My Bread and Butter

A few of my favorite things include:

-snuggling under a heated throw blanket

-cocoa that is not too hot yet not too cold

-daisies that grow taller then the summer grass

-when fall leaves first start changing

AND

-bread and butter

Better then just bread and butter, however, is homemade bread (and maybe someday homemade butter)! 

Growing up, my parents despised buying bread, too many chemicals they preached. At the time, I didn't think much of it. Unwrapping a sandwich at the lunch table that wasn't store bought bread was just plain embarrassing! Gosh, mom!

But years later, I've grown to appreciate the delicious smells seeping from my oven as I bake a loaf in my own oven. Since I've moved out from under my parental wings, I've started making the same bread. The following recipe, I'm sure, has an origin outside my knowledge, but this is the recipe my dad e-mailed me a few weeks ago. It is delicious and so easy to make! If you have a few hours and want a warm, wonderful smelling house, try this for yourself!!

Mmm! Flaz seeds, flour, sugar, yeast, etc! All the things you need!

Farmers Bread:

5 cups flour *

1/2 cup flax-seed meal

1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)

1/4 cup flax seeds(optional)

2 teaspoons salt

2 heaping tablespoons dried yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups warm water

*You can really use whatever flour mixture you'd like. My parents prefer 4 and 3/4 cups unbleached white flour with 1/4 cup Stone-Ground whole wheat flour but they advise to use what combination of flour suits your taste buds.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixer bowl (Using a Kitchen-Aid mixer is the ultimate way to use this recipe. The dough hook just makes the job so much easier!). Mix the liquids together and slowly add that to the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl. Let the dough hook do its thang until the mixture turns into a ball of dough. 

You'll want the dough to come clean off the sides of the bowl with nothing left in the bottom either. Too little water? Add some more! Too much water? Add some flour!

Turn out the dough onto a floured board. Knead with the palm of your hand for about 5 minutes. Return to the mixer bowl, cover, and let sit in a warm place until it's doubled in size. 

Once it's doubled in size, turn back out onto a board and knead some more. You want the dough to feel soft and elastic. From here, you have a few options: form the dough into one large loaf, cut into two smaller loaves or cut into rolls. 

My loaf resting in the kitchen...rise, baby, rise!

Once decided, place on an oiled baking sheet and let sit in a warm room until it's doubled in size. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 350-400 for 40-50 minutes (one large loaf), 35 minutes (two smaller loaves) or about 20 minutes (for rolls). The bread should be a nice brown color on top.

Want to mix it up?? Top the bread with corn meal! Add chopped olives and some rosemary to the dough for yummy olive bread!