Thread: Homemade Bread: Cheap, Delicious, Healthy, and Easier Than Y

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Homemade Bread: Cheap, Delicious, Healthy, and Easier Than You Think

310 comments
November 4, 2007 @ 3:00 pm - Written by Trent

Over the last year, I’ve gradually moved more and more towards making my own food at home. There are several reasons for this: it tastes better, it reduces preservative intake, it’s more nutritious, and it’s often substantially cheaper than what you find in the store. It does take time, but once you get used to it, most food preparation doesn’t take much more time than going to the store, buying it, taking it home, popping it out of the package, and following the directions.

Breadmaking is a prime example of this phenomenon. Homemade bread is substantially tastier than store-purchased bread, isn’t laden with preservatives, is very inexpensive to make, and doesn’t take all that much time, either.

The Problems With Industrial Bread

Most people in the United States today view the bread purchased at the supermarket as what bread should be. The actual truth is that the bread you buy in the supermarket has the texture and substance that it has for one reason and one reason alone: so that it can be made on an industrial scale and not grow “oldâ€

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The brand of Flour makes a difference. It has to do with the gluten content. Buy King Arthur Flour, it is commonly found at grocery stores.

Also, when making bread, there is a difference between Margerine and Butter. Margrine contains water, butter contains fat. Water and fat act differently during baking.

Lastly, don't over work your dough. It's not playdough and doens't need to be handled too much. Over working makes the bread tough and flat.

Also, you don't have to have a $200 mixer with dough hooks. Granny used a wooden spoon and did just fine without them.

Dixie

thanks Dixie ... I am a guy and I need all the help I can get.

Thank you for the bread recipe AirborneSapper7 . I love to bake! In fact, for Christmas I didn't buy any gifts, Igave eveyone on my list assorted homemade cookies and breads. Of course, I started baking a few monthes before Christmas. I think people appreciate that you have made the baked goods with love!

Ironically, I make a lot of goodies using Sugar, Butter and corn starch and whole milk, regular eggs and chocolate chips, and fattening cremes, etc. to suit most people's taste. But for myself and my family, I made things like something I call "health cookies", using bran, flax seeds, oatmeal, raisins, stevia ( that's a natural fruit sugar) and/or agave (another sweetner). Throw in some organic eggs, and banana's that have ripened, and/or pecans or walnuts and water to keep it moist. Sometimes I add other things like soy milk and/or prune's, and/or fresh apple slices, and/or cocunut, and/or fresh cranberry's, shredded carrots, just to make it interesting. I prefer making things from scratch and not packaged. And I don't measure things I know from baking so much what seems to taste the best. After the mix is completed, I put it in a pre-heated over at 375 for 20 minutes. Delicious, easy and healthy!
It is a nice healthy treat for give kids/others that have a sweet tooth but don't want the calories!

This is a great post! Thanks for the info AND the wonderfully clear photos! When I was little....a looong time ago, I remember my mother always making our bread. It was quite a luxury when we finally started having bread and milk delivered to our house, but through the years, that original store bought, or bakery brought bread became bastardized with chemicals and preservatives and a slew of other ingredients that are very questionable and I doubt anyone knows what they're really for.

We should start a forum for members to share homemade goodies and food staples that can be made with basic healthy ingredients.

Again, Thank you for a helpful post.

I taught myself to make bread. Just follow the directions, literally. Baking is not cooking. Baking is a science and the right amounts of moisture, dry content, eggs, oil, temp... are critical to sucess. Don't stray from the path or you will fail or get a supprise.

I put too much baking soda or mixed up baking powder with baking soda (can't remember) in something once and it grew out of the pan during cooking. Self Rising Flour can get you too.



Been there, done that...

Dixie

Thanks so much for posting this. For anyone out there interested in a more self sustainable life, I have two suggestions:

The Self Sustainable Life and How to Live It-The Complete Back to Basics Guide by John Seymour. This is a fascinating book that tells you everything about growing your own groceries on an acre or less to how to raise rabbits for food and everything in between. Absolutely fascinating with some great illustrations.

Another is Mother Earth News - a magazine, or go to www.motherearthnews.com

for more articles like the one above....

Got one with just a spoon and no expensive mixer and all....an alternative for real poor mans cooking? Do you realize the contents cost more than some are left to work with? Or what the lousy bread costs at the store or day old bread store? I have FINALLY gotten to where I have those things on hand.......there was many years where good bread ment you didn't have anything else for the rest of the week. I love these ideas but remember, really poor people don't have a delux kitchenaid blender or pressure cooker or all the extras to work with. Pretend you're in a tent with a campfire and give me those ideas.

The Self Sustainable Life and How to Live It-The Complete Back to Basics Guide by John Seymour. This is a fascinating book that tells you everything about growing your own groceries on an acre or less to how to raise rabbits for food and everything in between. Absolutely fascinating with some great illustrations.

What's your options where that isn't legal? These are wonderful ideas IF you already have it and HAD the money to have all these things.......tell me what to do and how wonderful it is when all those extra aren't an option.