Mom's Bread Recipe and some details from a new baker's perspective

Feel free to share information for a new baker and please let me know if you tried this recipe.  This is a fairly simple recipe and I’ve included lots of photos and steps for a newer baker and details that helped me. You can also skip to the recipe without the photos.

Mom's Bread Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups Milk (or water) heated to 110 F

2 Tablespoons Yeast

2 Tablespoons Sugar

2 Tablespoons Butter - room temperature

1 teaspoon Salt

5.5-6.5 cups Flour

oil - a few tablespoons to oil the bowl and cooking pans

a few teaspoons of butter to melt on top of warm loaves

Kitchen Tools
proofing oven: I heated 2 cups of water in the microwave then put the dough (with the water) in the preheated/high humidity microwave.  Do not turn on the microwave with the dough inside. I did use the kitchen timer feature on my microwave though.  
Kitchen Aid Mixer with flat-beater and dough hook


Notes
Recipe size/batch is for two loaves of bread
cooking temperature 350F for 30-55 min
prep time: about an hour of your time but up to four hours elapsed from mixing to eating

Directions
while heating milk, put 3 cups of flour and other dry ingredients and butter in mixing bowl and combine with flat-beater
Add milk and set mixer on 1 for 2-3 minutes (you can use the dough hook and mix for 5-6 if you prefer)
I overheated the milk slightly so I put the butter into the milk so I would not scorch the yeast


Change to the dough hook

add 1 cup flour and mix well

add 1 cup more flour and mix well



Continue adding the final cup of flour slowly while watching consistency.  If you overshoot then add 1-2 Tablespoons of water or milk to adjust.

I needed almost 6.5 cups of flour.  Here we are at 6 cups and there is still a layer of dough that sticks to  the bowl.


The best dough consistency is when all the dough is stuck to the dough hook and none is left on the mixing bowl.  


Knead dough 1-3 additional minutes until a finger start sticking out of the top of the dough mass ( a SMALL finger is shown in this photo)


Remove dough from mixing bowl and oil bowl,  put the dough back and turn so it is coated with oil.

Put bowl cover on and put in proofing oven (mentioned above)


Allow to rise (double in volume) for about an hour - size is more important than time here!

put a small amount of oil in baking pans and divide dough in 1/2
kneed/shape loaves adding herbs and coat with oil if you like (rosemary was kneaded into the loaf on the right (clear baking dish)


Return to proofing oven until dough has doubled in size again (you may need to reheat water/microwave if using the microwave proofing oven technique)


Preheat oven to 350F - In they go


Cook for 30-55 min


Allow to cool on cooling rack after you slide a pat of butter around the top of the loaf



Slice and enjoy


A Slice of the Story Behind the Recipe

It was extremely difficult for my mom to watch/allow me to make bread this morning but I did it.  I also learned that my mom's first loaf of bread was "a brick" as her dad (yes, my mom referred to her dad as my grandpa when telling me this part) insisted she knead it for a long time.  

This recipe has been time tested and perfected by my mom with approved by hundreds of  people.  I grew up eating all kinds of different breads from this recipe including "cinnamon rolls (with brown sugar), fry bread (affectionately called donuts), pizza, and yes, even bread.  And the 100s of people: my parents ran a child care for over 20 years and fed the kids and sometimes their parents too.