Photo by Adactio
Nothing is as comforting, warming and filling as the smell and taste of freshly baked bread.
The benefits of homemade bread extend beyond the palette, however. Without the preservatives, extra sugar and super-refined ingredients, homemade bread is usually much healthier than store-bought alternatives.
In addition to being tastier and better for you, homemade bread items can be far less expensive. Don't let the fear of spending hours kneading, shaping and waiting keep you from taking the plunge into bread making. The following tips can make inexpensive, healthy, homemade bread easy for anyone!
Forget the kneading- Unless you have a bread maker, kneading is usually the worst part of making bread (although I do enjoy it at times). The following recipes require no-kneading at all. Instead they rely on time to do the work. Because they require far less yeast than traditional recipes, they can be made for around $1.00 a loaf.
- Lahey's No-Knead bread- I've made this several times, and each time it has turned out delicious. It has no milk, so it is closest in taste and texture to a crusty French bread.
- SmarterFitter's Four-Seed No-Knead bread- A crunchy seed coating makes this no-knead bread an excellent alternative to the plain white. I've tried it with just poppy and sesame seeds and loved it.
- Rebecca's Pocket offers whole-wheat, pumpernickel and rye no-knead recipes. I have not tried them yet, but am planning to make some of the whole-wheat later this week.
Batch and Bag it-Homemade bread items do not stay fresh for long because they do not contain any preservatives. But this doesn't mean that you have to bake bread every 3-4 days in order to always have fresh bread on hand. Do what I do and make your dough in bulk and freeze it. I especially like to make pizza doughs and tortillas in bulk and freeze them for easy access later. Doughs can be frozen for up to one month.
- Baking911 gives these tips for freezing and thawing bread (or other) doughs. Be sure to follow the instructions for your type of yeast and do not let your dough over rise in the first rise.
Jazz it up- Basic homemade white bread with real butter is one of life's simple pleasures. But there are so many amazing artisan and specialty breads just waiting to impress your friends and family.
Once you have the basic bread-making techniques down, try some of these delectable breads.
- The Fresh Loaf has an astounding array of artisan and specialty bread recipes along with an extensive list of articles for bread-making novices.
- Artisanbreadbaking.com has a smaller, but more easily navigated page of recipes and helpful links.
Beyond the Loaf- Almost any type of bread can be make at home cheaper and healthier than store-bought types. Tortillas, flat breads, pizzas, muffins and bagels are just some of the bread products that can be easily made at home.
- I have been using this tortilla recipe for several years. We wouldn't go back to store-bought tortillas even if they were cheaper. These are chewy and absolutely delicious. I like to make them just a bit thicker than the store-bought kind.
- I love to add a bit of garlic and rosemary to this flat bread recipe and serve with chicken and tzatziki sauce.
- Bread101 has an extensive list of pizza dough, bagel and muffin recipes as well as other types of breads.
Buy in Bulk- Most bread products use a variation on the flour, yeast and liquid formula. By buying your flour and yeast in bulk, you can save even more per loaf.
- I visit a local Amish market where I can get yeast for an excellent price and high-quality bread flour for far less than the grocery store. Check your local stores to have a baseline price idea before visiting the bulk food stores in your area.
- Also, be sure to keep an eye out for baking goods coupons near the autumn and winter holidays. Last year, I was able to get 12 bags of Pillsbury flour for .49cents each with coupons (doubled).
Do you have any favorite bread recipes? Come on over to the Blissfully Domestic Forum and share them.
Jenni can be found blogging at Just Chicken Feed.
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I love baking bread. The book "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes" is a pretty fun resource!
I tried making tortillas once and they were a disaster. That recipe sounds pretty good though, maybe I'll have to give it another attempt!
Thank for the link! GREAT post – and thank you for the link to flour tortillas. I've been experimenting with making my own for a while but never with milk. I'm going to give this a go, especially after reading this on Homesick Texan's blog, which uses the same recipe:
"Purists may sniff at the recipe and argue that leaven and lack of lard make these inauthentic. Perhaps. But remember, we’re talking Tex-Mex. And in Texas, if you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating flour tortillas hot off the griddle at a restaurant, or bought the fresh ones made by local tortillerias sold at the grocery store, then you will agree: these are the real deal. Oh yes, these are Texas flour tortillas, indeed!"
Having lived in Texas, I know what she's talking about. =)