Bread for a Week

I have always loved homemade bread. One of my earliest memories is of being in my grandmother's kitchen while she made her bread. I've been baking bread for a few years now, usually one loaf at a time as an experiment, but with the way we go through it, I knew I had to find a way to keep fresh bread on hand all the time. The answer was in my freezer! By making enough dough for 5 loaves and only baking one at a time, I could do all the work on one day, and only have to actually bake the bread when I wanted it.

I used a variation from Paula's Bread recipe for 5 loaves which can be found here. It's super simple, and with some upper body strength and an over eager 3 year old helper, you can do it without a mixer - like I did.

Here's what you need:

Supplies:

• Heavy mixing spoon
• Measuring spoons/cup
• LARGE mixing bowl (I used a 5.5qt pyrex and just barely made it)
• Knife
• Bread/Pizza stone (preferred), bread pan, or baking sheet

Ingredients:

• 5.5c warm water
• 3Tbsp active dry yeast
• 2/3c Honey
• 2/3c oil
• 2Tbsp Salt
• 15c Whole Wheat Flour (more or less - see instructions)

How to:

• Mix yeast and water in your mixing bowl until all is dissolved and yeast begins to foam. If it doesn't foam, you have one of two problems - the yeast is dead, or the temperature is off (too hot/cold). Sometimes it takes a bit so give it a good five minutes to foam up.
• Once your yeast has activate, mix in the honey, oil and salt. It won't blend completely, but give it a good stir.
• Slowly, one cup at a time, add your flour while mixing. Use your spoon to start, but as you get to  about 8 cups, it may be helpful to have someone else add while you just dig in with your hands. I actually managed to knead one handed while adding flour - don't ask me how, it'll probably never happen again. 
• Knead and add flour until your have a slightly tacky, stretchy dough ball. For me, this was right at 15 c, although some did get left in the bowl and around 8 minutes of kneading. My arms would like to request the day off tomorrow.
• Divide your dough into 5 sections. The easiest way for me to do this was to shape it into a flat round and think of the points on a star. Press a line from that point to the center of the round, and the impression will stay for a bit - long enough for you to make first cuts.

I like to shape my dough into loaves before freezing, but you could theoretically wrap it and freeze it now... I also like to braid my loaves, so the following has instructions for that, other wise, place it in bread pans to bake.

• Take a section of dough and shape it into a long flat loaf - about 1/2" thick and 3" wide. You can round off the edges if you'd like, or square them.
• Using a sharp knife (I used a paring knife), about 1/2" from the top edge, so they're still attached, cut your dough lengthwise into 3 - 1" strips. Braid these strips till you reach the end, then pinch them together and turn them under.
• Double wrap loaves you don't plan to bake right away in Saran and Foil. Freeze.
• Allow bread you plan to bake immediately to rise for about 40 minutes, lightly covered by a towel.

Two loaves, after braiding, but before rising.

When it comes time to bake remove frozen bread from freezer, unwrap, and allow to thaw completely in a warm (not hot or cold!) area. 

• Preheat your oven (with your bread stone, if you have one - I use a pizza stone!) to 350 degrees. 
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Check for doneness by holding the loaf upside down and thumping on the bottom. If it sounds like you're knocking on a hollow tree (or drywall) it's done. 
• Apparently you can use a thermometer to check doneness as well - 190 degrees is done - but I've never actually used that method, so try it if you want to - let me know how it works for you!

Voila! Enjoy!

This was a hit with everyone in the family. Peanut butter, jelly, butter, or just plain - everyone loved it. The best part? It took me a few hours this morning, and I still have 4.5 loaves left. And it barely cost anything at all... Gotta love that part.

$3 Chalkboard

Lately I have been doing a bunch of stuff to try and organize my life and my house as I've realized having chidren requires organization. I may even get a second diaper bag as was recomended to me so that one is always ready to go. Anyway, back to the chalkboard. I took an old picture frame that bought for $1 from a yard sale. I cut out a piece of thin wood that slid in the back where the picture would go and put the back back on the frame. I got a small bottle of chalkboard paint a Michaels and with my 40% off coupon it was only about $2. It took the whole bottle because I forgot to prime the wood firt. SO, remember use primer first on the wood or the wood will absorb the paint too much. Make sure you change directions each time yo put a new coat of paint on. I sanded it also between layers so that it ended up being nice and flat versus streaky from the bristles. Let it sit 24 hours before you use it. Then use loose chalk dust and rub it all over the surface to prime the chalkboard. Use a wet cloth to clean it.

DIY Word Magnets

I got some sheets of printable magnet paper on clearance fort $5 at the craft store. I typed up a bunch of words to fill the page. I picked words that I felt would be good for leaving messages for my husband and keep us organided related to shopping lists, travel, and work plans. Then I just printed it out on the paper like normal printer paper and cut them apart.

Tilapia

Today my husband came home from work complaining about feeling overweight. He said we eat crappy food and asked for something healthy for dinner. I made Tilapia with broccoli, corn and rice. To make it even healthier use brown rice. I marinated the Tilapia in a vinegrette made of oil, lemon juice, spicy brown mustard and fresh garlic. It only needs to marinate for half an hour because the Tilapia is good at absorbing  flavors being as it is such a mild flavor itself. Also I cooked it in the marinade and used it as a sauce over the rice. I used light oil and s& p on the corn and broccoli. It was fast, easy, fresh and healthy. And I told my husband its not that WE eat unhealthy foods. Its that HE eats snacks and candy all day. Don't lump me in that statement!  :-)