Introduction: Bread Made With Homemade Apple Yeast

About: I'm one of the people who a member of the AV club, and radio club, and was a geek long before it was a good thing to be. Played D&D until the group I was in moved on (local hospital most of them worked at clos…
Here's the first of my uses of my homemade apple yeast, go to my profile here for the link to that instructable, and check that out, and vote for me in the baking contest before New Year's Eve.
This one I use both the homemade yeast, but when I get some of my cider made, I am going to try a loaf with just the cider and apple yeast. Keep a watch for that.
I'll be adding some pictures of the final product tomorrow after it raises and I bake it.

Step 1: Ingredients and Tools

I use
2 cups of self rising flour
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of yeast
1/2 cup of homemade apple yeast
1 cup of warm water

various measuring cups, and spoons
a mixing bowl
a bread pan
chopsticks or other utensil to mix it
a rubber spatula

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

I measured the dry ingredients, the flours, the salt, the dry yeast, and put them into the bowl. Using a set of chop sticks, but any spoon, or spatula would work, I mixed the dry ingredients together

Step 3: Add the Liquids

I made a small well in the dry ingredients and first put in the half cup of apple yeast, mixed a bit, then added the water.
I mixed it first with the chopsticks, then used the spatula to get the dry flour that laid at the bottom of the mix.
I then got my hands damp, and folded the dough onto itself letting the added moisture grab the last of the flour and combine it with the dough.

Step 4: Cover and Wait

I took a clean dish towel and got it damp with warm water, covering the dough with the dish cloth I placed it in a warm spot.
I am going to let it set over night, and will probably make it after lunch time tomorrow, so giving it 16 to 18 hours to rise.

Step 5: 2nd Rising of the Bread

Well after a good night of whatever, about 18 hours, with the half teaspoon of yeast and the homemade yeast, instead of a whole pack of dry yeast, it is more of a slow rise and allows nature to do the work that kneading the dough normally does.
The dough has doubled in size and it's time for the stretch run.

Step 6: Into the Pan

Remove the dough from the bowl, and place it on a floured board.
Fold it over itself 2 times, once top to bottom once left to right.
Prepare the pan, I put some baking paper in the pan, and sprayed the pan with baking oil spray.
Stretch the dough to fit the pan and place it in, it doesn't have to be touching each side and end as it will expand to fill the space.
Use a knife or kitchen shears, and cut some slits in the top to allow the dough to rise.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth, and set it in a warm spot to rest for an hour.

A little secret, especially for those who have never had the stove top open to clean, or even just look in, usually the right rear burner has an opening from the oven, I like to set the oven to the warm setting and place the dough over this burner.

Step 7: Into the Oven

After the hour of rising, and 10 to 15 minutes for the oven to preheat, I place the bread into the overn.
If you like soft crust on your bread, cover the pan and bake for half an hour, taking off the cover and letting it bake another 3 to 5 minutes to get brown.
If you like harder more artisan style crust, either leave it uncovered, or only cover the bread for 15 to 20 minutes and then remove the cover and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes to let the crust brown and get crunchy.
I'm going for the softer crust this time, so I can use it better for some sandwiches. I did the other way last time, and it was great with soup and stew, or hot with butter for a hearty meal.

Step 8: Hot Bread From the Oven

Thirty minutes later, I take the bread out and check the color. This time it is still a little light, which I expected. I remove the foil and put the bread back in the oven for 5 minutes.
Now with a nice brown color, and with a nice crust it's ready.
I cut to end slice off the bread and check out the soft inside, nice rise with soft inside.
Slice it up, add some butter, jam or jelly, honey, or whatever you like on bread, and enjoy.

I still have some of my last batch so I let this cool a little, wrap it in a towel (used paper this time) and into a gallon zip lock bag.

If I made a larger batch with more loaves, I could freeze it at this time, not hot but not totally cool. When ready to use, I take it out and let it warm to room temperature for an hour or so, then 15 to 20 minutes in a warm oven, crisps up the crust and gives it that nice warmth you want.