Mama’s Are Baking Bread And Might Never Go Back to Store Bought

Moms all over the world have started to baking bread – partially because they’re home and partially because there’s limits to how much bread you can buy or there’s simply none to be had.

I have to admit that I jumped on this bandwagon early and went to the local Amish store to stock up on yeast and nearly 40lbs of whole wheat and white flour back in February. We baked our first loaf that same week.

My first loaf didn’t completely go as planned. It was my first time using yeast and I didn’t realize that you had to rise for different times based on the type of yeast you had. As you can see, it ended up a little crisp, but the kids loved it and it was gone in minutes. Literally.

Baking Bread Isn’t Really All That Hard

You might remember a few years ago there was a rush to buy bread machines and people, for a while, make a lot of bread at home. The trend quickly died off (but I am sure bread machines will make a comeback soon!).

As soon as the pandemic hit the US, videos and tutorials from those few who have been doing it before now started to be reposted. New bread bakers were posting what worked for them. One of my friends recommended School of Traditional Skills, which seems more appealing now than ever.

You really can make due with what you have, but I do recommend that you grab these things if you don’t have them (the stand mixer is legit the last thing you need and you can ABSOLUTELY make bread without it).

• A good flour
• A few mixing bowls
• Spatulas
• Yeast
• Parchment Paper
• A dutch oven and/or bread loaf pan
• A mixer

My first bread came from this no knead recipe from Jenny Can Cook.

But, I really, really love Mary’s Nest – mostly because she smiles nonstop and her recipes seem simple.

If you’re not a video person, here’s a step by step guide to baking bread in a dutch oven.

You can make various types, including sourdough with just a taps in the Google search engine.

There’s a good chance your kiddos will love your new homemade bread and will never want you to buy it again.

What is The Number One Reason Mom’s Might Not Buy Store-Bought Again?

Kids. Seriously. Kids are LOVING that mom is making bread. It’s fresh and delicious, makes the house smell great and there are SO many recipes to try! Let’s add that getting to help mom make the bread is a lot of fun and memories of being in the kitchen are among the best!

Each of my kids has asked to take turns making bread. They love the excitement of lifting the towel to see how well it rose. I am sure that the next thing on our list of things to make will be either bagels or donuts.

Side note: If you haven’t seen Jennifer Garner’s bagel video on FB, you need to watch it. It really made me love her even more when she started reading to them. For fun, I have embedded it here:

Homemade bagels = ❤️.You win some, you lose some. I squeaked out a W today. 🤗🏆👵🏼Base recipe by Mel's Kitchen Cafe, water bath brought to us by Rose Levy Beranbaum.Ingredients:- 1/2 cup unbleached bread flour- 1/4 cup cool water- pinch of instant yeast- 4 cups unbleached bread flour- 1 1/4 cups cool water- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast- water to fill a 10” diameter pan about 1” deep- 2 tablespoons molasses- 1 teaspoon baking sodaInstructions:1. Combine the starter ingredients in a medium bowl, cover, let rest at room temperature overnight.2. Next day, combine the puffy starter 💁🏻‍♀️ with all of the dough ingredients and knead – by hand, electric mixer, or bread machine – to form a stiff but not dry dough. Since we’re using a high-protein bread flour here, you might notice it takes a bit more effort and time to develop the gluten. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set aside to rise for an hour. Gently deflate the dough, and let it rise for another 30 minutes.3. Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth, round ball. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and let them rest for 30 minutes. They’ll puff up very slightly.4. While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by heating the water to a very gentle boil in a wide-diameter pan. Add the molasses and baking soda. Stir.5. Use your index finger to poke a hole through the center of each dough ball, then twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole till it’s about 2 inches in diameter. Place each bagel on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.6. Transfer the bagels, four at a time if possible, to the simmering water. Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gentled simmering boil, if necessary. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over, and cook 1 minute more. Using a skimmer or strainer, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bagels.7. Bake the bagels for about 25 minutes, or until they’re as deep brown as you like. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a rack.

Posted by Jennifer Garner on Friday, May 10, 2019

You Can Make Your Own Butter Too

If you’re like the rest of us, butter is hard to come by too. These kiddos worked out some energy by helping their mama make some butter in a mason jar.

We would love to see what your bread looks like. Be sure to tag us on IG @MamaHuman so we can check out what you’re up to.