Homemade Bread In A Bag

Last week we crafted bread with fantastic friends.  As a visual learner, I love seeing someone else craft something before recreating it.  Here is the simple bread recipe we followed with friends.

Bread In A Bag

1. Add ingredients into a gallon-size bag: One cup wheat flour, half cup warm water, 1 Tablespoon salt, 1 Tablespoon yeast.
2. Zip the top of the bag.
3. Mash it up for three minutes.
4. Sprinkle in some flour till not so sticky.
5. Let rise 30 minutes.
6. Add more flour, any crushed nuts or desired dry flavorings, and mix.
7. Spread on parchment.
8. Roll into a ball.
9. Slice the top.
10. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

This recipe definitely needs a bit of tinkering, such as on bake times and flour quantities.  We had a great time mixing, baking, and devouring our loaves of bread.  We compared texture, flavor, and coloring.  The results of our science experiment were scrumptious.  The next day we made a batch of this bread and Challah bread with garbanzo and rice flours, resulting in dry dense loaves.  I continue to check out Bob's Red Mill Baking Book from the library, though I have yet to make the time to open it in search of an alternative grain bread.  (I use alternative grains for my family to eat a variety of grains, and I become itchy and tired after eating additives often found in gluten products.)

In the meantime, we've given new life to a friend's old bread machine.  My alternative rice flour sourdough starter and Bob's Red Mill wheat flour together make a scrumptiously sour loaf.  My children choose nuts and fruits to add mid-cycle.  It's great fun to experiment with breads.

What is your favorite bread recipe?

What culinary crafts does your family adore?

Mixing the bread in bags

Letting dough rise outside in the sun

All that was left when I paused in my consumption to snap a photo