Bread Machine - White Sandwich Loaf

I finally splurged and bought myself a bread machine (an Amazon Basics for less than $85.00 USD including tax).  And I don't regret it one tiny little bit. 

Honestly, if someone had told me it was this easy to make bread in a bread machine I would have 'splurged' YEARS AGO!  Oh well.  At least I get to enjoy the ease of homemade bread, without the dough conditioners and other nasty chemicals in modern bread, that quite frankly - makes me sick.

Now, with just wholesome ingredients, I can have sandwich ready bread in less than 4 hours.  And with about 10 minutes' worth of work.

And cleanup is even easier, if you can believe it.

Normally I don't advertise brands, but if you're pinched for money (and need to find a way to reduce the food conglomerates disease-making ingredients) the Amazon Basics bread machine is worth every penny.

Now I'm making a week's worth of sandwich bread for less than $1.50 USD, when typically a loaf of organic bread goes for more than $7.00 USD at the store. 

So, if you're like me and think every little kitchen gadget is a luxury - take a minute to rethink. 

This so-called luxury item will pay for itself in just a few months.

Key:
Palm = roughly a tablespoon
Pinch = roughly a teaspoon
 
Ingredients:
1  ¾ cups whole milk (warmed on stove to 110° F)
¼ cup water (warmed to 110° F)
¼ cup butter, melted
2 tbs olive oil (cold pressed preferred for taste)
2 ¼ pinches yeast (I do not recommend instant yeast)
1 palm of sugar
1 egg
2 pinches of salt (I prefer kosher)
4 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur’s non-enriched organic flour)

Prepping the Yeast:
It is important to activate your yeast first, before you add the remaining ingredients.  To do this, place yeast in a small bowl with the ¼ cup warm water (*use a thermometer if possible), and 1 pinch of sugar.  Let sit for up to 10 minutes.  If your yeast is not actively foaming at the end of the ten minutes toss it and get new yeast.
 
Nothing can save you from bad yeast, and you don’t want to waste the rest of your ingredients.
 
*Testing the water on the inside of your wrist, like a baby’s bottle, is a good backup if you don’t have a thermometer.  Yeast is equally sensitive to temperature.
 
Directions:
Directly into the Bread Machine add all of the ingredients in this order; the warm milk, yeast mixture, ¼ cup melted butter, 2 tbs olive oil, 2 pinches of salt, 1 egg, and 4 cups of flour.  Set your bread machine to the basic setting for a 2 lb loaf.  I chose medium browning.

When finished, tip out onto a wire rack and brush with butter.  Store in airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, in the fridge 5 - 7 days.

*Reminder: There are no preservatives in your homemade bread, so freezing half your loaf for use later on is great money and time saving trick.

My family absolutely loves this recipe and I love it because it's super easy.

*Please note:  I live at high altitude, so you may need to adjust the moisture-to-flour ratio just a bit.  The rest should be spot on, no matter where you live.

Salud!!

Please let me know in the comments what you think of this delicious and easy to make recipe.

Makes 1 large loaf.

Nutritional Benefits:

All-Purpose Flour:
B1 (Thiamine) – vital for metabolism, boosts brain junction, protects heart Phosphorus
Magnesium – involved in over 300 chemical reactions in the body, increases energy, elevates mood
Iron – transports oxygen and aids in DNA synthesis
Folate – makes and repairs DNA, helps cells grow, produces proteins
Protein – reduces appetite and hunger levels, increases muscle mass, good for bones


#Staple

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