Daily Bread

It occurred to me that I have never posted by bread recipe. It's an odd thing considering I endeavor to make bread at least once a week. Bread is a true staple around here. I somehow manage to incorporate homemade dough into just about everything.



I learned to make bread from my grandmother, affectionately called Nanny. I suppose it's an old Newfoundland tradition brought over from Europe to call your grandmother Nanny. I can't tell you how many times someone has assumed when I said Nanny they thought I meant a care provider Nanny. I guess in these parts Nannies are reserved for well to do families, something we are certainly not. But I digress.

My Nanny is such a sweet woman. She has made it her life purpose to take care of people. The eldest of five children, she was a care provider at an early age. When she married she had one son, my father. Considering her maternal instinct is so strong, you would image she would have more children but like me (who also has a strong maternal instinct) that was not to be.

Much of my homemaking prowess is due to her tutelage. We bonded early on and she often remarks how I have surpassed her in some ways. The bread I make it very different from the bread she taught me to make but the principles remain the same. The way I knit is very different from the way she knits. The recipes I cook are often things she would never desire to learn. But that's not the point. She planted a seed in me and allowed it to flourish. She never scoffed at my efforts or discouraged my desire to learn more. She has supported my desire to stay home and seems to understand my need to make my home for a living.

Whenever I make bread, my hands wrist deep in flour and water, the sticky dough clinging to my fingers, I think of my Nanny and wish I could just drive across town to bring her a loaf. She lives two and a half hours a way now and we can no longer connect as readily as we used to. But the knowledge is still there and the connection will never fade.



White Bread

2 cups of warm water
3 tsp of dry active yeast

Place the above together in a bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix:

6 cups of flour
4 tbsp of margarine or butter
2 Tbsp of sugar
2 tsp of salt

Mix with hands while adding in water/yeast mixture. Make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl with your fingers to release all flour. Turn and knead until dough pulls together in a nice round mound. Knead for five minutes then place in the oven with light on.

Let rise for 30 minutes.

Knead again. Let rise in oven with light on again for 30 minutes.

Form into loaves. I make long baguette like loaves for my bread but you can also use bread pans as well. If you are making baguette loaves make sure to cut diagonal slits along the formed dough before the final rise.

Let rise once more in formed loaves then bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 20 minutes for baguettes, 30 minutes for bread pans. Let cool for 10 minutes...Enjoy!