Easy Breakfast Recipe: How to Make Homemade Bread

How does it feel to wake up in the morning with the smell of some freshly baked bread lingering inside your home?

Great! Isn’t it? There’s just something with it that makes you quickly jump out from your bed and head straight right into the kitchen. And yes, there’s the lovely sight of the oven filled with newly poofed-out, freshly baked homemade bread!

So to those who haven’t (yet) experienced this wonderful feeling, then why not pay a short visit to your kitchen right now and try making this basic homemade bread recipe? It's so easy to make that even anyone who haven't ever tried to bake before can do this - just by simply following the recipe below. So why not try making your own homemade bread - even without the help of a bread machine?

Have yourself some freshly baked homemade bread at breakfast, during tea time or at anytime! Here’s how to make your own homemade bread:

Ingredients

• 6 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 cups hot water
• 1 packet dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, salt, sugar and yeast and beat at low speed. Add water and butter and while beating. Continue beating at high speed for about 2-3 minutes until well blended.
• Add ½ cup of flour and continue beating for another 3-4 minutes. Add a few more cups of flour just enough to make a soft dough.
• Sprinkle flour to a flat surface or kneading table. Blend and knead the mixture until dough starts to become elastic and smooth. Continue adding flour as needed.
• After kneading, place dough in a large buttered bowl. Butter dough from top to bottom and cover the bowl with a clean towel. Place in a dry warm place and let rise for about an hour.
• Punch down and knead for a few minutes until smooth. Cut dough in half and place it back in the mixing bowl covered with towel. Let stand for another 15 minutes or longer.
• Roll each half of the dough into a 12x9-inch baking tray or cookie sheet. From the edge, roll up while turning ends under to make the loaves to fit the pan.
• Place each roll with seam side down in a lightly greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Brush the top of the loaves with water and sprinkle with some sesame seeds.
• Cover each pan with towel and let rise again for about an hour. Bake loaves in oven temperature of 400° for about 30 minutes or until the loaves will sound hollow when tapped.
• Remove from pans and let cool on top of a wire rack to prevent bread from getting soggy. Brush the loaves with butter on top.

Makes 2 loaves of bread.

Useful Tips:

1. To make a dough, you may use either an electric dough mixer or just by your hand.
2. Score the loaves 2-3 times diagonally on top just before baking to make a crustier top.
3. Depending on your preference, you may or may not need to sprinkle sesame seeds on the loaf before baking. It is just added as optional.