Homemade Bread

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Do you have a bread machine, or are you going to do it by hand? I have a bread machine, so I make homemade bread all the time and love how easy it is! I use allrecipes.com for most of my bread recipes. They have a ton! Read the comments to get tips and adaptations from people who have already tried the recipe. All that I have tried can be adapted to be made in a bread machine or to be hand made. ***I usually just use all whole wheat flour, but will sometimes add a little bread flour if I want a little bit softer loaf.

Two of my favorites are:

Sunflower and Flax Bread: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/flax-and-sunflower-seed-bread/detail.aspx

Multigrain Bread: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hearty-multigrain-bread/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=multigrain bread&e8=Quick Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe

Google is our friend.

I love making home made bread.
We have a bread machine, but we only use it for pizza dough.

I prefer to make bread by hand, my method is very experimental ( = what leftover stuff do i have).
I love chickpea and linseed bread.
The main problem i. Have with handmade is finding a warm spot in winter for the dough to rise..

And while not technically bread, you may want to try making some damper if you ever find yourself with no bread and need it in 20 minutes.

One tip for helping it rise in the winter: I preheat my oven to 150 degrees. Once it's pre-heated I shut it off. The I place my dough in the oven and let it rise. the oven stays warm but not too warm!

Here's a focattia recipe I like, you can switch out all or some flour with whole wheat.

Ingredients
• 2 teaspoons rapid-rising dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Cornmeal, for dusting
Toppings:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
Directions
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, proof the yeast by combining it with the warm water and sugar. Stir gently to dissolve. Let stand 3 minutes until foam appears. Turn mixer on low and slowly add the flour to the bowl. Dissolve salt in 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the mixture. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium. Stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and fold over itself a few times. Form the dough into a round and place in an oiled bowl, turn to coat the entire ball with oil so it doesn't form a skin. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and let rise over a gas pilot light on the stovetop or other warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Coat a sheet pan with a little olive oil and corn meal. Once the dough is doubled and domed, turn it out onto the counter. Roll and stretch the dough out to an oblong shape about 1/2-inch thick. Lay the flattened dough on the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, coat a small saute pan with olive oil, add the onion, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes until the onions caramelize. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Uncover the dough and dimple with your fingertips. Brush the surface with more olive oil and then add caramelized onions, garlic, olives, cheese, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Bake on the bottom rack for 15 to 20 minutes