How to make homemade yeast dough.

Homemade Yeast Dough

Yes, YOU can do it too!

To make your home smell like a bakery, you will need to follow these instructions:

Get:
1 large bowl

2 1/4 cups hot water(110 degrees according to the recipes, but I just turn the faucet to HOT)
2 1/4 tsp or 1 pack of yeast.
3 tbsp sugar

Place those 3 ingredients into your large mixing bowl, and walk away for 15 minutes.
When you come back, you should see that the sugar has fed the yeast, and it will look like this------------------------------>

It's pretty cool how yeast works. Its too scientific for me to get into right now, so click the link if you like to learn new things.




Next you will need:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons salt
3 cups flour(Plus up to 3 1/2 more cups in a little bit)
Mix this up with your hand, or a mixer. It will be very sticky, but should be mixed well. Add in 1 more cup of flour at a time, until it forms a soft dough. (If the dough feels tough, add a tablespoon of water. If it still feels sticky, add a couple tablespoons of flour.)

Now for the kneading.
Watch this video.  Kneading is important!!!!!! Set a timer for 6 minutes, and don't stop.

When you are done with that, you need to clean out your bowl, make sure that it is dry, and then grease the inside of your bowl with Crisco or vegetable oil. This step will prevent your dough from sticking to the bowl, and also from drying out during the "proofing" time.

I use the term "proofing" because that is what we called it at my very first job, where I was an assistant in the Winn Dixie bakery. Dang, I miss those rose-colored smocks that we were required to wear!!!
Good old Winn Dixie.


Now take that beautiful ball of yeast dough that you've created, and drop it into your bowl. Heat your oven to 200 degrees for 5 minutes, then turn it off. Put the bowl(covered with a cheesecloth or towel) in the oven, and shut the door.
You have 1 1/2 hours to let the dough rise. How will you spend your time?

I'm likely to be found writing my memoirs playing on Facebook.

When you pull the bowl out of your lukewarm oven, the dough should be doubled in size. If it is not, I'm sorry, I remember the very first time I tried to make bread, it didn't work.
If your dough is doubled, set the bowl on the counter top and get ready. I want you to make a fist. A fist like you're about to punch someone. Don't even act like you've never in your life wanted to punch someone at least once. Take your fist, hold it up & say "I'm your Huckleberry", and blast it right into the center of the dough.

Now is time to get creative. What will you make with this bread dough??

Pizza crust, a loaf of bread, bread bowls for soup, cinnamon rolls, are you drooling yet?... the sky is the limit.
:)

General rule of thumb for baking bread, 350-375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown.