Witchcraft. Bread making. The words were once synonymous to me, and might still be for you.

I'd like to change that.

I don't think ill ever have a handle on brewing potions or casting spells, but today I'd like to help you make an easy bread recipe.

It has some waiting time, but it's worth it because the dough keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks! oven-fresh bread every day!

Lets get started!

Supplies

Ingredients:

6 cups of flour
3 cups lukewarm water
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp salt
a pinch of sugar

Optional:

melted butter
cinnamon
sugar
cheese
any toppings or mix-ins you might want

Step 1: Time to Wake Up...

Our yeast that is!

Our active dry yeast is living, but dormant, so we need to wake it up with some food.

To do this we need 3 cups of lukewarm water. too cold and the yeast will be very slow to wake up, too warm and it dies. The ideal temperature is somewhere around 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit. 130 degrees will kill the yeast.

Next we add our tablespoon of yeast, a pinch of sugar to feed it, and give it a quick gentle stir

Now we have to give it some time, around 10 minutes to 'Bloom' it should froth and foam up just a little bit.

Step 2: Give It Some Elbow Grease!

Now we add our six cups of flour, and 2 tablespoons salt.

We can begin to stir with a spoon or rubber spatula, but if it's going slow, use your hands (add flour or spray with cooking oil to keep it from sticking)!

This bread doesn't need kneading, just mix until all of the flour is incorporated and you have a sticky doughy mess.

Then, cover with a warm wet towel or a loose lid.

DO NOT SEAL IT

Yeast creates carbon dioxide when it eats the sugars in bread. This makes it very fluffy, but it also makes it expand. if you don't leave ventilation it will pressurize

Step 3: The Rest of the Steps....

Okay, so this is the long step. Don't get discouraged! We are getting closer to fresh bread by the minute!

Start by putting flour on your hands, your work surface, and the dough. It's going to be very sticky.

I'm making two rolled loaves with my dough, but if you want a round loaf or dinner rolls, I suggest ignoring me, googling how to form a boule (a lovely round loaf shape), letting your loaf rest for 40 minutes on a well-oiled pan, and then moving onto the next step. everything below is optional.

We are going to divide our dough into 2 sections and roll both of them out to about a quarter of an inch thick.

This might take time, as the dough is very stubborn here.

when they are the right thickness, we will add our optional toppings. To one we add cinnamon sugar and butter, and to the other, cheese. We then roll both loaves up and set them in well-oiled pans to rest for 40 minutes.

Step 4: Actually Baking the Bread

We have braved dough making and loaf forming, but now its time for the tricky part.

Baking this recipe is guesswork.

I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but I didn't want to scare you off.

I promise its not as bad as it sounds.

Put your loaf into a 450 degree preheated oven.

If you are making something small, like rolls, check it after 10 to 15 minutes; for a bigger loaf like mine, wait 25 to 30 minutes.

We will check for doneness by lifting the edge of the loaf with a spatula and checking the bottom. If its bottom is golden brown, and the bread doesn't dent if you poke it with a spatula is done. If not check it again every 3 to 5 minutes.

Try to wait for it to cool at least enough to not burn your fingers