DISCLAIMER: I am an amateur cook, so the purpose of this hub is to show some tricks that I've found out. In some cases it may seem like common knowledge, but I had no one around to show me how to cook as I was growing up, so please take everything you read with a grain of salt.

Recently I decided to try my hand at making homemade breads, and the first one I decided to try was a Braided Sesame Bread. A bit ambitious for an amateur, but since I can braid hair I can probably braid bread. I was right, and I am here to share the recipe and technique that created the bread in the picture. When I knead dough it sure doesn't look pretty, but it gets the job done with a delicious outcome. I welcome comments with more tips.

First off, you are going to need some supplies.

1.) Active Dry Yeast- you can get this in the little packets by the flour at the grocery store, or you can buy an entire jar. If you want to make a habit of baking bread, get the jar. It costs about 7 dollars, you store it in the refridgerator, and it is worth the investment. The little packets cost about 1.70 per bunch of three packets.

2.) Eggs. Not all bread recipes require eggs, but this one does and I believe the eggs contribute to a fluffy yet dense texture.

3.) All-purpose flour- and you will need a lot of this, at least 6 cups so buy a large bag.

4.) Shortening- cheap to have on hand when you run out of butter, and necessary in a lot of bread recipes.

5.) Milk

6.) A thermometer- you will need to heat the water and milk to 110-115 degrees Farenheit in most bread recipes. The yeast needs to be dissolved in the warm liquids, and having an exact temperature is imperative for the yeast.

7.) Sugar and salt. Most baking recipes call for a mixture of sweet and salty, so make sure you have these things on hand.

So those are the basic ingredients to have on hand, but the specific recipe I am writing about is written out as follows (I will bold the additional items you will need aside from what I mentioned above):

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees Farenheit)

1 1/2 cups warm milk (110-115 degrees Farenheit)

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

4 eggs

6-7 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cold water

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Before you start you need to have your materials laid out beforehand. This makes any cooking easier and quicker to accomplish. Make sure you have measuring cups, tablespoon, teaspoon, mixing utensils, 2 bowls, and a clean surface to work on. I like to lay out all of my ingredients on another counter, so get out the flour, milk, sugar, salt, shortening, eggs, and yeast.

In a small saucepan heat up your water to between 110-115 degrees Farenheit. Stick the thermometer right in the water so you can look quickly to make sure it's not heating to fast. And it will heat fast, so heat it on low. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting for water to cool.

While the water is heating pour your yeast into a bowl. If you bought the jar, 1/4 ounce of yeast is 2 and 1/4 teaspoons. When the water is at the desired temperature pour it into the bowl with the yeast and let the yeast dissolve. Pour the milk into the saucepan and heat that up to between 100-115 degrees Farenheit while the yeast is dissolving.

Add the milk to the yeast bowl, then add the shortening, sugar, salt, 3 of the eggs, and 4 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Do not add the flour all at once, stir in 2 cups, then add more slowly until you've formed a soft dough. It's a good rule of thumb that you've added enough flour when the dough does not stick to the sides of the bowl but you can still stir it. I've noticed that sometimes I do not use as much flour as the recipe calls for, and sometimes I use more than it says too. Don't worry about that, use your eye.

Now you want to put a little bit of flour on your counter and turn the dough onto the counter. Now you can start the fun part, the kneading. This part can get a little sticky, so put some flour on your hands. Start by flipping the dough around and coating the stickiest parts with more flour. Shape it into a ball, and fold the top of the dough towards you. Push it with a rolling motion, and flip it around. Make sure it does not stick to the counter, and add more flour if it's getting too sticky to handle.

If you think you've added too much flour you can always put a little bit of vegetable oil on your hands and knead the dough. This will add a little bit more moisture to it and allow you to knead it until smooth and elastic. You will want to knead the bread for about 6 or 7 minutes. In your second mixing bowl add a little bit of oil and grease it. Put your dough in there and flip it once so the entire thing has been greased.

Now you let it rise- cover it with a washcloth and let it rise in a warm place, like your pantry, until it is doubled, which takes about an hour. A good way to know if your bread has risen is to stick 2 fingers 1/2" into the dough. If the impression of your fingers stays, then it's ready to punch down.

If your bread has risen, punch it! It will deflate visibly. Now you're ready to shape the loaves. Flour your counter top lightly, and put your dough on it. Divide it in two, and place one half to the side. Your remaining half needs to be split into three pieces that are roughly the same size. Keep flouring your hands if it gets a little sticky to hands. You want to make your three pieces long, about 12 inches, like a rope. Just like playing with Play-Doh as a kid, you want to put the dough in between two hands and rub until it elongates like a snake. Make three pieces like that, and set them side by side. Pinch the tops together, and start braiding it. Once you've come to the end, pinch all three pieces together.

Do the same with the other dough, and place them side by side on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

With the last remaining egg, beat it with the cold water in a small bowl. Brush this mixture over the two loaves; this will create that crunch we all love with home made bread. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes until golden brown.

If your loaf is nice and golden but you're not sure if it is done then here's a trick: Remove the loaf from the pan and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, then it is done! If the bread is browning way too fast then cover it with tin foil and continue baking.

This hub will soon be updated with step by step pictures, so stand by for more pics, but these are my tips collaborated with my favorite recipe, and I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading.