sheet to slide loaf with parchment onto back half of stone or tiles. Transfer remaining loaf to front half of stone in a similar manner. Bake ciabatta loaves 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Cool loaves on a wire rack.

The two turns during the rise are essential if you are not going to use a mixer. This bread is usually mixed with cold water to allow mixing until silky and smooth. The turns somehow make up for that. This is one of two breads that I bother to bake at home. What do they say about the Cobbler's children not having any shoes?

Answer 7

Here are several recipies I selected from my cook books I have written. They are tried and true not just cut and paste recipes. my family loves my home baked bread vs. store bought! Good Luck and have FUN!!!

Sourdough Parmesan Rolls

1 Tbs. yeast (1 packet)
¼ cup sugar
1 cup tepid water (100°)
1 cup sourdough starter
1 Tbs. dried minced onion
1 cube butter, room temperature ( ½ cup)
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. onion salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
5 to 6 cups flour
1/3 cup powdered milk, or non-flavored coffee creamer
1 cube butter, melted ( ½ cup)
¼ cup fresh chives, minced
¼ cup green onions, minced
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

In a large bowl, mix yeast, sugar and1/4 cup tepid water, stir to dissolve yeast, cover and let rest 20 minutes to activate yeast. In a small separate bowl combine remaining water and dried onion to rehydrate. When yeast is foamy, add onions and water, starter, kosher salt and onion salt, soft butter and eggs; mix well. In another bowl combine powdered milk and 2 cups flour. Add flour mixture to batter and stir well; add 1 cup flour at a time until a soft workable dough is obtained. Cover, and place in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch dough down and shape into rolls. Dip each roll into melted butter then dip in green onions and chives together, then dip in parmesan cheese. Place rolls in a 14” Dutch oven toppings on top. Cover oven and set in a warm place until rolls are doubled in size. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350°; 9 coals under and 17 on top. Serves 8 to 12


Garlic and Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

2 c. flour
¾ tsp. salt
¼ c. + 1Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 Tbs. dried minced garlic
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 c. buttermilk

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl, and cut in
butter. Add buttermilk and gently mix until moist. Add cheese and knead a few times on a floured surface to incorporate cheese into dough.
With your hands, flatten dough out to 1” thick. Cut biscuits
with an empty soup can, ends removed, or a cup. Arrange in the bottom of a greased, preheated 12” Dutch oven. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at about 350o or until you can smell them.


Dave’s Sourdough Beer Bread

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sourdough starter, room temperature
3 Tbs. honey, or sugar if honey is not handy, can substitute same amount of Splenda®
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup warm beer, the darker the more flavor
½ cup butter, melted
1 tsp. granulated garlic, optional

Add the honey or sugar to the sourdough starter, set aside for 30 minutes. In a medium bowl combine flours, soda, powder, and salt, stir well to incorporate well. Add sourdough starter and beer. Stir until just moistened. Pour dough into a greased 10” deep Dutch oven. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Add garlic to melted butter if you like then pour over the dough at the end of the 10 minutes. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest 10 more minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Let cool
completely before serving.
Serves 6 to 8

Rosemary French Bread
David Herzog

5 c. flour
1 ½ c. tepid water (115o)
2 pkg. dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
½ c. sugar
¾ c. sourdough starter (3 oz.)
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 Tbs. rosemary

In a bowl add; tepid water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix to
dissolve yeast. In a warm, draft free place, proof mix for 20 minutes. Add starter and oil; mix well.
Add 3 c. flour and rosemary, mix well. Then slowly mix in
remaining flour until dough does not stick to the bowl. Place
dough in a greased bowl, cover, until doubled. (1 hour) Punch down and form into two equal sized balls. Place balls into 2
greased 10” Dutch ovens, let rise until doubled.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes until done. Rotate oven ¼ turn every 5 to 7 minutes. Internal temperature should be 190o when done. Remove from ovens, let cool 30 minutes before serving.
Try dusting ovens with corn meal for added texture and
flavor. (it helps keep from sticking too)