Bread in the making.

We didn't have bread in the house, and instead of getting in the car to solve the problem, I figured I would try to make some.  I say TRY simply because I have attempted bread making numerous times and it never turns out quite right.  And I figured this time wouldn't be any different, but you can't blame a girl for trying!  Right?

I mean I love baking breads, but bread that involves yeast just doesn't seem to agree with me!  I try and I try and I try, but I just can't get it right.  I would love to make my own bread, but there are some things I have to sort out first before I start doing so - such as WHY doesn't my bread rise.  I am sure it has to do with the yeast - perhaps the water is too hot, or maybe the yeast is just old (this is a new one my friend Lindsey informed me of), or maybe I'm not storing it properly, or maybe it's all of the above!  I suppose I should buy some new yeast and experiment with various temperatures and storage areas.

Anyhow, this is what I made.  And I used the yeast and flour I had in the cupboards - they may not have been the most ideal considering the recipe called for all purpose flour and I used whole wheat for the majority of the flours.

I dumped all the ingredients into a bowl and beat the ingredients with my handheld mixer for 3 of the required 5 minutes.  I couldn't do the last few minutes because one of my beaters broke off right in the bowl.  And for those who don't know, broken beaters don't mix things.  Hmm…I suppose I should start saving money to buy a proper Kitchen aid. 

After this brief obstacle, I placed the dough into 2 bread pans (maybe I should have just done one, but the recipe said it made two so two it was!) and then I covered it with saran wrap and stuck it in the oven (guess that's the warmest place in the house!)   And it rose - not nearly as much as it should have, but it did get bigger.  Or so I thought?

Let's be honest, it's definitely not the prettiest thing I have ever seen, but it is definitely edible!  And I have LOADS of room for improvement.