How you keeping yourself busy?

[baymule]

Going to teach neighbor lady how to make bread today. She is excited to learn. There was no bread when they went to store, they have 4 boys. I told her to buy flour and yeast and I would teach her. Since then, there has been bread in the stores, but she still wants to learn. Good for her.

 

[ducks4you]

Gee whiz, NO Bread?!?!?
She will discover the joy of buying a jar of yeast!! SO much cheaper than the packages. DD bought me some packages last week and they did work. It's been awhile since I used those.

 

[seedcorn]

Going to teach neighbor lady how to make bread today. She is excited to learn. There was no bread when they went to store, they have 4 boys. I told her to buy flour and yeast and I would teach her. Since then, there has been bread in the stores, but she still wants to learn. Good for her.

She needs a bread machine as 4 boys will keep her needing dough all the time. Younger, I could eat a loaf in a short time-& not gain weight...... plus only way to buy bead that isn’t loaded with sugar. Great job!

 

[ducks4you]

No, she Doesn't Need a bread machine! DD's bread machine is still in My basement. It makes only a small loaf. If she is home, all she needs is a 4-6 hr. window. I often boil water and put it in a sturdy glass and next to my bowl of rising bread to speed it along in the microwave, which is where I put my bread to rise. I have to think ahead. My three Very docile, raised by hand 2yo kittens get into ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!!! I cannot grow plants next to the windows in my pantry or ANYWHERE else bc they will get into it, so the microwave is inaccessible to them.
This for Anybody here~
Basic White Bread Recipe (from my lovely MIL, 1920-1998, RIP)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 package dry yeast OR 3 teaspoons yeast from the jar (keep in the refridgerater After opening,it has an expiration date}
5-6 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar (or equivalent, some recipes call for honey, search the Internet for options)
Directions:
Put butter, milk, water and sugar in a medium sized glass bowl. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Let cool until you can put your finger in the mix, add yeast, leave 10 minutes.
Use a big, metal spoon. Start with 2 cups of flour and mix. Add 1 cup at a time. If it is very humid you won't need 6 cups of flour. You will add something between 5-6 cups of flour. You can tell bc you will be able to roll it into a ball.
Prepare a clean surface, counter or island. Pour out the bread mixture. If it is sticky, add flour a handful at a time. Roll and kneed. Scrape out any of the mixture sticking to the bowl You can really beat it up at this stage--take out your anger at the COVID19 virus!!--and if you are adding seeds for seasoning this is where you mix them in well. Butter or butter spray the bowl, put back the ball of bread and leave to rise. Once it has grown a couple of inches you are ready to take it out of the bowl on your work surface and punch it down. Prepare your baking dishes by spraying with a baking spray OR butter/flour them. Roll out your bread. Take a sharp knife and eye figure to divide your loaf. I have 2 new non stick meat loaf pans. If I use Those I will cut it in 1/2. I also have a glass bread pan and 3 ceramic, small loaf pans and 1 small glass loaf pan, and I divide to fit and shape to fit. This is where you get to decide how perfect you want the top of your loaves to look. I am sloppy, but they still turn out fine.
Put them in your COLD oven to rise a 2nd time. When they have risen start the oven to 350 degrees. I give my big loaves 35 minutes. When I bake BOTH the large and the small loaves, I set the timer to 25 minutes, take out the small loaves, then turn off the oven to finish the large loaf. I leave it there for about 15-20 more minutes.
When you take them Out of the oven you need to turn them upside down on a dish. They bottoms and sides will be moist and you want them to dry out.
I always can cut my bread into slices for sandwiches.

 

[ducks4you]

Venus At Brightest in Years in Late April

Venus is at its brightest in years right now! April 28, 2020 is officially the planet's brightest evening in years though the planet will dazzle you any time this week. It's so unusually high and brilliant, it’s safe to say that you’ve never seen it looki

www.almanac.com

 

[flowerbug]

i've not seen yeast in a jar before, but i don't really look for it either. at the big box store the yeast is packed in sealed foil blocks and sold as a two block package. i'm not sure how long it takes Mom to use it up, but it is a pretty long time since she only bakes bread a few times a month (mostly for other people now as we aren't eating as much bread).

i just looked up the price it is about $5 for 2lbs.

 

[seedcorn]

@ducks4you I am too lazy to spend 4 hours making bread. I spend about 10 minutes of my time to make 2 pound loaves. I’ll keep my bread machine.

 

[ducks4you]

I have been buying yeast in a jar at WM, Meijer, Schnucks, and the local one County Market for many years now.

 

[flowerbug]

Mom uses unbleached flour and cracked wheat. i may have to have toast today for breakfast.

 

[ducks4you]

My favorites are King Arthur flour and Lily Flour, but ANY port in a storm. Flour was sold out 2 weeks ago to WHO KNOWS?!?!?, many of who will just throw it out in a few months. I found Gold Medal Flour on sale, 3 five pounds of flour/$5.00 at the small store 10 minutes south of me, where I buy Amish meat, so I bought 3 of them. I have a container that can hold 10 pounds/flour, then, of course zip lock bags. As you KNOW flour can go bad, but it takes months to do so.