Classic Homemade Bread Recipes You’ll Love

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PHOTO: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF
 From left to right: Images from the recipes of basic bread, honey wheat bread and onion bread. 

Basic Bread

(Makes two loaves)

2 packages of active dry yeast
2 tablespoons of salt
7 cups of unsifted, unbleached white flour
2 1/4 cups of milk
1/2 cup of honey
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 stick of margarine
1/4 cup of peanut oil

Combine the yeast and salt with two cups of flour in a large mixing bowl. Heat the milk, honey, eggs, margarine, and oil together in a saucepan until the margarine has melted.  Then add the warm (but not hot) blend to the bowl containing the yeast, salt, and flour. Beat until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed (30 seconds at low speed and three minutes at medium, if you’re using an electric mixer). By hand, stir in enough extra flour (approximately five cups) to form a soft dough. Knead the dough on a floured breadboard until a satiny finish has developed (about one minute), then place the big ball in a greased bowl, cover, and set in a warm (about 110° F) spot. When the dough has risen to double its original size (about 45 minutes), punch it down and knead it for five minutes. Afterwards, divide the sponge in half, shape it Into two loaves, and place them in buttered or greased pans. (Vegetable oil is not recommended, as it will cause the finished bread to stick to the pan.) Cover the loaves with a dish towel, set them in a warm place to rise, and–when they’ve doubled in size–bake them In a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes or until they’ve turned deep brown in color and sound hollow when lightly tapped. (HIGH ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: At 5,000-foot elevation, bake this bread in a 375° oven for 35 to 40 minutes.)

Honey Wheat Bread

  • Published on Jan 1, 1977
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