HOMEMADE BREAD DAY! IS IT WORTH IT

When I was growing up, one of my favorite after school snacks was cinnamon rolls.  I have passed that love onto my son!  My mom quite frequently made bread when we were growing up,  when my kids were younger, I made a lot of bread!  People ask if it is actually worth the money to make your own bread. 

You have to ask yourself it is worth your time.  I find that I may be able to buy a loaf of bread for cheaper than homemade, but the tradition and memories are worth every penny!  My family has made bread for many generations, and while I use a different recipe, the memories I make with my family are PRICELESS!  Both of my older kids know how to make bread, and I can only hope they will pass the tradition on!

Here is my recipe, I love it because I can be making bread and doing other things at the same time!  I also like that it uses honey in place of Suga!

Basic Bread Recipe:

4 1/2 cups Hot Water (from Tap)
1/2 cup Honey
2 packages or 2tbsp Yeast
1/3 cup Oil or Shortening (I use Shortening because the bread does not crumble in 3 days)
1 Tbsp Salt
8 to 10 Cups flour

Combine Hot Water, oil OR shortening, honey, salt, and 4 cups Flour.  Blend thoroghly.   Add dry yeast, and 4 to 5 Cups Flour.  Knead for 10 minutes.  Leave dough in bowl and let rest for 10 minutes, then knead dough for 10 strokes.  Let rest 15 minutes again and then knead for 10 minutes (this is called pestering).  Let rest one last time.  Pour dough out onto and knead until smooth.  Divide into loaves and let rise before cooking for 20 min in 350 degree oven!

To make cinnamon rolls, increase honey to 2/3 cup and follow recipe from above.  Divide dough in half, roll out each half and spread butter, cinnamon sugar mix and (rasins or nuts if you desire)  Roll dough lengthwilse and pinch ends.  Cut dough into rolls and place on baking sheet.  Let rise until they double in size.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 or until golden.

Frost with frosting of your choice.  I use powdered sugar!

I love this recipe because you get the sweet taste without the fat when using a bread/milk/eggs recipe!