Guest Post - Quick and Easy Homemade White Bread (Debbie Baker Taylor) {UPDATED}

Today's guest post is from a very special woman in my life...

My Precious Daughter, Debbie Jo...the one who made me a first time mother,
and my Favorite Daughter (OK, yes, she IS my only one=)

I continue to learn many things from Deb and thank God for all she means in my life. 
She is the one who insisted I begin blogging. And she's the 'tech support' when I need something done at my blog too! =) She's mommy to my 3 youngest and precious grandchildren and a very busy gal.  

She's the author of her own blog...
Finding Grace & Glory in a messy life and continues to inspire me in
more ways than she'll ever know. 

I am always excited when she tries a challenging recipe....like some may feel this one is. 

It's all yours Deb Jo...

I have been blogging since 2006.  I have always loved to read and write, and prefer to use purple ink and college ruled paper.  I am a busy wife & mom, and work part-time at a pregnancy center, educating women about relationship choices.  I  write passionately about abortion, adoption, natural living, and growing in my relationship with Christ.  I hate washing dishes and find myself on the "martha" side more than I would like.  But I am finding Grace and Glory in a Messy Life and enjoy every cup of coffee I can get!

Onto the recipe...

*There is NO baking powder in this recipe.  It was included in the directions,
but is NOT an ingredient.  Sorry about that!!!  Deb

Baking yeast bread is somewhat of a science.  It actually requires accurate measurement, fresh ingredients, and reliable tools.  Some people avoid yeast bread baking altogether because it seems harder than it has to be.  Or maybe you are like me, and you simply don't have time (or energy) to make fresh bread on a regular basis.  

My family loves bread and we also want to improve the food we eat, the quality of ingredients, and work on changing the foods we consume.  After searching the net for something simple to try at home, I think I discovered the perfect recipe and kinda adapted it for my family! 

It's Easy.  It's Fast.  And it's really delicious! 

  

Quick & Easy Homemade White Bread

Ingredients

    1 cup warm water (warm, not hot)

    2 1/2 tsp instant yeast

    2 Tbsp (lightly pressed) brown sugar 

   2 3/4 cup flour 

1/2 Tbsp salt

1/4 cup oil

Instructions

    Add yeast and brown sugar to warm water, stir, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix the flour, oil, and salt in large mixing bowl. When yeast mixture is ready, stir into dry ingredients with a fork until it begins to form into a ball.

Dump the bowl contents onto a lightly floured surface and begin kneading it (push the heel of your hand into the dough, pull the upper edge towards you, give it a quarter turn, and then pull the upper edge towards you, push the heel of your hand into the dough and give it a quarter turn. REPEAT). Continue to knead the dough until soft and elastic (about 5 minutes). 

In another bowl, spray with nonfat cooking spray and put ball of dough into greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with towel and set in warm place for 45 minutes (i warmed my oven, turned it off and let the dough rise inside with the oven light on).

Remove from oven, punch dough down and lightly knead for 1 minute. Spray a 9" loaf pan with nonfat cooking spray and shape dough into loaf. Plop into the pan and return to oven, covered with a towel, and allow to rise 30 minutes.

Take pan out of oven and set aside while you preheat the oven to 350. Place pan in oven and bake 35-40 minutes. Rub butter over the warm top after you pull it from the oven. Allow to rest in pan for 5-10 minutes, and then cool on wire rack. 

Notes

*I would encourage you to use COCONUT OIL in this recipe.  Coconut oil gives this bread an amazingly soft texture - not fall apart in your hands soft, but soft like bread-store bread, and does NOT leave a coconutty flavor. I LOVE baking bread with coconut oil.  I have used other oils with this, but coconut oil is by far the best!

*Feel free to substitute honey for the brown sugar, and use your favorite flour blends (whole wheat, white whole wheat, etc.) to the maximum flour measurement.  I have only ever used a blend, not whole wheat alone, and it has had a lovely texture.

Baking a good loaf of yeast bread does not have to be complicated or require a whole day.  There is something about feeling the warm dough becoming more pliable in your hands that is satisfying and there is nothing like that fresh-baked smell of bread to delight your family.

Thanks Debber for sharing this yummy recipe....

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