In all my research about food and what is better for our bodies, I have decided to do better in the places that could make big impacts quickly. I started with our grains. I am not quite to milling my own flour, but it is something I am eyeing, but I have quit using cheap, overprocessed flour. I have also been practicing bread making. My hope is to stop buying bread completely. A couple of hurdles cropped up quickly. If you plan to be the supplier of bread for your family…..you have to make the bread. One loaf periodically will not keep my family “bread ready”. Fortunately bread dough can be made and frozen ahead. This brings up quality of bread. Baking it, then freezing was met with a big ol “negative”. It became kind of crumbly. The answer is freeze the bread in a bread pan after the first rise. Then you take it out, let it thaw and rise in the fridge, then bake.

To sourdough or not to sourdough, it was an actual question. But, alas the answer was easier than you might think. I don’t particularly like sourdough. Add to that the fact that I have killed so many starters I probably have a warrant out from the sourdough authorities, (they probably don’t exist), the not making sourdough was a pretty easy decision. I will be your bread person, biscuit person, cinnamon roll person…but not your sourdough person. I know the argument for it, but I think that same argument can be answered with using better quality flour.

Over the course of time, I will be recommending various kitchen gadgets and appliances that I consider must haves for superior functionality. Today I will be recommending a stand mixer with a bread hook. Yep, they are pricey, but totally, 100% worth it. I have 2 Kitchen-aid and two Kenwood mixers. The Kenwood blows the Kitchen-aid out of the water. Whatever you get, invest in a good one with a large motor and large capacity bowl. A stand mixer means you are basically dumping and mixing, no kneading required. Also, a kitchen thermometer. You will need to have your water or milk the correct temp or the yeast will not bloom correctly.

I will include my basic bread recipe in this post. It makes two average sized loaves. I haven’t tried adding any herbs or cheeses to the wet mix yet, but I’ll keep you posted. This bread also makes great French toast and Italian toasted bread. Its a great density for dipping in seasoned oil as well. So make your bread, It’s a great place to begin in 2026!!

Basic Sandwich Bread:

. 2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees) 1 Tablespoon Dry Active Yeast 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 5 1/2 cups Bread Flour I use King Arthur

In the bowl of a stand mixer add the yeast, water, and a teaspoon of the sugar. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes until foaming and bubbly (this is called proofing). Add remaining sugar, salt, oil and half of the flour. Mix to combine. Add remaining flour and mix until the dough pulls from the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, place in a slightly warm area and allow the dough to rise around 1 1/2 hours. This is the first rise. After this, split the dough into two 9×5 bread pans coated with cooking spray. The dough can be frozen at this point. If baking, allow dough to rise again. Preheat oven to 375 degrees then bake until top is golden brown. Be sure to place in the middle of the oven, with no oven rack near the top. Allow bread to cool slightly before slicing