Here’s a super easy bread recipe that has lots of raving reviews – Amish White Bread

Here’s 30 homemade bread making tips…

Homemade breads have been formulated by families for hundreds of years… now’s your chance to finally whip out your own recipe.

1. Use high quality ingredients for better flavor.

2. Whole wheat flour will need one-half cup less flour compared to white flour.

3. When making Italian bread, substitute salt with garlic salt. Add the Italian seasonings like rosemary and oregano before you begin to stir.

4. Double the recipe to make two loaves of bread; you can freeze the extra one.

5. Have fun and experiment with different ingredients.

6. Add condiments and other sweeteners to make special kinds of homemade bread.

7. When you use shortening, oils or real butter, the bread will have more flavor. (Margarine or whipped butter is not recommended because of added water content)

8. If you want the bread crust to be crisp and chewy, spray a little water on the dough during the baking process. If you want the bread crust to be soft, brush milk on the dough before baking it. You can also use butter to make a softer crust.

9. Put the flour lightly in a measuring cup using a spoon. Level off the capacity with a knife to rid of any access. The flour should not be packed in.

10. For superb accuracy, use a digital kitchen scale to weigh the flour.

11. Use bakeware pieces that are heavy in weight. Heavy pieces will help your bread bake evenly and the bakeware will last longer.

12. The quality of your homemade bread will improve if you use yeast that has improvers instead of the plain yeast.

13.  Kneading dough is an important part of the bread making process that should not be overlooked. Do it for at least ten minutes until the dough is springy.

14.  If there are bubbles of gas that are trapped inside of the dough, the bread will be light and fluffy. These bubbles come when the bread is rising. When the dough rises for the first time, allow it to double up. Only punch it down afterwards. It will double again after it has been shaped.

15.  When you bake the bread, use a pan of hot water and place it on the bottom rack. This will help the crust to take shape. You will know it is ready if the crust is hollow when you tap it.

16.  For easiest slicing, allow bread to cool for a few hours first. (Your crust will tear if you try to slice it while it’s hot.)

17.  Water is an important factor when you are making your bread. The temperature should be 98 degrees Fahrenheit. It cannot be too hot or too cold. It’s better if you use a thermometer so you will get it at the right point.

18.  When the dough has doubled in size, it is ready to cook. You will know this by pressing your finger on the dough to make a dent. If the dent does not disappear, then it’s ready to cook.

19. Dried yeast is better and easier to use when you are making bread.

20. The fresher the ingredients are, the better the bread will turn out.

21. The ingredients should be at room temperature when you use them in order to get the best results for your homemade bread.

22. If you are using more than one baking pan, keep them several inches apart from each other on the oven rack.

23. You can keep leftover dough to freeze and shape at a later time.

24. You can keep leftover dough in the freezer for about a month. When you are thawing it, put it in the refrigerator and let it sit overnight. Take it out the next day and unwrap part of it. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature.

25. For best results, place the dough that you are freezing in aluminum foil or a plastic bag.

26. Since there are no preservatives in homemade bread, the loaves should be frozen within three days and used within the next few months.

27. Bread can be reheated in an conventional oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. A whole loaf can be wrapped in aluminum foil. Or it can be unwrapped while the oven is preheating for no more than 20 minutes. Slice bread and rolls should be wrapped prior to reheating.

28. The microwave can also be used to reheat breads. It only takes about 15 – 20 seconds to reheat bread, whether wrapped or not. If it stays in past that time, your bread will be chewy and hard. Then you will not be able to eat it.

29. You can use dried herbs to give the bread a flavor. However, you should only use about a third of what you would use if they were fresh herbs.

30. Plan a bread making day at the beginning of the week to have plenty of bread to use at hand during the week.  This saves money and is a healtier option.  And don’t forget, homemade bread makes a perfect gift!

In many households the kitchen is really the heart of the home. You definitely want to make this room a relaxing family space but also practical to make family meal times and cooking as stress free as possible.

Here’s a few kitchen organizing tips to help get you started:

Organize Your Work Stations: To make cooking easier you want to make sure you have everything you need close at hand.  Designate an area for preparing the meals. It’s good to keep your spices and seasonings close to this area. You’ll also want to have chopping boards, knives and mixing spoons close at hand. Have another area planned for serving and keeping all your dishes, serving spoons, place mats and utensils.

By incorporating work stations into your kitchen and keeping everything you need near each work station, you’ll save a lot of time.

Organize Your Fridge: Clean out your fridge and organize things in categories to make finding them easier when you’re in a rush. It’s a good idea to keep all your dairy products together. Place cold cuts in tightly sealed plastic containers and label them. This will keep them fresh and also make it easier to find. You can do the same thing with cheese and left over foods.

Separate your fruit and salad items from your other vegetables so that you can find them easier. Often times you’ll forget you have those tomatoes in the back drawer and end up buying more. By keeping things organized you’ll waste and spend less.

*Read my post: What’s in the Back of Your Fridge?

Organize Your Pantry: Arrange your pantry or cupboards according to foods. For example: keep all your canned goods in one place and cereal in another. Keep items you use the most within easy reach and put away those appliances you never seem to use. They’re just taking up your counter space!

Plan Your Meals: This is by far the easiest way to organize your meal times. Take a few minutes and write out a meal plan and shopping list for the upcoming week. Buy everything in advance and stock up on items you use regularly and have a long shelf life. Then stick your menu on your fridge, glance at it each morning and plan ahead. Thaw any meat that needs thawing or chop and add your items to your crock pot.

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