::Simple Bread Dough ( Recipe )::
Children should ask an adult for help - *Make your bread colorful fun!
Ingredients:
4 Cups Flour ( All Purpose - with about a cup and a half of extra flour on hand )
2 teaspoons ( or one Sachet ) of Yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of salt ( or cut to one teaspoon )
2 Cups Hot Water ( not boiling )
Olive Oil
Utensils:
Measuring Cup
Spoon
3 Bowls
Fork
Aluminum foil ( optional )
Non-Stick Spray
Baking Trays
Preparation Directions:
1 - In one bowl, place 2 cups hot water and add yeast and sugar. Mix, and let it sit until it foams. This helps to activate the yeast.
2 - In the other bowl, add flour and salt, mix together.
3 - When yeast mixture has fully foamed, ( activated ), add completely to flour mixture, and two tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix together with a fork.
4 - Gradually add more flour until your dough forms. Knead the dough on a flat surface, by folding it over itself, various times for about 10 minutes. As the dough gets sticky, add a bit more flour so that it doesn't stick to you, or the surface you are using to knead on. Keep kneading until the dough gets soft.
5 - Oil the sides of your third bowl, with some olive oil and rub some around the dough itself. Place the dough in your oiled bowl, cover and place in a warm area.
6 - Let the dough rise for an hour.
Form balls to make rolls, add to baking tray lined with aluminum foil lightly sprayed with non-stick spray, and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.
For the Braided bread, form three strips of dough, and intertwine, pinching the ends on each side. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes.
Notes:
*Children will enjoy learning how to make this recipe, with just a simple addition of a few drops of food coloring added to your mixture when you begin to make your dough. Green or Red bread looks awesome, and is great for Parties, or Family Fun!
1 - If you desire a softer bread, add a little milk, butter or yogurt in place of some of the water. ( If the butter is salted - cut down on the amount of salt in the recipe ).
2 - If you are using part of the dough at first, you can knead the remanding dough a few times, and replace in oiled bowl, covered and returned to the warm area - it will rise again. ( Same if you begin, and have to stop abruptly - just knead a few times and replace to let it rise again until you can return to your bread making ).
3. You can create your warm area by placing your oven on warm, or warming it up a bit, and placing your bowl of dough to rise within. Be sure your bowl is heat resistant, and that the oven is turned off - you don't wish to bake it just yet!
4. Baking times vary, for a full loaf of bread, baking time will be longer. Use the back of a spoon, and tap ( whack ), the middle of the bread to hear it's sound. A Hollow sound means it's ready - If the sound is too Dull, then the loaf isn't fully cooked.
5. For bread glaze, take an egg yolk and a teaspoon of water, mix vigorously and brush on your bread. ( You can also use a piece of paper towel rolled up, and one end as a 'brush' ). Glazed bread has a harder crust, and gets shiny when fully cooked, non-glazed bread with get a softer golden tone when cooked - see picture examples.
6. Be creative! Flatten out your dough and make pizza, which cooks in about 20 -30 minutes, baking time will depend on the amount of ingredients you may use. For Pita bread, flatten out and add garlic salt - butter or powder, sprinkled with rock or regular salt, oil of your choice, parmesan cheese, or cheese of your choice, bacon, black olives, etc. Have fun with your creation! Before you know it, you'll get the hang of it, and everyone will be expecting a new bread creation from your kitchen!
7. Have left over dough? Place in air tight bag, and it will keep in the refrigerator, it will hold for about 3 - 4 days.
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For More Bread Recipes also see:
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