Bread Machine Bread

My late grandfather, Bumbi, made friends very easily. Wherever he went, he could strike up a conversation and come away with a friends, most of whom would remain his friends for the rest of his life. He and my grandma, Mimi, have a house in Camp Ellis, where they would spend the summers with their children (my father being one of them). Bumbi made fast friends with his neighbor, Milty.

Melty became like a second grandpa to me. He would teach me songs (our favorite was La Cucaracha) and tell me wonderful stories. I still have some of the birthday cards he wrote me (my very favorite being the one he wrote me on my 16th birthday, which made me laugh out loud in the middle of reading it). Every story he told me delighted; even something a mundane as using a bread maker he turned into a story that I still remember and retell myself.

When I moved out on my own, I bought a bread machine because of Milty. Whenever I use it, or hear La Cucaracha, or see my stuffed animal Ducky on my bureau, I think of him. What follows is his basic recipe for bread, but Milty would encourage you to add whatever fun mix ins you like, to keep things interesting and fun.

Ingredients (for 1 1/2 to 2 pound machine)

1 cup lukewarm water

1/3 cup lukewarm milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

3 3/4 cup bread flour

1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

Directions:

Place the ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed above.

Select the program for basic white bread, and press Start. Walk away. Rejoice at the smell of rising and baking bread wafting through your house for the next few hours, while you can clean, play with your animals, cook something else, or do nothing at all.

When the machine indicates that baking time is over, remove the pan. Let the bread cool in the pan before removing. Allow the loaf to cool completely on a rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Comments

Peek-a-boo Squares

My grandma, Mimi, taught me this recipe. I used to make this with her and my mother as a child. It is my very favorite dessert. It is incredibly easy to make, and even easier to eat. My favorite part of making this as a child was dusting every bar generously with snowy white powdered sugar. My favorite version of this dessert uses canned blueberry pie filling; I vastly prefer Libby brand over the store brand. You can make blueberry pie filling from scratch with sugar, cornstarch, bleberries, etc. but using the canned stuff is easy in a pinch and is much for nostalgic for me. Plus, I don’t notice a vast improvement over my homemade blueberry pie filling and the Libby brand; it just takes me longer to put this dessert together. I have been known to whip up a pan of these Friday night and have them disappear by Saturday afternoon. Be warned, these things are addictive! Ingredients: 3 cups of all-purpose flour 2 cups of granulated sugar 4 eggs 2 ...

Samosas with Yogurt Sauce

I love exploring many kinds of cuisine in my kitchen because I can control the spice level, and in the case of this recipe, the use of cilantro. Cilantro lovers out there- sub it info the parsley here. I have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap, which limits my ability to enjoy some dishes in restaurants, but is easily rectified in my own kitchen. I hope you enjoy! Ingredients: 3 russet potatoes 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped 2 teaspoons curry powder 5 ounces peas Six 8 inch flour tortillas 4 ounces Greek yogurt Oil, salt, pepper, vinegar 4 tablespoons butter Method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Scrub potatoes and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Place in a large saucepan with a generous pinch of salt and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Cover and bring to a boil over high; uncover and cook until tenderDrain potatoes and transfer to a bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in reserved saucepan over medium. Add chopped garl...

Deluxe BLT- with avocado, Emmental cheese, and asiago bread

I don't normally feature sandwiches on this blog, but I simply cannot ignore this one. It's too good! The method is dead simple, but perhaps I can include a tip or two you may not have thought of to elevate your BLT to the next level! Ingredients: Bacon, best quality but thinly sliced Tomatoes (ideally fresh from your garden) Romaine lettuce Mayo Emmental cheese Asiago bread salt, pepper, butter Method: In a large sheet pan with a wire rack, lay your bacon out. In a preheated 400 degree F oven, bake for 15 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Slice your tomatoes and salt and pepper them. The salt is non-negotiable despite the saltiness from the bacon- the salt brings the flavor out of the tomato. Do not skip! Slice avocados. Rip lettuce to desired sizes for bread. Freshly slice bread and butter one side. In a large pan over medium high head, toast the buttered side of each bread slice. Lay a slice of Emmental cheese on one of the bread slices, and allow to melt. Time to con...

Watership Down Kitchen

Search This Blog