Irish Sweet Milk Bread
Sweet milk is whole milk that has not been processed. Many grocery stores sell sweet milk in their dairy sections. If you can’t find sweet milk at your local grocery store buttermilk will work just as well. If the crust on your bread seems to hard, wrap it in a damp kitchen towel until it has completely cooled. This will soften the crust and make it much easier to cut.
- 2 C of white flour
- 1 1/2 t salt
- 1 1/2 t baking soda
- 4 C wheat flour
- 2 C of sweet milk
Place the white flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and baking soda and toss to combine well. Dump the wheat flour into the mixture and using your hands mix until all the ingredients are incorporated together well.
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour the sweet milk into the well slowly. Use a wooden spoon and mix the dough while adding the milk. It may take a little less milk or just a little more depending on the type of flour used but when the dough is ready it should be soft but easy to manage.
Once the dough is ready lightly flour your hands and knead it in the bowl until you have formed a ball. Lightly flour a flat surface and press the dough into a circle that is 1 1/2 inches thick. Flour a table knife and cut an x pattern into the middle of the dough so that when baked the bread will break easily into 4 quarters.
Place the dough on an ungreased cookie sheet in a preheated 425 degree oven for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 15 minutes.
Remove and allow the bread to cool at least 4 hours before cutting.
On St. Patrick’s Day Everyone Can Be Irish
St. Patrick’s Day gives us all an excuse to have some fun and eat delicious comfort foods.
Just thinking about corned beef, cabbage & soda bread give me goose bumps. Those classic Irish dishes are among some of my favorite but it’s fun when you can find new recipes that make your tummy happy.
Since St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner I thought it would be nice to put together some recipes and crafts and create a kindle ebook to celebrate.
You’ll find delicious Irish food along with a bunch of crafts that your family will enjoy creating together.
And remember, with all Kindle ebooks, you don’t need a Kindle to download them. Amazon makes it easy to put right on your computer, laptop, or other e-reader or device. And the price is right, too!
http://www.amazon.com/St-Patricks-Everyone-Irish-ebook/dp/B00BS9LGJG
Amish Friendship Bread
We’ve been sharing recipes for bread using ‘starters’ often called ‘friendship starters.’ It started with a request from Nicole for information about bread starters that she remembered her mom talking about.
We have had many readers share what they know about friendship starters along with recipes to use them. I am moving a few recipes from the comments section to this recipe section just to make them easier to find.
This recipe was submitted by Ann Fenner, along with a recipe to make the starter. Click on the following link to get Ann’s recipe for the starter:
Amish Friendship Bread Starter from Ann
This is Ann’s recipe for bread using her starter:
- 1 cup of Amish Friendship Bread starter
- ⅔ cup oil
- 3 eggs
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 to 1½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1¼ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- Using a fork beat by hand until well blended. You can add 1 cup raisins and 1 cup nuts (optional).
- Grease two loaf pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar instead of flour.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour (individual oven temperatures vary). Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans. Makes two loaves of Amish Friendship Bread
Amish Friendship Bread Starter from Ann
We received a request from Nicole who remembered her mom talking about a ‘starter’ for bread. She was wondering exactly what it is and was looking for a recipe for Friendship Bread Starter.
Other readers have commented with explanations and recipes, so I thought I’d move some of the recipes over here to the recipe section so they would be easier to find and keep track of.
This recipe for friendship bread starter was submitted by Ann Fenner. Thank you, Ann!
Ann’s Amish Friendship Bread Starter
This is the Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe that you’ll need to make Amish Friendship Bread. It is very important to use plastic or wooden utensils and plastic or glass containers when making this. Do not use metal at all!
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg. active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)
Directions:
- In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.
- In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.
- Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.
For the next 10 days handle starter according to these instructions:
- Day 1 – either you will receive the starter from a friend or make the above recipe for the starter
- Day 2 – stir
- Day 3 – stir
- Day 4 – stir
- Day 5 – Add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk.
- Day 6 – stir
- Day 7 – stir
- Day 8 – stir
- Day 9 – stir
- Day 10 – Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Divide into 4 containers, with 1 cup each for three of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Give friends the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10 and this recipe for baking 2 loaves of Amish Friendship Bread. (You will find the recipe by clicking on this link: Amish Friendship Bread)
Amish Cornbread Friendship Bread
This recipe was submitted by Bobbie Steve in response to a request for an explanation and recipe for Friendship Bread.
You can find Bobbie’s recipe for bread starter by clicking here:
Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe
Thank you for sharing, Bobbie.
- 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cups milk
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups cornmeal
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Grease a 9 inch baking pan. In a large mixer bowl combine starter, eggs, milk, sugar, flour and cornmeal.
- Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Mix in oil, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking pan and bake for 25 – 30 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Amish Friendship Bread Starter from Bobbie
We received a request from Nicole who remembered her mom talking about a ‘starter’ for bread. She was wondering exactly what it is and was looking for a recipe for Friendship Bread Starter recipe.
Other readers have commented with explanations and recipes, so I thought I’d move some of the recipes over here to the recipe section so they would be easier to find and keep track of.
This recipe for Friendship Bread Starter comes from Bobbie Steve. Thank you!
Amish Friendship Bread Starter
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 ounce package of yeast
- 3 cups milk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
Day 1:
- Sprinkle one tablespoon of the sugar over the warm water. Sprinkle yeast over this and let stand in warm place to double in size (approx. 10 minutes).
- Mix 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup flour and yeast mixture in a large plastic or glass container. Stir, using only a wooden spoon as metal objects retard the yeast’s natural growth. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly in room temperature overnight.
- This mixture doubles, even triples at times of vigorous rising.
Days 2 through 4:
- Loosely cover and try to stir starter each day with wooden spoon. Warning: yeast-type mould may begin to form on the surface after 48 hours if you don’t stir daily.
Day 5:
- On 5th stir in 1 cup plain flour, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar and stir well, cover up loosely.
Days 6 through 9:
- Stir well. Cover back up, loosely.
Day 10:
- Stir in 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.
- Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe.
- Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator (or freeze it) or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).
Bobbie also shares a recipe for cornbread using this starter. Once you get your starter going, click on and print out this recipe: Amish Cornbread Friendship Bread
Babka Recipe – Ukrainian Sweet Bread
If you are subscribing to my weekly newsletter, you know that my friend Christine is hosting a boy from the Ukraine this summer. I thought it would be fun to give a few Ukrainian recipes a try. Let’s start today with a sweet bread called Babka.
Ukrainian Babka Recipe
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 5 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 cup raisins
Start by getting the yeast started. Mix the sugar, water, yeast, milk and the cup of all purpose flour together in a small bowl. I use a fork to whisk it all together. Set it aside in a sunny, warm spot for about 30 minutes or until it starts to bubble up.
Next, get out a large bowl and crack your eggs into it. Add the sugar and salt and beat with a hand mixer until they are fluffy and a light yellow color. Add the melted butter (I melt mine in the microwave) and the lemon zest. Stir until well combined. Add the yeast mixture and stir again.
Gradually add the flour, stirring with a large spoon at first, then using your hands as the mixture becomes harder to move around. Once all the flour has been added knead the dough for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this and don’t cut the time short… give it your all for those 10 minutes. It’ll be well worth it in the end.
Work the raisins in (kneading again until they are distributed well throughout the dough), then form the dough into a ball and cover your bowl with a tea towel. Let it rise in a warm place until it’s twice as big. Time will depend on how warm it is and even humidity. This could take anywhere from one to three hours.
Punch down dough and knead for a couple of turns then let it rise again for about 30 more minutes.
Grease 4 smaller coffee cans with butter. Add enough dough to each to to fill them about 1/3 of the way. 1/4 of your dough should do the trick. Cover the cans and let them sit in a warm place until the dough has risen all the way up to the rim.
Preheat your oven to 400 F. Place the coffee cans on a cookie sheet and bake the babka for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 F and bake for another 35 to 46 minutes. If needed, cover the tops with aluminum foil (if they start to brown to quickly). Take everything out and let the finished bread cool in the coffee cans. Slice it and serve with butter and jam. Yum!
Moist Sweet Potato Bread
- 1 C of flour
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
- 1 C cold sweet potatoes, mashed
- 1/2 C sugar
- 3 T canola oil
- 2 T of buttermilk
- 1 t vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Turn oven on to 350 degrees to preheat, and lightly spray a loaf pan with a non stick cooking spray, then dust the loaf pan lightly with flour and tap out any excess.
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice, and whisk together until the ingredients are blended well.
Place the mashed sweet potatoes into a separate mixing bowl; a the sugar to the potatoes, then add the oil, buttermilk and the vanilla into the mixture.
Break the egg into the mixture then whisk until blended together well.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture.
Stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients through.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 12 minutes, then invert the pan over a wire rack and allow the loaf to cool completely.
Makes 1 loaf
Sweet potatoes make breads very moist so there’s no need for a lot of extra butter or oil. Sweet potatoes are also a great source of beta carotene along other nutrients making them a healthy choice any time of year. Pumpkin can be used in place the sweet potatoes if you prefer.
ahhh… the aroma of fresh baked bread. Is there anything better? Well, yes there is! How about the aroma of pies, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, brownies, cakes, and bread, too, ALL coming out of your own oven, piping hot and delicious!
If you’ve been a bit shy about starting to bake bread or other goodies, Baking Made Simple is the perfect place to start. This collection covers all your favorite baked goods, from bread to brownies, cookies to cupcakes, and more. You’ll find recipes to get you baking fast and easy, with tasty results every time!
Along with hundreds of recipes, you’ll also get detailed instructions for producing excellent doughs, pastries, and batters, as well as advice on just what baking essentials you’ll need. You can start as simply as you wish, or dig in and set your kitchen up to rival any professional bakery.
Don’t wait any longer to start baking with your family! Click on and order your copy of Baking Made Simple now and enjoy the warm, comforting aroma of fresh baked goodies in your very own kitchen today!
Country Time Buttermilk Biscuits
- 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted and divided
- 2 C of flour
- 3 t baking powder
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t sugar
- 4 T of cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 3/4 C buttermilk
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush 2 T of the melted butter over the bottom of a baking sheet.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar together into a large mixing bowl.
Cut in the cold butter pieces with a pastry blender until the lumps are the size of small peas.
Slowly begin to add the buttermilk while tossing with a fork; add only enough buttermilk so that the dough begins to hold together for a few seconds, then add an additional 1/2 T of buttermilk so that the dough holds together as a soft dough.
Flour your hands and knead the dough 6 times in the bowl.
Sprinkle a little flour onto a flat work surface and turn the dough onto the surface.
Pat out the dough to form a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
Cut out the biscuits with a round cutter or the edge of a drinking glass dipped in flour.
Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake 10 minute or until a nice golden brown.
Use the remaining melted butter to brush the tops of the biscuits after removing them from the oven.
Makes about 12 biscuits, depending on the size
Note: Always remember when making buttermilk biscuits to handle the dough as lightly as possible. This will keep the biscuits from becoming tough during the baking time.
If you’ve been a bit shy about starting to bake bread or other goodies, Baking Made Simple is the perfect place to start. This collection covers all your favorite baked goods, from bread to brownies, cookies to cupcakes, and more. You’ll find recipes to get you baking fast and easy, with tasty results every time!
Along with hundreds of recipes, you’ll also get detailed instructions for producing excellent doughs, pastries, and batters, as well as advice on just what baking essentials you’ll need. You can start as simply as you wish, or dig in and set your kitchen up to rival any professional bakery.
Don’t wait any longer to start baking with your family! Click on and order your copy of Baking Made Simple now and enjoy the warm, comforting aroma of fresh baked goodies in your very own kitchen today!
Butternut Squash Yeast Bread
- 2 pkgs active dry yeast (the .25 ounce size)
- 1/2 cup water, warmed to 110 to 115 degrees, use thermometer to test
- 1 1/4 cups butternut squash puree
- 1 cup milk, warmed to 110 to 115 degrees, use thermometer to test
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 7 cups all-purpose flour (divided, more or less)
In a large glass mixing bowl, stir the yeast gently into the water, then let stand for 5 minutes, undisturbed.
To the bowl, add the squash, milk, eggs, butter, sugar and salt and stir together until blended well.
Slowly start sprinkling in about half the flour, mixing as you add it, until smooth.
Continue slowly adding some of the remaining flour until you can form a soft dough. (This may or may not take up the rest of the flour.)
Remove the dough to a work surface sprinkled with flour and start kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Work the dough for about 5 to 8 minutes.
Place the dough ball into a bowl that’s been lightly coated with butter or cooking oil, then with your hands, gently smooth butter or oil over the top of the dough ball.
Cover with a clean towel and set in a warm place in the kitchen and leave undisturbed for about 1 hour or until the dough has risen to about twice the size.
Punch the dough down and divide into 3 equal parts; work briefly into loaf shapes and place each one into a greased loaf pan; cover all with clean towels and let rise again in warm area, undisturbed, for about 30 minutes, until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake risen loafs for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and you hear a somewhat hollow sound when you tap the loaves on top.
Remove to wire rack and let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then tip bread out onto wire racks to cool completely.
For shiny crust, lightly brush tops with a little butter or margarine while the bread is still warm.
Note: click on this link to learn how to make buttermilk squash puree.
Butternut Squash Quick Bread
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup butternut squash puree
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or other nuts)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a loaf pan by coating with shortening or margarine or butter.
Put a mesh strainer over a bowl and sift through the flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices, then set aside. (or use a sifter if you have one)
In a separate large bowl, stir together the puree, sugar, oil, eggs, and water until blended well.
Now take the dry ingedients in the other bowl and sprinkle into the bowl with the puree mixture, stirring until just blended, then add the nuts and stir briefly again until just mixed in. (Don’t over mix the batter.)
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven (on rack in center of oven) for 55 to 65 minutes. Test with a toothpick; when inserted into the center of the bread it should come out dry, not coated with batter.
Remove the loaf pan from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack for about 10 minutes, then turn over and flip the bread out onto the cooling rack.
This bread freezes well. Just make sure the bread is completely cooled, then wrap in aluminum foil and place in freezer bag.
Yields 1 loaf.
Note: click on this link to learn how to make buttermilk squash puree.
60 Minute Rolls
These are something we ALWAYS have on holidays, and they are quick enough to have for Sunday dinner, as well!
- 2/3 cup white sugar (plus 2 T)
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 yeast packets OR 2 T yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ cup warm water
- 5 to 7 cups flour
- ½ cup (1 stick) OLEO (margarine)
Mix yeast 2 T sugar and warm water and set aside to rise.
Melt OLEO in the 2 cups milk – do not let milk boil – you just want it warm. Set aside.
Beat the 3 eggs, 2/3 cup sugar and the salt together with a mixer on High for 2 minutes. Add the milk/OLEO mixture and stir. Make sure this is not too hot, because if it is, it will cook the eggs! Add the yeast/water/sugar mixture, and stir.
Add flour and mix until a stiff dough forms. Dough will pull away from side of bowl. (If mixing by hand, add flour until a stiff sticky dough forms. Pour out onto floured surface and work/knead in flour until smooth dough forms.)
Turn dough out into a large greased bowl and let set in a warm, draft free place until doubled (when you insert 2 fingers into center of bowl and the dough falls like a deflated balloon). If you have a gas stove with pilot lights, the top of the stove works great, or you can put oven on warm for 5 minutes, turn it off, and put the bowl of dough in there with the oven door slightly open.) At this point, shape either into 3 loaves of bread or a bunch of rolls. Set aside in warm place, again, to allow dough to double.
When doubled in height, bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until brown. Bread is done when you thump the top with a knuckle and sounds hollow.
No Knead Bread In 2 To 3 hours
I saw a no knead bread method once, and using it myself, decided to share it here. It is so simple and so easy and the best part is that there is absolutely no kneading what so ever.
you’ll need:
- 1 large bowl
- 2 loaf pans ( coat them well with either butter, oil or cooking spray)
- 1 tablespoon each of yeast (active dry yeast or instant both work okay), sugar, salt, oil and vinegar
- 3 cups of warm water (you can test it on your wrist to make sure you don’t kill the yeast-which I have done often enough to know better but still manage to do on occasion)
- 6 cups flour ( you can mix 3 cups white to 3 cups wheat which is what I do)
You’ll want to set your oven for around 150-200 degree to warm it up for the proofing unless you have a warm place in your kitchen which you can use instead.
Mix the yeast with sugar and warm water in the large bowl. Let the yeast sit for around 15 minutes or until you notice it has activated and bubbled up.
Once the yeast has bubbled up add the oil and the vinegar and slowly add in the flour, after you have added in around 1/2 of the flour mixture add in the salt (if you put the salt in too early you can kill your yeast).
Once you have added all the flour carefully divide the dough evenly into the two loaf pans and put them in the oven or your proofing spot and cover with a moist towel – let them sit for around 30-40 minutes. you don’t need to handle the dough or touch the dough again.
Once the dough has risen and doubled in volume (make sure you have taken them out of the oven if that was where you proofed them) turn the oven to 375 degrees, at this point you can put decorative cuts on the top of your breads or sprinkle with sesame seeds or any other topping you might like.
Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the bread should sound hollow when tapped. you’ll want to check the bread around 40 minutes.
Take out of the oven let cool (no we’ve never let it cool- cut it, put butter on it and try not to burn your mouth and hands as you eat it straight out of the oven- trust me you’ll survive to eat another slice or loaf.)
This is a very easy simple bread to make which is great with sauces and of course butter.
Also, depending on your oven, you’ll want to start checking your bread after around 35-40 minutes. I find that in my oven at home, it takes the full 50 minutes to make this bread but at my sisters house it take less time to make in her newer oven. So you may have to test it to figure out your oven’s time. also I’ve made it in a little toaster type oven. I put in it at 350 degree for 55 minutes and it came out pretty good too.
The great thing about this recipe is that if you want you can cut it in half. Instead of using 6 cups flour, you can use 3 cups ( 1 1/2 white and 1 1/2 wheat) and 1/2 tablespoon of the yeast, sugar, salt, oil and vinegar with 1 1/2 cups of warm water and 1 loaf pan- but the rest all stays the same.
I’ve gotten some chickpea flour and plan on substituting that for the wheat flour this weekend. I’ve seen “the spice goddess” show and she uses it like regular white flour would be used, so I thought I’d give it a try too.
Kingdom of Heaven Bread
Old Fashioned Overnight Bread
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
1-1/2 cup water… more or less
Mix all ingredients together, and allow to rise for 12-14 hours. (you may refrigerate it up to 12 hours before setting out to rise)
Punch down, and turn into a greased bread pan (or shape into a bagguette)
Allow to rise until it reaches the edge of the pan (or doubles in size, if making a baguette)
Bake at 450 for about 45-55 minutes, until done.
Homemade Stuffing
There are as many stuffing or (as we call it down here in the south) dressing recipes out there as there are cooks. Here’s one I like that’s based on bread. Most of the time, I end up making cornbread dressing, but this particular homemade stuffing made with bread is very good as well. You can use any type of bread from homemade to store-bought and sliced.
Homemade Stuffing Recipe
- 2 loaves of bread
- 3 lbs. onions
- 2 celery stalks
- 3 eggs
- seasoning to taste (salt, pepper, sage etc.)
Cook onions and celery until they are translucent. Chop bread into small pieces and combine with onion and celery. Add seasoning to taste. Bake
at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
If stuffing seems too dry you can add small amounts of broth until you get the consistency you like.
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Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe
This sweet bread makes for a wonderful breakfast or even a quick snack in the afternoon. I hope you give this moist zucchini bread recipe a try this summer. The finished product also makes a nice hostess gift, or make it for a bake sale. You can even freeze the baked bread and then thaw and reheat later in the year.
Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2tsp. cinnamon
- 1 1/2tsp. cloves
Combine all wet ingredients in a large bowl followed by all dry ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees or until bread bounces back when you touch it. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Good Ol’ Dumplin’s
1c.flour, 2t. baking powder pinch of salt,1 egg (beaten) 1/2c milk. Sift your flour, baking powder,salt.Add your milk and egg,stir down good, drop by spoonfuls over mixture. Put these over boiling gravy or whatever your making, If you do leave covered for 20 min.
Plum Bread Recipe
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
- 2 small jars baby fruit…(plums, apricots or peaches)
- 2 cups flour ~ all purpose~ (If using self rising flour omit the following ingredients)
- 2 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together & bake at for 1 hour in a greased & floured pan or a coffee can, makes great muffins too!
Submitted by HBHW reader Jalynn
Cinna-Sticks for Pizza Night
I go to Aldi and get $1.99 pizza for “Pizza Night” at our house but the family misses having those horribly expensive “cinna-sticks” that you can get at Pizza Hut, Dominoes, etc. so I do this and it’s a hit:
I buy a can or two of generic cinnamon rolls (generic refrigerated cans) at Aldi for $0.69 each. I preheat the oven to the temp. it says on the package. I take each roll out and unroll it into a long snake-like piece and then rip it in half at the middle. I then twist each half a couple times and maybe stretch a little then press the two ends I’m holding onto a cookie sheet (NOT greased). I do this with all 8 (1can)or 16 (2 cans) that I am using (makes 16 to 32 sticks) I don’t place them more than 1 1/2 inch apart as they don’t expand much. I spray them with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray (for taste only, not function so this step is optional) and I bake for about 6 minutes only. I remove from oven and let them sit on pan for about 5 minutes then remove them. Then you dip them!! Use the icing that comes in the end of the tube and we also use some generic white cake icing from the fridge (there always seems to be a partial can! LOL) and thin it w/ water or milk. Taaadaaa!!! Cinna-sticks for $0.69!!!
Hints:
–If your sticks are still limp after cooling them completely, then your oven differs from mine and just put them in longer next time. One minute increments. They will still be tasty just not dip-able this time.
–This works with name brand rolls too except I have found that they are harder to unroll. They are stuck together into their “cinnamon bun shape” better to begin with than the low dollar ones.
Have fun and I know they’ll be a hit at your house too! Pizza night for as low as $2.68!!! Who’da’thunk’it????
30 Minute Buns
1 1/4 c warm water
2 Tbsp yeast
1/3 c. oil
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
Sprinkle yeast in water. Allow to foam. Add in the rest of the ingrediants and mix well, kneading just a few minutes. Roll out to 3/4″ thick and cut into rounds about 4″ diameter. Cover and let raise for 10 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 on a greased cookie sheet or stone.
Makes 10 buns.
These freeze well and you can do a combination of white and wheat flour, though we prefer wheat. It is actually faster to make these than to run to the store after buns when you realize last minute that you don’t have any!
Beer Bread
Made a recipe that called for 12 oz of dark beer. The only can of dark beer I could find was 24 oz. I told the clerk “now to figure out what to do with the other 12 oz since I don’t drink beer” She told me to use it for beer bread. Oh, was it so good and now my mind is going crazy about how to kick it up a notch with flavors. Easy recipe.
Beer Bread
3 cups of flour
3 tsp. of baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp of salt
12 oz of beer, any kind/brand
In a bowl sift the dry ingredients or use a whisk to make the dry fluffy.
Pour into bowl beer (it will bubble up quickly) and stir gently until all dry ingredients are incorporiated. Pour into greased loaf pan or muffin tins. Pour over 1/2 cube melted butter. Bake loaf for 1 hour or muffin tins 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
To kick it up a notch…add grated jack cheese and a pinch of cayenne. Grated cheese of your choice and herbs of your choice. Like rosemary, thyme, grated onion/garlic. Or goat cheese and basil, dried tomatoes. Or grated apples and cinnamon. Let your imagination go wild. Just don’t let hubby know you raided his beer stash. LOL
Juicer Pulp Sweet Bread
Being a frugal person, I can’t bear to throw out all the pulp from my juicer, so one day I tried using it in my regular zucchini bread recipe. It turned out great! Since then, I do it every time with whatever we’ve juiced – carrot, spinach, Chinese broccoli, apple, papaya, zucchini, etc. – and every time I get rave reviews and people beg me for the recipe. My kids also love it, and I love that they’re eating all the fiber from the veggies whose juice they just drank!!!
Ingredients:
1/2 – 2/3 cup sugar (white or brown)
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, mashed banana, or applesauce
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract (or lemon or almond)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (up to 1 cup can be replaced with whole wheat flour for a denser loaf)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups pulp from juicing
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan or small cake pan; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk, egg, oil (or banana or applesauce), honey, vanilla (or other) extract), cinnamon, and cloves.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the milk mixture, then the pulp from juicing. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined, but do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack or cut your cake into pieces. The cake is especially nice with cream cheese frosting! Enjoy!
Variation:
Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder to the dry ingredients for deliciously moist chocolate bread!
6 Week Bran Muffins
1 (15 oz.) Raisin Bran or Plan box of bran
3 C. sugar
5 C. Plain All Purpose flour
5 tsp. Soda
2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 C. oil
1 Qt. of buttermilk
Mix all ingredients together. Place it in your nice BIG bowl and put in the frige. Take out what you need and put into muffin tins. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 mins. These will keep for 6 to 8 weeks in the frige! They are yummy!
Poor Man’s Rolls
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of mayonaise
Mix ingrediants together. Grease cupcake pan. Pour mixture half way in each portion of pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until brown. About thirty minutes. I use a tooth pick to check. Done if clear.
Simple Round Bread
This bread is much easier to make than traditional, so that even a
beginner could do it. The downside is that it makes round instead of
normal loaves, not so good for sandwiches. I’m working on fixing that.
We call it “overnight bread” at my place, and make it once or twice a
week.
- 3 cups flour
- ¼ tsp yeast
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
Combine dry ingredients and add 1 5/8 cups
water. Mix well. Cover with towel and let rise
12-18 hours. The dough is ready when the
surface is bubbly.
Flour the table and the dough. Roll it over itself a
couple of times. Put back in bowl and let lay for
about 15 minutes. Roll dough into a ball shape
and sprinkle it with cornmeal or cracker crumbs if
desired.
Let it sit again for 2-3 hours. It is ready when an
imprint remains when poked.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a casserole
dish in the oven to warm it. When the oven is hot,
put the dough in the dish and cook with a lid for
half an hour. Remove the lid and cook another
15-30 minutes.
From HBHW reader Erin B.
Brandy’s Dinner Rolls
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 5 rolls
Oven temperature: 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Price per batch: $0.35
Price per roll: $0.07
Dinner Rolls
1c all-purpose flour
1t baking powder
½ t salt
½ c milk
2T mayonnaise
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or put paper cups in a muffin tin. Mix ingredients in a bowl and spoon into muffin tin. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and browned.
I compared the price of this recipe to Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits – 36ct (frozen) from Sam’s Club for $5.46 per bag.
My recipe costs approximately $2.52 for 36 rolls. That is a savings of $2.94.
All ingredients are priced from pre-packaged bulk ingredients from Sam’s Club. All prices/ costs are approximate.
This recipe came from my family cookbook. I am not certain who in my family contributed the recipe, where they got it from, or how long it has been in my family cookbook.
If you have any questions about this recipe or are looking for more recipes please email me at mamakays@gmail.com. This is my business address for my at home bakery. Thank you!
Brandy R.
Here’s another frugal bread recipe for you. This one is for homemade american indian fry bread.
Carrot Banana Bread
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 t cinnamon
- 2 t ginger
- 2 t aluminum free baking powder
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/2 t sea salt
- 2/3 c rapadura or sucanat
- 1/2 c coconut oil or melted butter
- 1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained with juice reserved
- 1/2 c carrot juice
- 1 t all natural vanilla extract
- 1 c carrots, finely grated
- 1/2 c raisins
- 1/2 c pecans, coarsely chopped (optional – may use walnuts)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan with olive oil cooking spray or butter.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix sugar, oil, 1/4 c pineapple juice , carrot juice and vanilla. Then mix into dry ingredients. Add crushed pineapple, carrots, raisins, and nuts.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 60 minutes (for muffins, bake 20 minutes). Cool 5 minutes then turn onto wire rack to cool completely.
Thanks go Carrie for this wonderful recipe. Click here for more whole foods recipes.
Here is another simple bread recipe. This recipe for dinner rolls was submitted by a HBHW reader.
Quick & Easy Garlic Bread Sticks
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dry parsley (optional, for decoration)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
- 1 more teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
These are good and easy and they get eaten up so fast that you may have to make a double batch.
Begin with your favorite big bowl. Measure your flour, salt, garlic powder, parsley and baking powder into it. Stir the dry ingredients together so that the salt, garlic powder, parsley and baking powder are evenly distributed throughout the flour. Now pour in your milk. Stir with a big spoon until you get a ball of dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. You may have to dust the ball of dough with a little flour if it seems sticky to you. Gently knead the ball of dough right there in the bowl about 5 or 6 times. Now place your dough on the counter. You may place a sheet of waxed paper under it you like. Using a rolling pin or sturdy bottle roll the dough out into a rectangle shape. If the edges get all scraggly then use your hands to press them back up into main rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You are aiming for a rectangle that will fit into a 9 by 13-inch pan. When you get the dough the right size, set it aside.
Meanwhile place the margarine in a 9 by 13-inch pan. Place the pan in the oven at 425°. Allow the pan to preheat and the margarine to melt. When the margarine is melted, carefully remove the pan from the oven. It will be very hot, so don’t burn yourself. Sprinkle the second teaspoon of garlic powder and the 1/2-teaspon of salt into the pan. You do not have to use the extra salt. My crew likes their bread sticks salty so I always use it, but it isn’t vital. Now, very carefully lay your rectangle of dough into the pan, over top of the margarine. Next cut the rectangle into narrow strips. I use a pizza cutter for this because it seems to work the best. A sharp knife will work too though, so use what you have available. My method of cutting is to cut the dough in half and then cut each half in half and then each quarter in half, going on and on until I have a lot of narrow strips of dough. The margarine will creep up between the strips. This is normal. It is what gives these bread sticks their texture. After cutting your strips, place the pan in the oven, still at 425°, and bake them for 20 minutes. They will be brown and crispy when they are done. If desired you may serve them with small cups or bowls of spaghetti sauce or seasoned tomato sauce as a dip. Alternatively, they make a great hot bread with any Italian style meal like lasagna, spaghetti or anything of that ilk.
The parsley is simply for decoration. It makes the bread sticks look more “gourmet” but it adds little to the flavor or the texture. Leave it out if you don’t have any or are running low. If desired you may sprinkle the bread sticks with a little bit of parmesan cheese before or after baking. This tastes good, but once again, it is optional. This recipe is one of my most often requested one here at home. Family and friends alike have all fallen in love with it and beg me to make it for pot lucks and for regular family dinners. Essentially it is based on my recipe for Buttery Bread Sticks.
Here’s another great bread recipe. It’s a carrot banana bread recipe that’s as healthy as it is delicious.
Plain Muffins
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 medium egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (3 teaspoons)
- 2 cups flour
In a large bowl combine the oil, egg, milk, sugar and salt. Mix it very well with a fork or wire whisk. Measure in the baking powder and flour. Mix again until all of the dough particles are moistened. Do not over mix. The whole thing should take about 20 to 30 strokes. Spoon the batter into a dozen well oiled muffin cups. Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before removing from the pan.
This is the basic recipe. I used to make it every night when I was young and poor. It is so easy and so cheap and so down right good to eat, that it almost seems a shame to expand on it. Notice I say almost, because one of the glorious things about muffins is that this recipe, is only the starting point. I will list several easy variations now, and you can go from here in any direction you like.
Cereal Muffins: After preparing the above recipe using 1/4-cup of sugar, add 1-cup of cooked cereal. You may add oatmeal, or grits, or rice, or farina, or whatever you have left over. This makes about 18 muffins. Rice is my favorite.
Whole Wheat Muffins: Use half or all whole wheat flour instead of the white flour called for. Use 1/3-cup brown sugar for the sweetener.
Rye Muffins: Replace 1/2-cup of white flour with Rye flour. Add 1-teaspoon caraway seeds to the batter. Use 1/4-cup of brown sugar for the sweetener.
Cornmeal Muffins: Replace 1-cup of white flour with cornmeal. Use 1/3-cup of white sugar for the sweetener.
Here’s another frugal bread recipe for you: Quick and easy garlic bread sticks.
Cornmeal Muffins
- 1/2 cup oil, or melted shortening
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk, or yogurt, or sour milk (powdered buttermilk is fine)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
Into your favorite big bowl, measure the oil or melted shortening. Crack in the eggs and add the buttermilk (or other milk product). Beat with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the salt, sugar, soda, cornmeal and flour. Stir casually, but not too aggressively. When mixed, but still lumpy stop stirring. Oil up a dozen muffin cups. Divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin cups. Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before eating. These are very very good. Perfect for company meals with a nice pot of homemade chili.
Of course that’s not the only muffin recipe in the bread section. You may also want to try making the plain muffins.
My Best Cornbread
- 1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk (powdered buttermilk is fine, or even yogurt or sour milk would work)
- 2 medium eggs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
You really need an iron skillet to make this, but if you just don’t have one, a nine inch square or round cake pan will do. Get your large iron skillet, or 9″ pan and put the margarine in it. Put the pan into the oven at 400° allowing the margarine to melt, and the pan to heat.
In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, eggs, sugar and salt. Use a whisk to mix it up really well. Pour in the melted margarine, leaving about a tablespoon of it left in the hot pan. Be careful pouring so you don’t get burned. Beat everything up again. Finally add the cornmeal, flour and baking soda. Whisk again until the batter is mostly smooth. Turn the batter into the hot skillet or pan, on top of the little bit of margarine you saved in it. Carefully put the skillet back into the oven. Bake the cornbread at 400° for about 25 minutes. It will be golden brown and the edges will pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool a little while before slicing into 8 or 12 wedges.
The iron skillet gives this cornbread the traditional crispy hillbilly crust. Another pan will still cook it, but it will not be quite the same. The buttermilk and sugar make the cornbread very tender and sweet. A perfect accompaniment for spicy dishes like Chili and stew. This is the best cornbread I have ever eaten, there is another recipe though, of a heartier and coarser nature, which is a little easier to make, Plain Cornbread.
If you’re not in the mood to make a whole bread, try this cornmeal muffin recipe instead
Oatmeal Muffins
- 1 cup dry oatmeal
- 1 cup sour milk or yogurt or buttermilk (powdered buttermilk is fine)
- 1 medium egg
- 1/2 cup brown or white sugar
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1-1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda & salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
In a large bowl combine the oatmeal and buttermilk or sour milk. If you have the chance, let it stand for a few minutes, for the oatmeal to absorb some of the buttermilk. Add the egg, sugar and oil. Beat very well with a wire whisk. Add the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Mix again, until all of the dry particles are moistened. Do not over beat. It should only take about a 20 or 30 strokes by hand to mix it up enough. Spoon the batter into a dozen well oiled muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.
This recipe is one of the first I ever made on my own, while babysitting at a neighbors house. After I got home, I remembered it and wrote it down the next day. The original copy of this recipe survives, in my childish handwriting among my file of favorite recipes. If you like, you may add 1/2-cup of raisins or a cup of chopped apple to the batter, right after mixing in the flour. I really like it with the raisins, but the kids don’t, so I don’t add them as often as I’d like. This is a very good breakfast muffin and also nice in lunch boxes, especially with the apple added.
Ready to try something else from my bread recipe collection? Try my best cornbread recipe.
Hush Puppies
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoon How To Get Him Back To Love Me s baking soda
- 2 tablespoons dry onion
- 1 medium egg
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk or yogurt (powdered buttermilk is fine)
In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and dry onion. When everything is well distributed, stir in the egg and buttermilk. Stir it up until everything is evenly moistened. The batter will be thick like muffin batter. Drop the batter by smallish spoonfuls into deep hot fat, about 375°. Try not to crowd the pan as you fry them. Turn when the underside is done, and continue frying until both sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot. These are traditionally served with fish, but they are good with casseroles too, and also with salmon loaf. This amount is enough for a family of 6.
Why are they called Hush Puppies? The way I’ve heard it goes like this…
In the old days, the kitchen was often located in a small side building detached from the main house (to reduce the chance of the main house going up in flames). Servents would carry plates and bows of food from the kitchen building to the main house. Of course the dogs roaming around would smell the food and demand their share by barking loudly. Cooks would cook up little fried balls of cornmeal batter and those would then be given to the dogs to “hush” them while the food made it’s way to the main house. Thus the name “Hush Puppies”
Here’s another popular bread recipe. This one is for oatmeal muffins. They are perfect for breakfast.
Cranberry Bread
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 1/4 cup melted margarine or oil
- 1 1/3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 to 1-1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
This is Tommy’s favorite tea bread. To prepare it you will need to get out your favorite large mixing bowl. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into it. Mix the dry ingredients up with a fork or a whisk, to distribute the baking powder and salt evenly. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Crack in the eggs. Add the margarine, milk and vanilla. Combine all of these ingredients until the batter is well mixed, but still a little lumpy, sort of like muffin batter, but a little smoother. Dump in the cranberries. If they are frozen, don’t bother thawing them; they will thaw as they cook. Stir the batter well. Divide the mixture between two well oiled 8″ by 4″ loaf pans. 350 degrees for 45 minutes. You can tell they are done when a knife inserted into the center of the largest one, comes out clean. If they aren’t done, but are very brown on top, then reduce the heat and continue cooking until the centers are cooked through. Allow the bread to sit a few minutes before removing from the pan. Serve with cream cheese, or margarine, or even plain, as a snack or dessert. I often include thick slices in the kids lunches as a dessert. Very good with a tall glass of cold milk.
When cranberries are reduced to half price after the winter holidays, I stock up on bags of cranberries and store them in my freezer at home. Then we have cranberries all year long. When the Holidays come around again, I use the last of the frozen cranberries for the festivities. Then I restock my freezer supply at the end of December, and start the process all over again.
Ready for another frugal bread recipe? Try making these homemade hush puppies.
Cornmeal Popovers
- 1 cup milk
- 2 medium eggs
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
First set your oven to 450°. Then get out a muffin tin. A heavy muffin tin is best (I use cast iron), but any kind will do. Oil or grease the muffin cups liberally. Put the pan into the oven to preheat while you prepare the batter.
In a medium sized bowl, beat together the milk and eggs. Use a whisk or electric beaters for the best results. Add the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Beat very well, making a nice thick, smooth batter. Take the hot muffin tins out of the oven and distribute the batter evenly among the hot oiled cups. Be careful not to burn yourself. I use about 3 tablespoons of batter for each cup, pouring it in with a quarter cup measure, that isn’t quite full of batter. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. The heat of the oven will puff up the batter nicely, making nice showy popovers. Then turn the oven down to 350° and cook for about 20 more minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool down for a few minutes. Remove the popovers from the muffin tin, and serve right away. These are good with creamed dishes, or with roast beef. Makes about a dozen.
Here’s another frugal bread recipe that’s quite impressive (and makes a great holiday gift) – Cranberry Bread.
Buttery Bread Sticks
- 1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk (approximately)
Place the margarine in a 9 by 13-inch rectangular pan. Put this into the oven at 425 F Leave the pan in the oven until the margarine melts. Meanwhile take out your favorite mixing bowl. In it combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a fork to stir, gradually mix in the milk. You may need a little more. Stir up the dough until it is cohesive, and forms a soft ball. Coat the ball with flour if it seems sticky. Rip off a sheet of waxed paper and pat or roll the dough out on top of the waxed paper. You should make a roughly rectangular shape which will fit into the hot pan.
Remove the hot pan from the oven when the margarine is melted. Gently place the large sheet of dough into the pan, overtop of the hot margarine. Be very careful not to burn yourself. Next use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into thin strips. I cut it once down the middle too, but you don’t have to do it that way. The margarine will ooze up between the sticks. This is supposed to happen. If desired, you may sprinkle the bread sticks with Parmesan cheese at this time. I seldom do, although it does taste good. Now bake the bread sticks at 425 F for about 15 to 20 minutes. They will bake up golden brown, crunchy on the outside and soft in the center. Good with spaghetti. You can sprinkle 1/2-teaspoon of dry garlic powder into the melted margarine before adding the dough to the pan if you like. This makes garlic bread sticks. The best part about this recipe is how quickly it cooks, not to mention the spectacular impact it makes at the table.
Cinnamon Dips: Combine 1/4-cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle this liberally about the bread sticks right before baking. This makes a very nice and quick treat for the kids right after school. You could even let a couple of older children prepare this recipe themselves, especially when a good friend spends the night.
Here’s another great bread recipe – Cornmeal Popovers.
Family Bread
- 4 cups warm tap water (not hot)
- 2/3 cup non-fat dry milk powder (instant powdered milk)
- 1/3 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey
- 2 packets or 4 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/3 cup melted margarine or oil
- 12 cups (approximately) white or whole wheat flour or a combination
The first thing you need is a big bowl or clean dish pan to mix this up in. I use a huge metal bowl that is made of stainless steel. But I used to use the same plastic dish tub I washed the dishes in. I would wash it with a little bit of bleach, rinse it really well, and then dry it completely. In some ways it worked better because it fit on my lap more conveniently due to the rectangular shape. But the shiny stainless steel one does look more like I know what I’m doing. So much for appearances.
So anyway mix the water, dry milk powder and sugar in the dishpan or bowl. Add the yeast, sort of sprinkled on top. Allow the mixture to sit until the yeast dissolves some, this will only take a couple of minutes. Add the salt, margarine or oil, and flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until it gets too stiff and then dig in with your hands. When the dough is in a nice cohesive ball, turn it out onto a floured kitchen table or counter. Or if you are using a dish pan, you can just leave it in there.
Now start kneading the dough with all of the love you have for your family. Press the dough and send big love vibes into it. Stretch the dough and impress all of your compassion and generosity into it. Remember why you love your kids, and your spouse and your mom or you dad, and just put it all into the dough. Knead it like this for a full ten minutes. Add more flour if you need to as you go along.
Coat the dough with oil, about 2 tablespoons of it, and put it into the bowl or dishpan. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap and let it set in a warm place to rise for about an hour or so. It should double in bulk. It may take up to two hours on cool days, or in the air conditioning, so be patient.
Punch down the dough by literally pressing your fist into the center of it. Divide the dough into 4 equal lumps. Coax them into loaf shapes and place them into large (9 by 5-inch) well oiled loaf pans. If you don’t have enough loaf pans, use casserole pans or cake pans, or whatever. Cover the dough with a cloth or more plastic wrap and let it rise again. It should take less time for the second rising. When the dough is risen up enough, bake the loaves at 350° for 40 minutes.
You can tell the dough is done if you turn it out of the pan and thump the bottom with your finger. It should make a dull hollow sound. If it doesn’t sound hollow, put it back into the pan and cook it some more. Makes four loaves.
Old-Fashioned Low-Yeast Bread:
This variation is similar to sourdough bread and it has 2 benefits. The first is economical. You only need a single packet of yeast to make 4 loaves of bread. The second is that the work can be done the day before and finished when you have more time the next day. The process is simple.
Reduce the yeast to 1 packet, or approximately 2-1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast. Mix and knead the dough as directed. When you tuck it away to rise, put it in a spot that is safe from nocturnal critters (like in the oven or the drier) and let it sit for 12 to 18 hours. The yeast has to have a long time to work because there isn’t much of it in there. As it sits in the dough, it will reproduce itself and gradually raise the entire batch of dough. Do not refrigerate it during this time; let it sit at room temperature.
The next day check your dough to see how it’s doing. If it has doubled in bulk, then you can punch it down and shape it into loaves. If it hasn’t doubled yet then let it sit a while longer.
Don’t worry about the dough. Don’t worry about it going bad, or getting contaminated or anything like that. Remember, our foremothers always made their dough this way and they produced healthy, hearty offspring that could withstand all sorts of trouble. Eating this kind of bread didn’t make anyone sick back then when their sanitary methods were questionable at best and it won’t hurt you or your crew either.
After the dough has doubled, you can proceed with the recipe as written. The second rise may take 2 or 3 hours, or it may take less than that. Bake the bread like you normally do. When it’s done you’ll notice that the texture may seem a tiny bit chewier than usual, but for the most part it will be perfectly normal bread.
Here’s another homemade bread recipe I use almost every single week. This one is for buttery bread sticks that go perfect with lasana or spaghetti.
Whole Wheat Flat-Bread
- 2-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil or melted fat
- 1 cup tap water
Mixing by Hand: Get out a large bowl. In it combine the whole wheat flour and salt. Add the oil and water. Combine everything together to form a stiff dough. Mix it with your hands when it gets too stiff to mix with a spoon. If the dough seems dry, add a little more water, if it seems too wet, add a little more flour. Work and knead the dough for 10 minutes by the clock. All of this kneading is what makes a tender finished product. After kneading the dough, cover it with a dish towel or plastic wrap. Allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes. This will make it easier to roll out. You may allow it to rest over night if desired.
Mixing by Bread Machine: Measure all of the ingredients into the machine’s bread pan. Start the machine and allow it to mix and knead the dough for you. Set your timer for 10 minutes, or watch the clock. When the time is up, turn off the machine. You should have a nice stiff ball of dough inside of it with a clay-like consistency. Allow the dough to rest inside the machine for at least 30 minutes, or as long as overnight. It won’t rise because it doesn’t have yeast in it.
Rolling & Shaping the Dough: After the dough has rested, divide it into 8 or 10 pieces. Roll out each piece into a large thin circle. I roll mine out on waxed paper dusted with flour, or a square piece of clean muslin cloth dusted with flour. Make the flat-bread as thin as possible. Roll out all of the flat-bread before you begin to cook them if possible. This makes the work go faster. The thinner you can roll the dough, the more tender the finished product will be.
To Make Chapatis: After rolling out the dough, heat a dry iron skillet over medium-high heat. 
When it is hot, place one of the prepared flat-bread on it. Let it cook for about 10 seconds and then flip to the other side. Cook the second side for about a minute, or until it is brown and puffy. Flip the flat-bread again and cook the first side for about another minute. It will be light brown, tender and puffed with little bubbles all over.
To Make Fry-Bread: After rolling out the dough, heat about 1/2 an inch of oil in a large skillet. Get the oil very hot, almost smoking, or about 375°. Carefully slip a prepared flat-bread into the hot oil. Press it down gently with a pair of tongs so that it is submerged in the hot oil. The bread will bubble up and puff all over. Use tongs to turn it and brown the other side. Remove it and place it on a paper towel covered plate, or a brown paper bag to drain. Continue with the rest of the flat-bread, until all are cooked.
Here is another one of my best bread recipes… a family yeast bread. This is the bread I make every week for our everyday consumption.
Homemade Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (3 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup shortening
- 2/3 cup milk or buttermilk or yogurt
First get out your big bowl. Put the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl. Drop in the shortening and use your fingers to casually mix it in with the dry ingredients. Don’t get too serious about it because it is better to under mix at this point than over mix. There should still be a few lumps of shortening, the size of peas, or even a little bigger. Two minutes or less of mixing should do it. Next add the milk. Stir it up into a soft dough. On dry days you may need another spoonful or two of milk. Form the dough into a soft ball. Get a piece of waxed paper and lay it on your counter. Sprinkle the waxed paper with a little bit of flour. Place the dough ball on the flour and knead it exactly 10 times. No more, no less. This activates the gluten in the flour just enough, but not too much. Next flatten out the dough with a rolling pin or your hands so it is about 3/4″ thick. Cut into biscuit shapes with a biscuit cutter, or the rim of a clean cup or can. I use a tomato paste can for small biscuits and a tuna can for large biscuits. Works really well. Lay the biscuits onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan and bake them at 425° for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on their size. Makes about a dozen medium sized biscuits. You can brush them with melted margarine when you take them from the oven if you want them to look pretty when they arrive at the table.
Cheese Biscuits: These are made simply by adding a cup of cheese to the flour after you mix in the shortening, right before adding the milk. Cut into smallish biscuits and cook as directed. They are really good with spaghetti or lasagna.
Bacon Biscuits: Add 1/3 cup of soy bacon bits to the flour right after adding the shortening. Cut into small circles and bake as directed. These are good for snacks or as a quick breakfast on the go.
Drop Biscuits: Substitute melted shortening or oil for the solid shortening. Increase the milk to almost a full cup. Stir it into the flour making a sticky dough. Drop the biscuits by small spoonfuls onto an oiled cookie sheet. Bake as directed. These used to be called Emergency Biscuits, in my grandmother’s day, because they could be made in such a hurry. They still make their appearance most often when I have forgotten to plan a hot bread to go with lunch or supper.
Biscuits are one of my favorite breads. For a little change, try this whole wheat flat bread recipe.
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Blueberry Muffins
- 1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
- 1/2 cup sugar-free applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
Begin by getting out a large bowl. In it combine the wet ingredients. This would be the apple juice concentrate, applesauce, eggs, and oil. You could also add the salt if desired. Beat this mixture until it is smooth and creamy. I use a whisk for this part, but a sturdy fork or large spoon would work too. Add the flour and baking soda. Mix again, stirring until all of the batter particles are well moistened. Try not to overmix. A few lumps are good. They give muffins their characteristic texture. Next stir in the blueberries.
If you are using fresh blueberries, be sure you rinse them in cool water before adding them to the batter. They often carry small debris from packing. If you use frozen blueberries, use them straight from the bag. Don’t thaw them and don’t wash them. That would turn your batter purple. The muffins would still turn out, they would just be purple muffins instead of golden brown. This doesn’t affect the flavor, just the color.
Anyway, oil up 12 muffin cups. Divide the batter evenly between the cups. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Remove the muffins and serve hot with margarine.
These muffins are the perfect quickbread for breakfast, as are these homemade biscuits.
Orange Juice Muffins
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange rind (optional)
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 medium egg
- 1/3 cup oil
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and the orange rind, if you choose to use it. Mix these together with a fork or a whisk to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Pour in the orange juice, crack in the egg, and measure in the oil. Stir the mixture up so that all the flour is moistened by the wet ingredients. Don’t over mix it; the batter should still be lumpy. Turn the batter into 16 or 18 well oiled muffin cups and bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. When they are nicely browned on top, remove them from the oven and allow to cool slightly. They may be eaten right away for breakfast or a snack, or you may frost them with the following concoction:
Simple Frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Combine everything in a small bowl and drizzle over baked muffins. My kids prefer them with the frosting, so this is how we usually eat them. These also make excellent lunch box snacks.
Ready for another baked goods recipe? Here’s another family favorite… blueberry muffins.
Paula’s Purty Nearly Instant Biscuits
- 6 cups self-rising biscuit flour (OR 6 cups flour, plus 3 tablespoons baking powder & 1 Tablespoon salt)
- 1 cup shortening
- 2 cups buttermilk OR sour milk OR yogurt thinned with a little milk or water
This recipe is inspired from a very dear friend named Paula. It involves preparing biscuits from scratch and then freezing the unbaked biscuits. Paula created the idea because her family always wanted her good biscuits for supper, and she needed a way to make them hot, and fresh, even on days when she didn’t feel like baking. The results are divinely inspired.
First get out a large mixing bowl. Measure in the self rising biscuit flour (or flour, baking powder and salt). Add the firmly packed shortening and mash it into the flour with your fingers or a fork. DO Not Overmix. The shortening should be casually combined with the flour, and small chunks the size of dried beans should remain. This is what makes the biscuits flakey. Now stir in the buttermilk or sour milk or thinned out yogurt. Stir it up until you have a nice soft dough. Knead the dough about 10 or 12 times. NO more, No less. This activates the gluten in the flour just enough to make good biscuits. Roll the dough out into a nice thick slab. I use a rolling pin, but any sturdy jar or glass will do. Cut the dough into biscuit shapes. Use a clean can or glass rim, if you don’t have a biscuit cutter. Tuna cans are just the right size for big breakfast biscuits. Continue rolling and cutting until all the dough is used up.
Lay waxed paper on a plate or large pan. Arrange the shaped biscuit dough on the waxed paper. Freeze overnight. The next morning the biscuits can be gathered up and stashed in plastic freezer bag.
When you want to cook them, just take out the specific number you want and place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet or pizza pan. Bake in a preheated 425 to 450° oven for about 10 minutes. The biscuits will rise up beautifully and will be a nice golden brown when done.
These biscuits are better tasting, and much cheaper than canned whack-’em-on-the-counter-biscuits. The whole recipe makes between 30 and 35 medium sized biscuits, or about 20 big breakfast size biscuits (grand-sized).
If you enjoyed this simple bread recipe, try making orange juice muffins next. They are delicious.
Peanut Butter Bread
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-3/4 cup milk
- 2-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
This is one of my favorite breads for gift giving. Get out your trusty big bowl. In it cream together the peanut butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and salt and mix well. Now add half the milk and half the flour, and all of the baking powder. Mix very well. Add the remaining milk and flour, and mix again until the batter is nice and smooth. Turn the mixture into a well oiled 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, or two smaller loaf pans. Bake at 350° for about an hour. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan. If you use two smaller loaf pans, 45 minutes will probably be long enough to cook them through. Cool completely before wrapping and storing. These loaves freeze well. I have doubled the recipe with good results, but the one time I tripled it, it didn’t taste quite as good as I expected. I especially like this bread toasted and spread with home made strawberry jelly.
This is a wonderful and frugal bread recipe, as is this one for nearly instant biscuits.
Plain Cornbread
- 2 medium eggs
- 1-1/4 cups milk
- 1/4 cup oil or melted margarine
- 1-1/2 cups cornmeal
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (3 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
First get out your favorite large bowl. Crack the eggs into it. Pour in the milk and the oil or margarine. Mix this up until it is emulsified nicely (that means blended up really well). Dump in the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Use a whisk or a spoon and a strong arm to mix this all up until it is quite smooth. Turn the batter into a round, oiled 9-inch pan, or an oiled 8-inch square pan. You could also use a large iron skillet if you liked. Bake the cornbread at 400� for about 30 minutes, maybe a smidgen more. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before cutting it into wedges. I usually cut 12 wedges, but you could cut 8 just as easily. This is a sturdy southern cornbread. The flavor is hearty and delicious. Serve with chili and stews or cooked beans for a nice meal.
This is part of my frugal bread recipe collection, as is this peanut butter bread recipe.
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Pumpkin Muffins
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin)
- 1/3 cup buttermilk or yogurt
- 1/3 cup melted margarine
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 medium eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
Get out a big bowl. Scrape the pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin into the bowl. Add the buttermilk, margarine, sugars, vanilla, eggs, salt and cinnamon. Use your whisk to work everything together until it is well blended. Add the baking soda and flour. Mix again, stirring only until the flour is moistened. Be careful not to over beat, muffin batter should be lumpy. Spoon the batter into well oiled muffin cups. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes. This recipe makes about 18 muffins. I serve these with cream cheese for breakfast, and with a little Vanilla Frosting in the lunch box. They make a nice holiday gift too.
If you buy pumpkin in large cans, you can divide it into cup size portions and freeze it until you need it again. This prevents waste, because you don’t have to use the whole can up right away. I usually buy pumpkin in 28 ounce cans, because it is cheaper this way. Although sometimes the 16 ounce cans go on sale around the holidays.
Ready for another homemade bread recipe? Here’s one for plain cornbread.
Southern Batter Bread
- 1-1/2 cups tap water
- 3 tablespoons margarine
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/3 cups milk
- 2 medium eggs
This is a very old recipe. It has been around for at least a hundred years, probably longer. Bring the tap water and margarine to a boil on the stove, or in the microwave. While it is heating, combine the cornmeal, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water into the cornmeal mixture. Stir it up quickly with a whisk to prevent lumps. The cornmeal will swell up and absorb the water. Slowly add the milk to the hot cornmeal. If you add it too fast it will wind up lumpy, which is not real bad, but it’s better if you try to keep it smooth. So slowly stir in the milk, a little at a time. When all the milk is added, break the eggs into the bowl too. You don’t add the eggs before the milk because the hot cornmeal will cook them. Trust me, this is sort of an icky thing and difficult to rescue. The time it happened to me, I had to toss out the whole mess for the dogs. The milk cools down the cornmeal, making it the perfect temperature for adding eggs. So beat up the batter until the eggs are well incorporated. Then turn the batter into a well oiled 2-quart casserole, or 8-inch square pan, or even a ten inch iron skillet. Bake the bread at 375° for about 40 minutes. The top will be nicely browned and the mixture will jiggle a little bit when you shake the pan. Take it out of the oven and serve it hot. I like this with Butter Beans especially. Add a cherry pie and you have a supper fit for a Hillbilly King.
There’s just something about making your own bread. Ready to try another recipe? How about these pumpkin muffins?
Tender Cornmeal Muffins
- 2 cups yellow corn meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup milk
- 2 medium eggs
Bring 2-cups of water to a boil on the stove or in the microwave. While the water is heating, combine the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Have the margarine close by. Pour the boiling water into the cornmeal mixture. Stir and stir and stir. The mixture will lump up some, but if you keep stirring it will smooth out. Add the margarine and stir until it melts. I use a whisk to mix this up because it is best for getting rid of the lumps. Next add the milk. Once again, stir until the mixture is smooth. Now add the eggs and continue mixing until the whole thing is smooth. Turn the batter into well oiled muffin pans. Bake at 475° for about 17 minutes. They will be golden brown and puffed when they are done. Remove them from the pan after cooling a little. Makes about 24 muffins. These are very tender and are best served slathered in margarine and eaten hot. Excellent for breakfast, or as a hot bread with lunch or supper. Spicy dishes make a superb foil to these delicate morsels of goodness.
Here’s another frugal bread for your family to enjoy – the southern batter bread recipe. It’s a true hilbilly recipe.
Yeast Pan Bread – Quick and Easy
- 2 cups whole wheat or white flour or a combination
- 1/4 cup sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons yeast or 1 packet of yeast
- 1/3 cup dry milk powder
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 medium egg
- 1 cup warm tap water
In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and dry milk powder. Mix it up with a whisk or a fork until it is well blended. Add the oil, egg and warm tap water. Stir again, making a nice smooth mixture, along the consistency of cake batter. Turn the batter into a well oiled 8 or 9-inch, square or round pan. Set the pan aside in a warm place and allow the yeast to work for about 30 minutes. It won’t look like it has risen very much. That is alright. Bake the bread at 400° for about 20 minutes. It will rise up golden brown and very pretty. Remove it from the oven when the top is medium dark brown. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean. Cut the bread into 12 pieces and serve hot with margarine. This yeast bread has a texture similar to muffins. You could even bake it in a muffin pan if you were so inclined. The flavor is so heavenly, your guests will beg for the recipe and never believe how easy it is to prepare. Excellent with any meal calling for a simple hot bread.
Here is another excellent hot bread recipe that’s fast … cornmeal muffins. They are excellent with soups, stews and of course chili.
Yeast Rolls
- 1 cup warm tap water
- 1/4 cup dry milk powder
- 1/4 cup sugar or honey
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 medium egg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3-1/2 to 4 cups whole wheat or white flour
- 2 teaspoons or 1 packet yeast
In a large bowl combine the water, dry milk, sugar, oil, egg and salt. Stir it all together, until the egg and oil are mixed with everything else. Add 3-1/2 cups flour and the yeast. Stir and stir until the dough is too stiff to stir any more, then dig in with your hands. Add more flour if necessary. Knead the mixture lovingly with your hands. Press and fold, and smash and poke. Knead and Knead and Knead. After 10 minutes stop. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes. This relaxes the gluten, and allows it to rise slightly.
After resting the dough, form it into small balls. Arrange the balls on a well oiled cookie sheet, or in well oiled muffin cups. Cover them with a cloth and allow them to rise in a warm place for about an hour. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.
Other Shapes:
Here’s another frugal homemade bread recipe: My quick and easy yeast pan bread. Enjoy!
My Best Banana Bread
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup melted margarine or corn oil
- grated peel of one orange (optional)
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons baking powder(1 tablespoon)
- 2-1/2 cups unbleached white flour or whole wheat flour
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Use a whisk to mash the bananas in a big bowl. A fork would work too, but a whisk is my favorite. Try to get out most of the banana lumps. Add the sugar and margarine or oil. Mix every thing together until it is smooth and satiny.
Next, shred the orange peel with a cheese grater. Try to get mostly the orange colored peel and not too much of the white or cream colored part. The orange part, or zest, is very tasty, but the white part, or pith, is bitter. Put the orange peel into the bowl with the banana mixture. Squeeze the orange into a measuring cup. Add additional juice or water or milk to make up 3/4-cup. Pour this in with the banana mixture. Beat the batter until it is good and smooth. Next add the salt and baking powder. Mix them in and then add the flour. You may need to use a big spoon to mix the flour in, because the batter may be kind of stiff by now. Add a little more water or milk if you think you need it. Trust your own eye. Finally stir in the nuts if you’re using them.
Turn the batter into a well oiled 9″ by 5″ loaf pan, or two 8″ by 4″ loaf pans. Bake at 350° for a whole hour. If you are using the smaller loaf pans, check it after 45 minutes. It cooks a little faster in the smaller pans. The loaf should be brown, crusty and fragrant when it is done. If you aren’t sure, then jab a clean margarine knife down into the center of it. If the knife comes out clean, it is done. Remove from the pan(s) and cool.
To store it, double wrap it, first in plastic wrap, and then in tin foil. It freezes very well and makes a nice gift for unexpected guests.
This is my best recipe for banana bread. The citrus flavor adds a dimension that raises this recipe from ordinary to extraordinary.
Another one of my favorite homeamde bread recipes is this one for yeast rolls. They are great with sunday supper.
Banana Muffins
- 2 big bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 cup sour milk or yogurt or buttermilk (powdered is fine)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour or a combination
Peel the bananas and plop them into a big bowl. Use a whisk to mash them until they are almost liquid. Add the sugar and oil. Beat until the mixture is somewhat smooth and fluffy. Add the yogurt or buttermilk and salt, mixing again. Finally measure in the baking powder and flour. Stir it all up until all of the dry particles are nicely moistened, but the batter is still lumpy. Don’t mix it smooth, muffins need lumps to give them their characteristic texture. Oil up a dozen muffin cups. Drop the batter into the cups, filling them up about 2/3 full. This recipe makes a few more than a dozen, maybe 15 grand total. Usually I use a 12-cup muffin pan and the make a couple of extra big muffins in custard cups. Use the resources available to you to figure this out best for your own circumstances. Bake the muffins at 400° for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before removing from the pans. Serve with margarine or peanut butter or red jelly.
If desired, you may add a 1/3 to 1/2-cup of chopped nuts during the final mixing. Pecans and Walnuts are traditional.
I made these for breakfast with whole milk yogurt thinned out with a bit of milk. Didn’t have any nuts in the house, so I added some oats to the batter instead. I sprinkled a few more oats on top of each filled muffin cup and then sprinkled a little sugar on top which gave them a nice crunchy top. Don’t use paper muffin cups for these. The paper really sticks and you lose about 1/3 of the muffin when you try to unwrap it.
Ready for another delicious breakfast bread recipe? Try this banana bread recipe next. It’s great for breakfast, an afternoon snack or a homewarming gift.
Biscuit Mix Recipes
Biscuits:
- 2 1/2 cups Biscuit Mix
- 2/3 cup milk or buttermilk
Combine the ingredients in a bowl. Mix to a soft dough. Knead 10 times. Roll out the dough to 1/2 or 3/4 inch thickness. Cut the dough into rounds and bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
Emergency or Drop Biscuits:
Prepare the above recipe, increasing the milk to 1 full cup. Stir the batter to make a soft, sticky dough. Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto an oiled cookie sheet and bake as directed. These are lumpy and irregularly shaped, they are also easy and taste quite good.
Pancakes:
- 2 cups Biscuit Mix
- 1 1/3 cups milk or buttermilk
- Fat for frying
Combine the biscuit mix and milk in a large bowl. Stir well, the batter will be lumpy. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto a well oiled skillet or griddle. Brown on both sides and serve hot with syrup or applesauce.
Muffins:
- 2 1/4 cups Biscuit Mix
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
In a bowl combine the biscuit mix and sugar. In a large measuring cup combine the oil, egg and milk. Quickly whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Leave the batter lumpy, don’t overmix. Fill a dozen well oiled muffin cups and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
All of these are great breakfast bread recipes, as is my personal favorite – this banana muffin recipe. I love the fact that it doesn’t use egg and it’s a great way to use up overripe bananas.
Sweet Wheat Muffin Mix Recipes
Half A Dozen Sweet Wheat Muffins
- 1-1/2 cups Sweet Wheat Muffin Mix
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup tap water
Measure the muffin mix into a medium sized bowl. Add the egg and water. Use a fork or whisk to mix the batter until it is evenly moistened, but still lumpy. Oil a 6 cup muffin pan. Using about 1/4 cup of batter for each muffin (I use an ice cream scoop to measure it), fill the muffin cups evenly. Bake at 400� for 20 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.
A Dozen Sweet Wheat Muffins
- 3 cups Sweet Wheat Muffin Mix
- 1 egg
- 1-1/2 cups tap water
Measure the muffin mix into a large bowl. Add the egg and water. Use a whisk to mix the batter up until it is evenly moistened, but still lumpy. Oil a 12 cup muffin tin. Using about 1/4 cup of batter for each muffin, fill the muffin cups evenly. Bake at 400� for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
Muffin Variations
1. Cereal Muffins: Prepare the batter for a dozen muffins as directed above. Stir in a cup of cooked, leftover cereal. Use oatmeal, or grits, or rice, or farina, or bulgur or whatever you have handy. Bake as directed. This makes about 18 muffins. Adding rice is my favorite variation.
2. Cinnamon Raisin Muffins: Prepare the batter for a dozen muffins as described above. Add 1/2 cup of raisins and 2 teaspoons cinnamon to the batter. Bake as directed. Makes a Baker’s Dozen or 13. Bake the extra muffin in a well oiled custard cup.
3. Blueberry Muffins: Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries to the batter for a dozen muffins. If you like, you can add 1/4 cup of sugar or honey, to make the muffins sweeter. Bake as directed; serve with margarine or cream. Makes 14 or 15 muffins. I bake the extra muffins in well oiled custard cups.
If you are enjoying baking with these simple bread mixes, take a look at my biscuit mix recipes next. They are just as easy as these.
Sweet Wheat Muffin Mix
- 8 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1-1/2 cups instant nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 cup baking powder
- 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
For this recipe you will need a very large bowl. I have a huge metal one with a few dents that the children borrow for a top spinning game. It is nearly indestructible, although, as I remember it cost over $7 brand new, so it should be.
Measure eight level cups of whole wheat flour into the bowl. Add the sugar, dry milk powder, salt and baking powder. Stir the mixture with clean hands, so that the salt and baking powder are evenly mixed in with the other ingredients.
Next get a one-cup sized measure. Pack shortening into it until it reaches the top. Use a spoon or your fingers to make sure the shortening is firmly packed into the cup without any air pockets. Now use your index finger to level off the top. Your fingers will be very greasy. That is alright, you can wash them later. When you get the top level, use your fingers to scrape the shortening out of the measuring cup, into the bowl of flour. Try to get as much of the fat out of the cup as you can without being obsessive about it.
Now you should have a bowl of dry ingredients with a big glob of white shortening on top. Mash the shortening with your hands. Yes, with your hands (don’t panic 
. Use your fingers to mush the flour mixture with the fat until it is very crumbly. This part is fun, like you’re a kid again. Mash and mix and mix and mash; contemplate the textures between your fingers. Reminisce about squeezing mud between your toes as a kid. Sigh and relax and enjoy yourself. When the mixture is evenly crumbly, with a few small chunks the size of peas, or dried beans, you are done. Phew, now you can wash your hands.
Scoop the Muffin Mix into a clean coffee can. It will make 12-1/2 cups, or enough to fill a large coffee can all the way full. If necessary, shake or tap the can gently, to pack down the mix, so there is enough room for all of it. The mix may now be stored in the fridge, if you will be slow to use it, or on the shelf in the pantry, if you will be using it within the next 6 weeks or so.
Here is a Sweet Wheat Muffin recipe that uses this mix. Feel free to browse the rest of my frugal bread recipe collection for even more delicious baked good.
Light Wheat Biscuit Mix
- 5 cups unbleached white flour
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1-1/2 tablespoons salt
- 4 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 cups solid vegetable shortening
You need a very large bowl to make this mix, and also a clean container to put it in when it’s done. I usually use a large, clean coffee can.
So, measure your flours into your large bowl. Add the salt and baking powder. Mix it all up with your fingers and hands. Be sure you wash them before you dig in. After the salt and baking powder are evenly distributed throughout the flour, add the shortening. Firmly pack solid shortening into a cup-size measure. Make sure there aren’t any air pockets, as you pack it full. Level off the top with your finger so you have exactly one cupful. Scrape the shortening out of the cup into a big blob on top of the flour. Use your fingers to get out as much of the shortening as you can without being unduly obsessive about it. Now, measure another cupful of shortening and plop it on next to the first blob in the bowl of flour.
Using your hands, mash the flour and fat together until the entire mixture is light and crumbly. Try not to overmix. You will want small lumps to remain, about the size of peas or dried beans. When the mixture is evenly mashed together, and it actually resembles biscuit mix (only darker because of the whole wheat flour) you can stop. Transfer the biscuit mix to a clean coffee can, or other resealable container. Label and seal the can. You should have about 10-1/2 cups of biscuit mix.
This recipe can be used in any recipe calling for biscuit mix or Bisquick baking mix. This mix is better for you because of the whole grain flour, and reduced amounts of salt. Also, you can use trans-fatty-acid-free shortening in your own mix, to make it as healthy as possible. Spectrum is a brand name available in my neck of the woods.
I have tried a lot of whole wheat biscuit mixes to find the best one. All of the others turned out heavy and dense baked products. This one though, is perfect. Biscuits made with it are light and flaky the way biscuits are supposed to be, and impossible pies taste like they were made with store-bought biscuit mix, only they weren’t. They were made with good, hearty, whole grains instead.
If you enjoyed this biscuit recipe, you may also want to try making my sweet wheat muffin mix. It’s just as convenient and healthy as my wheat biscuit mix.
White Flour Biscuit Mix
Recipe using all-purpose flour:
- 9 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1/4 cup baking powder
- 2 cups solid vegetable shortening
Recipe using self-rising flour:
- 10 cups self-rising flour (this already has salt and baking powder added to it)
- 2 cups solid vegetable shortening
You can use either recipe above and come up with the same results. The procedure for making Biscuit Mix is the same for both recipes. Choose the recipe that fits the status of your ingredients the best.
Get out a very large bowl, or a clean, dry dish pan. Mix all of the dry ingredients together first. Then measure the shortening by using a one cup measure to scoop up a big glob of shortening. Pack it down tightly, and level off the top with your finger or a dull knife. Your fingers will get greasy; it’s alright, you can wash them later. Scoop the shortening out of the measuring cup into the bowl or dishpan. Measure another cup of shortening the same way. You should put a total of two cups of shortening into the flour. Now use your hands to mix the shortening into the flour. It should only take a few minutes before the mixture resembles lumpy cornmeal in texture. Now you are done. Easy, wasn’t it?
Store the Biscuit Mix in a tightly sealed canister or clean coffee can. These recipes make about 11 or 12 cups of Biscuit Mix. Use it anywhere else you see Bisquick or Biscuit Mix called for.
Do you prefer your breads to include whole wheat flour? Then try my light wheat biscuit mix instead. It’s just as delicious, but with the added health benefits of using whole grain.
Hoe Cakes
- 2 cups corn meal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups boiling water
- oil for frying
Put the tea kettle on to boil. In a large bowl combine the corn meal and salt. When the water boils, measure it in a metal or tempered-glass measuring cup. Pour the boiling water over the cornmeal and stir it up. The cornmeal will swell up, absorbing the water, and making a very thick mash.
Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. You can use as little as two tablespoon of oil per panful, but it is a little easier to use 4 or 5 tablespoons of oil for each panful. Use your waistline and frying skill as the final judge. Now scoop up a little of the cornmeal mush (about 1/4-cup) and shape it into a patty. It will still be warm from the boiling water, so be careful not to burn yourself. You can let it cool down some more first if you like. Plop the patty into the hot fat, and get it to frying. Make some more, until you have a whole pan full. I usually cook about 4 or 5 at a time. When the underside is crispy brown, turn them and cook the other side. When both sides are crispy and brown, transfer them to a plate to keep warm, and start another batch. This recipe makes about 12 hoe cakes.
Originally, Native Americans cooked these on hot rocks in an open fire. They were commonly referred to as Ash Cakes. Later on, settlers from Europe adopted the recipe, cooking the cakes on the blades of their hoes in the fireplace. This is where they get the name, “Hoe Cakes”. Of all the recipes in my collection, this one is the oldest, the cheapest, and just about the tastiest of all. Serve Hoe Cakes with as a bread, or by themselves for breakfast with maple syrup or molasses. They also make a nice accompaniment to main meals, especially when fried in margarine. In the summertime, when you want a hot bread, but don’t want to heat up the oven, this is the best choice. They cook right on top of the stove, without heating up the entire house. Good for camping and back packing too.
Another favorite southern bread recipe are biscuits. My biscuit mix made from white flour makes it easy to bake up a batch of them for breakfast or dinner.
Flour Tortillas
- 4 cups white or whole wheat flour or half each
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (optional)
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1 to 1-1/4 cups water
- Waxed paper
- oil (optional)
In a large bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder. I prefer to use the baking powder because it makes the tortillas lighter, even if you roll them a little thick. The baking powder is not an authentic addition though, rather it is a southern mutation. Next cut in the shortening with a fork. When the flour is crumbly, add the water. Stir the dough with your fork until it makes a cohesive ball of dough. You may need to add an extra small spoonful of water if the dough is too dry. Be careful not to add too much though. When the dough forms a ball, knead it about 20 times. Then let it rest in the bowl for about 10 minutes. After it has rested, form it into 10 or 12 equal balls. Roll each ball in a little flour, to coat the outside of it evenly. Place a ball of dough on a sheet of waxed paper, or a clean, well floured surface. Roll the dough out into a a 6 or 7-inch circle. Try to get it as thin as you can. Loosen the tortilla from the rolling surface. Flop it onto a dry, hot skillet. Cook about 30 seconds, until the under side is dry, with a few brown spots. Flip it and cook the other side the same way. Transfer the cooked tortilla to a plate, and cook the next one. This goes pretty fast after you get the hang of it. You can roll out all of the tortillas first, in one stage, and then cook them all in the second stage. After you practice it some, the whole procedure takes less than 20 minutes, and the tortillas are sooo good. Use them the same way you would store-bought tortillas: burritos, soft tacos, etc.
The first few times you make these, you will need 30 to 40 minutes for the whole procedure. It takes time and practice to get the hang of rolling them out quickly and into a roughly circular shape. Please persevere. This recipe will save you $1 to $1.50 every time you make them. Also, if you don’t have access to the store, you can still have lovely Mexican dishes all the same.
Homemade tortillas are not as flexible as store-bought tortillas. To make them more flexible, place them in a plastic bag while still warm, and let them cool right there in the bag. The steam will make them more pliable, and easier to roll up into fancy burrito shapes. This recipe makes about a dozen tortillas.
Making your own homemade breads is pretty easy… here’s another simple one. This is an old southern recipe for hoe cakes.
Doodle Bugs
- 1 cup instant potato flakes
- 1-1/2 cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- fat for frying
In a large bowl combine the instant potatoes and the boiling water. The potatoes will swell up and absorb the water. Add the oil and salt. Stir until well combined. Add the flour and baking powder. Stir the mixture making a soft dough. Allow it to cool slightly, so it won’t burn you when you make patties out of it.
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Oil it lightly, so the Doodle-Bugs won’t stick when you cook’ em. Shape the cooled potato mixture into patties about 3 inches wide, and 1/2 an inch thick. Place them on the hot skillet and let them cook until they are well browned on the underside. Flip the Doodle-Bugs and brown the remaining side. This recipe makes about 10 or 12 Doodle-Bugs.
I don’t know exactly where this recipe got it’s name, but it is an old Southern favorite. Originally Doodle-Bugs were made with freshly cooked potatoes, or leftover mashed potatoes. I have altered the recipe to use instant potato flakes. These are best served with very spicy main dishes, especially those including cooked beans or lentils. Doodle-Bugs are filling. With a tall glass of milk or soy milk and a little butter or margarine, they make a good hearty snack for hungry children coming in from the yard after an afternoon of hard play.
Here’s another inexpensive bread recipe for you: Flour Tortillas – now you can make your own any time you need this versative flat bread.
Crepes
- 1 cup unbleached white or whole wheat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- Vegetable oil for frying
Crepes are a little bit tricky the first time you make them, but they become quite easy after a little practice. To start off, you need a small skillet. I use a 7-inch iron skillet. You can use a larger skillet if that is all you have available, but a small skillet makes them the traditional size. To prepare the batter, combine everything in a medium bowl and mix well with a whisk. You could also mix everything together in the blender if you liked. After mixing, allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes to relax the batter.
Heat about a teaspoon of oil in your small skillet. Swirl it around to cover the bottom of the pan. Scoop up about 3 or 4 tablespoons of batter into the pan. Tilt and jiggle the pan to cover the bottom completely with the crepe batter.
Cook for about a minute, until the bottom is browned. The top should be dry and a little puffy. Now you can flip the crepe and brown the other side if you like. I don’t do this part though. I just take the crepe, browned on only one side, and place it in a nearby plate and go on to the next crepe. These are so thin that the top is always cooked through by the time the bottom is browned. Since crepes are rolled around a filling it is easy to keep the brown part on the outside, where it will be seen. The light colored side is next to the filling, so no one can tell you skipped a step.
Continue cooking the crepes until all of the batter is used. Roll the crepes around the desired filling and serve topped with a sauce of some sort.
For a quick snack, fill the crepes with strawberry preserves, and top with a drizzle of honey, or sweetened yogurt. Absolutely sublime, and good for an after school snack.
Now that you’ve mastered this frugal bread recipe, it’s time to try something new like this Doodle Bug recipe. They are delicious potato pancakes.
Cornmeal Tortillas
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1-1/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or oil
- 1 cup boiling water
- Waxed paper
In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour and salt. Stir it up while the water is coming to a boil. Use a metal measuring cup to measure the water, if possible. Plastic melts, and glass sometimes shatters, so a metal measuring cup is the safest type when you measure boiling water. To continue, place the shortening in the bowl with the cornmeal and flour. Pour the boiling water over everything and stir it up with a fork. Stir and stir because it will lump up quite a bit before it turns into dough. Allow the mixture to cool. Divide the dough into 10 lumps about the size of golf balls. Roll each ball out very thinly between sheets of waxed paper. Loosen and remove the top sheet of paper, and lay the tortilla down on a hot dry skillet, with the bottom sheet of waxed paper still attached, and now on top. After the tortilla cooks for a few seconds, the remaining sheet of waxed paper will easily loosen for removal. When the underside of the tortilla is dry with a few brown spots, turn it and cook the other side.
I usually roll out two tortillas at a time, and continue rolling as the prepared ones cook. This recipe makes 10 corn tortillas. This is just enough to prepare my Enchiladas recipe.
This recipe is not really authentic. It has been adjusted to make use of ingredients available in most supermarkets. You would have to use Masa Harina cornmeal to make real tortillas (and you would probably need a tortilla press too). This recipe uses plain cornmeal which is readily available to most people.
Here is another delicious and international bread recipe – homemamde crepes. These tender, think pancakes are just plain delicious.
Beginner’s Bread
- 3 cups of white or whole wheat flour, or 1-1/2 cups of each (plus a little extra flour for kneading)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 packet, or about 2 teaspoons yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar or brown sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup warm water (not hot, just warm)
When you need a recipe to practice making bread with, this is the one to turn to. First you need a big bowl. If you don’t have a big bowl, then a large pot will work just as well. Measure the flour into the bowl (or pot). White flour is easier to use to make your first batch of dough. Whole Wheat flour makes a simple variation though, when you decide to branch out a little. Make sure your flour measurements are level with the top 
of the measuring cup. Don’t pack the flour down into the cup. Just scoop it in lightly, and even off the top of it with your finger by brushing off the excess. After you put your flour into the bowl, add the salt, sugar and yeast. One of the packets of yeast from the store will work just fine. If you have a jar or bag of yeast, then use about 2 teaspoons of it. Using your hands or a spoon or fork, stir the yeast, salt, sugar and flour all together. These are the dry ingredients. They are called dry ingredients because they aren’t wet or sticky. They are dry and light. Now measure in your oil. Add a cup of warm water. Do not use hot tap water. Hot tap water is too hot and will kill the yeast. Use warm tap water instead. Warm enough to feel warm to your finger, but not warm enough to scald you. Try to measure the water accurately.
Stir the dough with a fork or spoon until it gets sticky and stiff. Next look at your hands, are they clean? If not then wash them. Remove any rings or watches you may have on and put them 
in a safe place. Dig into the dough with your clean hands. It will be gooey, and warm. Work the dough with your hands, right there in the bowl. Scrape the dough off of your fingers as necessary and try to get the dough to all work together into a nice ball. If it is too sticky then add more flour. You may need to add up to 1/2 cup more flour, or even more sometimes. If it is too dry, then add a little bit of water at a time, to get it right. Usually a teaspoon of water at a time, is a good way to go. Mix and mash; Mix and mash. When you get a ball of dough, turn the dough out onto your counter or kitchen table. Scatter a bit of flour about the dough, and around the counter. Knead the dough. Press it, fold it, stretch it, turn it. Keep kneading the dough for a full 5 minutes by the clock. Set the timer if need be. Kneading makes the dough soft and fluffy. Be sure to knead it enough.
Then let the dough sit on the counter for a few minutes while you wash out the bowl you used 
to mix it in. Dry the bowl and pour a little bit of oil into it. A spoonful (teaspoon or tablespoon) will be just enough. Place the ball of dough into the clean bowl, on top of the oil. Roll the dough around in the oil, to coat it evenly. Place the dough in a warm spot, or on the counter near the stove. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow the dough to sit and rise. It may take the dough up to 2 hours to rise. You will want it to double in size. Be patient and give the dough enough time to get as big as it can. Sometimes this happens in as quickly as an hour, but usually it takes longer, especially if the kitchen is cold.
When it is well risen, punch the dough down. Put your fist into the dough and smash down to force all the air out of it. Knead the dough again. This time, just knead it for a minute or so. Long 
enough to get all the air out of it. Let the dough rest for a minute or two while you oil or grease a loaf pan. A large loaf pan either 9″ by 5″ or 8½” by 4½” is the perfect size. If you don’t have a loaf pan, then use a casserole pan, or a round cake pan. The dough doesn’t know what shape it is supposed to be. You have to give it shape. Round bread is sometimes easier to make as a first loaf, so if you don’t have a bread pan, use what ever you do have. Just make sure to grease the pan well. Coax the dough into the shape of the pan you are going to bake it in. Cover it with a dish towel or plastic wrap again. Set it aside and let it rise for about an hour to an hour and a half. It should double in bulk again. After it has risen enough, it is time to bake it. Set the oven to 350° or 375°. Place the bread into the oven. You do not need to preheat the oven. Let the bread bake for 30 to 40 minutes. When it is done the top will be golden brown. It will be well risen, and
crusty. Carefully turn the hot bread out of the pan and onto a dishtowel on the counter. Be careful not to burn yourself. Thump the bottom with your finger. If it sounds hollow then it is done. If it doesn’t sound hollow, then put it back into the pan and bake it some more. Allow the bread to cool down for a few minutes before slicing it.
When you slice it be sure to use a serrated (bumpy) edged knife. Saw back and forth across the bread like you are sawing a log. Do not press too hard, just saw gently. When you get your first slice of bread, spread a little margarine or jam on it and take a bite. Succumb to the pleasure which only a bite of your own homemade bread can create. Grin decadently and plan your next loaf.
Or, if this loaf of bread fails, check the recipe and try again. Keep trying until you are satisf
ied with your results. I didn’t make it perfectly the first time; I made bricks. Big heavy, chewy, undercooked bricks. It takes practice to get the hang of it, so don’t give up. Just keep at it, and before you know it, you will be very pleased with what a little flour and yeast can make up for less than twenty-five cents.
Ready to give another frugal bread recipe a try? How about making your very own cornmeal tortillas. It’s easier than you think.
American Indian Fry-Bread
- 2 cups whole wheat flour or white flour, or 1 cup of each
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3/4 cup tap water
- vegetable oil for frying
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the oil and tap water. Combine everything together and mix it with a fork or your hands. Dust the dough with flour if it seems sticky. Add a spoonful or two of more water if the mixture seems dry. Continue mixing until you have a cohesive ball of dough. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece on a sheet of flour covered waxed paper or a clean piece of cotton fabric. Roll them out about the thickness of pie crust. They are pretty easy to manage with a rolling pin because of the baking powder and oil in the dough.
While you are rolling out the breads, heat about 1/2 an inch of oil in a large skillet. You want it to be 375° or almost smoking hot. Carefully slip a circle of dough into the hot oil. Gently press it down with a fork or a chopstick so it is submerged in the oil. The bread will bubble up impressively as it cooks. When the first side is browned, turn and brown the second side. Using tongs or chop sticks, remove the cooked bread from the oil and place it on paper towels or a brown paper bag to drain. Continue frying and rolling out the dough until all your fry-breads are cooked. Serve hot with bean dishes. If you want something sweet, you may sprinkle the cooked bread with sugar and a dash of cinnamon. This is a great snack on cold winter days. Makes 6 fry-breads.
Here’s another good homemade bread recipe. It’s a beginners bread recipe that allows anyone to make a delicious loaf of homemade bread.