Bake Your Own Bread!
Yes... Really, You CAN with this foolproof recipe!

Now you can easily bake your own bread—and save money—just like my friend Roy over in the UK!

He loved to cook and bake... I decided it was high time to try my hand (again) at bread making.

I had a go when I was a kid, and they turned out like loaves of bricks.

That put me off ever baking bread for 30 years!

But about 15 years ago, I bought a bread-making machine and used it four times. That made each loaf of bread work out to cost $37.50! :-)

So, by making your own bread with no fancy appliances, you'll certainly save money, plus get an arm workout!

It is quite easy to bake your own bread, by the way.

I could have made it much easier on myself if I had not been doing two loads of laundry and making up my husband's lunch bag at the same time, though!

My mom and I could not wait for the bread to cool down completely.

Excitedly, we grabbed the bread knife and cut the first slice... or two, or three!

We were BOTH extremely impressed with the bread recipe and my efforts!

It looked like professional bakers had made it! ;-)  

By the way, I split the bread dough into three parts, two equally sized dough balls for the loaves, and the third dough ball (a bit smaller) was enough to make four medium-sized buns, as shown in the photo.

Score the bread tops after the first proofing when the loaves are shaped and in the tins. Put about four or five slits on a 45-degree angle on the loaf tops, and I did a cross on the buns!

Created with Midjourney

I set the oven to its lowest setting (mine was 150°F and then I cranked the door open to let in cooler air, and closed it when it dropped to 85°F). This is the temperature I used to proof the bread.

All I did was drape an old clean (slightly dampened) dish towel over the bread tins. I realized that at 85°F, the towel would not set on fire so I felt OK using the oven!

I was able to close the oven door for both proofings so there were no drafts, and the temperature stayed at 85°F—just right!

I am thrilled, and I've baked this bread many times since posting this.