Today we are welcoming Chas Burrell to the Tea with Tolkien blog! Chas is the incredibly talented woman behind the blog, At Home with Chas. After following her on Instagram for years and learning so much from what she’s had to share, I asked her to write this post for the Tea with Tolkien community. I know many of us are just beginning to learn about the wonderful world of bread-making, so I know you’ll love this introduction. I also recommend subscribing to her youtube channel for helpful how-to’s!

There are few things in this world more comforting or satisfying than making your own bread. Whether it be your first attempt as you watch the yeast activate and your dough come alive.  Or as a seasoned cook that bakes most every day to grace your family table with warm, hearty goodness. Bread-making truly is an art form that everyone at any skill level can enjoy. 

As a young girl I knew I wanted to know how to make food, REAL food. Not food from jars or cans or boxes. I wanted to know how to make things from scratch and that included breads! As I got older I began dabbling in the bread world. Making the simplest pancakes, sweet breads, muffins, and the like all homemade and from scratch.

But the older I got and as I began having a family, I knew it was time to delve into the world of real bread. Even a simple starter recipe for a white flour loaf of bread is better nutritionally than your average grocery store loaf filled with preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients. So with that knowledge, I gathered my courage, my flour, and began baking.

The smell! The feel! It was such a wonderful experience! My youngest daughter declared one day when she was very little and I was letting her knead dough with me, "Moma! I don't think there is anything better than kneading warm dough!" I agreed with her then and I still do to this day. 

Even now as my children are almost grown, if Moma is raising, kneading or baking bread, they seem to make extra stops by the kitchen just to breathe in the deliciousness. It is truly a home comfort. 

Maybe you are new to this and you want to dive in to the world of bread baking, but maybe you’re overwhelmed by it all! Allow me encourage you to begin with a simple homemade loaf recipe. Nothing fancy, just basic ingredients, and a process you will learn and develop as you become a more seasoned baker. 

Here you go! 

An Easy Recipe for Basic Bread

• 1.25 cup warm water (not HOT, it needs to be comfortably warm approximately 105*-115*) 

• 1.5 Tbsp sugar

• 1.5 tsp active dry yeast

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 Tbsp oil 

• 3.25-3.5 cups bread flour 

• (begin with the smallest amount of flour and go up if needed)

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast, sugar, and water together. You will notice the yeast will become active and begin to bubble! Then whisk together the salt, and half of your flour. 

Add your oil to your yeast mixture and add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Begin adding the remaining flour .25-.50 cup at a time until you have a soft dough.

Knead approximately 8-10 minutes. The dough will become smooth and elastic. You can do this by hand or with a stand mixer with dough hook attachment. 

Cover and allow to rise until doubled. This may take 1-2 hours or more depending on the warmth of your kitchen. 

Once doubled, punch dough down slightly and shape into loaf. Place your loaf in a greased loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise again, another 1-2 hours.

Once risen, bake at 375* until golden and your internal temp reaches 190-200* This takes approximately 30 minutes. 

Brush with butter and enjoy!

Concerning Sourdough Starters

Are you beyond the basic bread and want a little more of a challenge? 

There are SO many options out in the bread making world! Research growing your own wheat! Or begin grinding your own flour! Branch out into rye, or spelt, or whole grain! 

And then if you want to really jazz thing up,  step into the world of sourdough baking with me! Sourdough is a wonderful old-world baking method where conventional yeast is not needed! Wild yeast is caught from the air in your home and it is then used to sour your flour and water into a wonderfully tangy starter that you can use to make all sorts of fantastic treats and ultimately, SOURDOUGH BREAD!

Sourdough starters are obtained by three different ways normally. 

One: Make it yourself! Here is a link to show you how you can do that! How to make your own sourdough starter

Two: Get a start from a friend! 

Three: There are websites to order starters from if you don't have the above options.

Once you have a starter, I've got some great starting places for you as you begin on your sourdough journey!

Here is a recipe for a sourdough loaf bread. It's from a friend of mine and I make this weekly, at least: Sourdough loaf

And here is my YouTube channel where you can follow along and make your own sourdough boule with me: At Home with Chas YouTube

A boule is that crusty, round, golden brown, chewy-on-the-inside bread that you can cut a hunk out of for your soup or spaghetti or any meal. 

A Home Comfort

Bread baking is such a comfort! Being able to grace your family table with a hearty loaf is such a satisfaction and a blessing, especially in these uncertain times when going to the grocer is not convenient or easy. Knowing how to give your family a healthful alternative made by YOUR hands... what a treasure! 

I hope you are encouraged and are eager to step into the world of bread with me. Come on in... it smells great here!