Homemade Bread

This article was inspired by Robert - Thank you for allowing me to be on your healing journey with you, it's an honor!

Hello friends! Thank you for joining me! I hope this article helps you and your loved ones!!

Homemade bread has more fiber, and more energy than store-bought. Me and my loved ones can feel the difference in energy, and from my experience even the white flour I use for bread making - called bread flour - has more flour than store bought loaves of bread.

And if you use whole wheat flour - like half WW, half white bread flour in a loaf, the effect is even more pronounced.

Remember, next to our basic nutrient needs (proteins, carbs, fats), fiber is the most important aspect of our diet. Followed then by nutrients which fight cancer and diseases (minerals, vitamins, plant nutrients, antioxidants, and more). Cultures with the highest fiber have the lowest incident of metabolic diseases (heart disease, diabetes), and the lowest rates of dementia, alzheimers, etc.

In the process of getting yourself as robust and virile as your genetics allow, fiber in in the top two places, and homemade bread in an important outgrowth of that need for fiber and other nutrients.

I recommend you start baking bread by following artisinalbreadwithsteve's instructions - watching a video is much easier than reading instructions and pulling the steps out from there. If you want it easy, just use my recipe (or one of his) and follow his instructions on YouTube.

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If you want to try my method, it's below. I would use Artisinal Steve's instructions if I were you.

These are the flours I use: Organic Whole Wheat, Organic Bread Flour, and Organic Rye.

Here's my weekly bread recipe for using all three. Experiment to make it your own!

Nine Twenty-Two Bread

450g WW

450g White Bread Flour

100g Rye flour

(1000g Total flour)

850 water

14g instant yeast, or 17.5g dry active yeast (25% more than instant)

16g salt

125 honey

1tsp ACV

40g Extra Virgin Olive Oil

You will also need: Dough scraper, stainless steel mixing bowl, parchment paper, 1-2 baking sheets, something to hold and bake the dough in such as a large pyrex dish or loaf pan, wire cooking rack.

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My instructions: This makes two loaves. If you want to make one loaf, cut all the measurements in half (and round to the nearest 1's place where necessary)

Mix the water and yeast, until the yeast blooms

Mix in the honey, EVOO until dissolved. (Add the vinegar just prior to adding the flour)

Using a wire whisk, mix the flours and the salt until incorporated.

Now add the ACV to the wet ingredients, and then carefully dump in the flour. Mix with a stiff wooden or silicon handle of any kitchen tool until everything is mixed and the dough is "shaggy"

Cover. Let it hydrate for 15-30 minutes. After that time, stretch an fold, or dump it onto a wet countertop and knead and fold. Either works fine, and you are going to have to experiment with methods and durations to understand what works for you. You're going to have to get to know what dough and baked bread looks like when it's overfermented, overkneaded, underkneaded, underfermented. Bread making is an individual process you have to make your own - be patient, use trial and error, and don't be afraid to throw away the loaf if it's unpleasant to eat, and start again in a few days.

This is a wet dough, a high hydration dough. I like to use a wet dough scraper and wet hands to stretch and fold on the counter top, or I stretch and fold it in the bowl. You're going to have to learn to work with it. Wet hands and low expectations for shaping helps! Observe, rather than trying to create, helps.

Cover. Then let it ferment (rise) until it's about double. I find it best to stop right before it's doubled. Depending on the time of year it could take 3 hours, or 6.

At this point I get ready to bake the bread. I use a dutch oven, but you can use a large pyrex of any shape, or or a cooking pot, depending on the shape you want.

Crumple up parchment paper so it will conform to the shape of your baking container. Line it into the container, and then shape your dough to the general shape of the container. Place it into the paper/container combo. The dough will still rise even after the shaping, so if you'd like to wait 30-60 minutes for it rise a second time, go ahead.

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Again, you're going to have to experiment with the temp.

I like to use steam in the oven - I place a baking sheet with water in the bottom of the over, or on one of the racks. Since the dough is already in an oven proof container, I place it into either a dutch oven or onto a baking sheet. The steam helps the bread rise and gives it a delightful top crust.

Bake for 45 minutes ish, checking the temperature in the center using a thermometer. The bread is ready when it's 200 degrees in the center.

When it's cooked, carefully remove the bread and parchment paper (so you don't burn yourself), and place it onto a wire rack. Yes, you need one.

Now the hard part. It has to cure. The dough inside is still cooking, steaming. Believe me, you don't want to cut this open now. Let it sit overnight.

Cut it the next morning and enjoy!

To your good health!