The Joy of Baking Bread

Making and baking bread is one of my favorite weekend activities. I starting making bread when Rob and I were planning our restaurant, Emily's Pantry & Cafe. When we were restauranteurs I was chef, kitchen manager and lead baker in charge of bread. We made all the bread that we used for sandwiches, pizzas and bread pudding. The idea of making bread for a restaurant was one of the many things that kept me up nights right before we opened. But it was, all in all, one of the easiest things we did at the cafe. The restaurant venture failed after only 8 months, but I developed a passion for homemade bread and have been making it for my family ever since.
Making the family bread sounds like something right out of Little House on the Prairie, but I assure you, it's not old fashioned or all that difficult. All you really need are some kitchen essensials: a couple of baking dishes to bake the bread in (I love my glass Pyrex 1.5 qt, 8.5x4.5x2.5 inch baking containers) a good sized mixing bowl, measuring spoons, measuring cups and ingredients. I use my KitchenAid mixer, with dough hook for kneading, but that part is optional. Some cooks prefer to hand kneed their dough, but I opt for efficiency and less mess to clean up.
I have some tried and true "old standby" bread recipes that I've collected over the close to a decade that I've been making bread, but I'm always looking for new ones to try. Don't be afraid to substitute ingredients. Most of the time I substitute soy milk for whole cow's milk. Sometimes I replace some of the white flour with whole wheat. The great thing about making bread for your own consumption is the "right" to make the recipe your own.
If you're just getting started and want to really learn about bread, an excellent purchase would be The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. It gives you a knowledge base that takes the mystery out of bread baking. Again, reading an entire book devoted to bread making isn't a requirement. Bread baking is like everything else in life...practice makes perfect.
In case you were wondering, baking bread does not automatically translate into weight gain. Fresh baked bread can be cooled (this is a must before slicing!), sliced and frozen. When you're ready to enjoy, you can take out what you want to eat and defrost it in the microwave. 2 loaves last about 2 weeks at our house. I don't eat that much bread, but it's the best for sandwiches made at home! The other misconception about bread is that you have to slather it with butter. It's so good that, in my humble opinion, butter is totally unnecessary.
While I'm doling out my personal opinions, the other aspect of baking bread that appeals to me is how much less it costs than store bought, how it contains no preservatives and how wonderful the house smells during baking and cooling! Don't try to rush the process. Read your recipe before you make plans to bake. If you plan it right you don't have to be housebound during the entire process. The loaves I made today had 3 rise times of 45 minutes each. I took a brisk 35 minute walk in the neighborhood during the first rise. I am a multitasker after all.
So if you're never made bread, give it a try. You might be surprised by how much you love it! Bon Appetit!