Glorious Homemade Bread That Will Make Everyone Envious of Your Bread Making Skills

Yes, the title of this post says it all. Everyone LOVES this bread recipe. I got this recipe years ago off some website I cannot even recall and have adapted it to perfection. Yes, you've heard me. Perfection. Now, my only rule is this: Follow the recipe exactly and you'll have a wonderful loaf of hot bread in hours. My kids devour it. My extended family devours it. I'd devour it if I wasn't on a diet. My son devours it despite his wheat allergy. So, enough babbling, and on to the recipe.

Glorious No-Fail Bread
1 c. warm water
2 1/2 tsp active yeast
-combine and let ferment for 5-10 minutes-
1 c. butter milk (or of in a crunch, 1 c. milk and 1 tbs lemon juice and let sit for 3-5 minutes)
4 tbs brown sugar, packed
4 tbs vital wheat gluten (Bob's Red Mill is the best)

2 tbs olive oil (vegetable oil makes a very hard, flaky crust I don't like, olive oil makes it soft and smooth and a melt-in-your-mouth crust)
1 tbs salt
4-4 1/2 c. flour (I have found my perfect amount to be 4-1/4c. Now, this all depends on your altitude and humidity. Yep, you heard me. So, add in 4 cups at first, then if it is too wet-meaning sticking to the side of your pan/bowl and hands like gross wet gloop-then add in 1 tbs at a time until the dough is in a ball and at the touch it bounces back. Think like the consistency of fresh play-dough with the exception the dough will fill back in where you indented your finger-sorry bad analogy.)

Now, I use a bread maker. I put all this together, select the dough cycle, and then once that is completed, I take the dough out. Work it a little in my hands and shape it into a loaf round and place in a bread pan.

I let rise for 20 minutes in a warm place, covered. Even if it doesn't look like it's fully raised, stick it in the oven because it'll continue to raise as it bakes. Otherwise, you'll have Mount Everest bread. I bake at 350 degrees for 32 minutes in a convection gas oven. Once I take it out, I brush butter over the top, take out of the pan to rest, and then cover once cooled. Once I cut it, I place the loaf in a bread bag. Now, my loaf doesn't last long at all. But, even 3 days later it tastes great. So, enjoy!!