Homemade Bread

I have been anxiously awaiting this package in the mail for a few weeks.

It is a 4 quart polycarbonate food storage bucket with a plastic lid that is not totally air tight.   When the box arrived I opened it, took out the container, and washed it up.

Meghan recently sent me this book about making homemade bread in just 5 minutes a day! 

There are many different recipes in the book, but they are all variations of the basic recipe.  These are the only supplies that you need for the basic recipe.

The recipes are so fast because they make many loaves at once, and the dough stores in your fridge until you are ready to bake it.  It is also very easy to mix and store all in the same container.

After mixing the dough you leave it out to rise for two hours, and then put it in the fridge for up to two weeks!  Here is the dough just mixed. 
 

After one hour.

After two hours. 

When you want a loaf of bread, you simply take out the dough, shape it, and let it rise for 40 minutes. 

And of course bake it and eat it!

Mmmmmmm, warm homemade bread. 

- Laura

Canning with water baths

I have been afraid of doing anything other than freezer canning.  Seriously.  I thought that I would kill everyone with some horrible strain of botulism.  Even though rationally, that isn't very likely.

So, in order to put aside my fears I took a canning class yesterday afternoon.  It was fabulous!

I had NO IDEA that canning with a water bath was so easy!  I thought it involved all of this equipment

But, really, it doesn't.  So yeah, the jar lifter is nice, and a jar is good to have, but that is it.

We did a jam by simply following a recipe (be sure not to change them as they are made specifically for the right acidity).  We boiled the jars in a big pot with an old towel to keep them separated.  Then we boiled up some peaches and liquor, sugar, lemon and sure-jell which is the common pectin add-in.  We used a kosher pectin from fruit products, not anything scary.

I would recommend at least breaking out the old Better Homes and Gardens book to take a look at what some of the recipes are.

And then, you really only need a pot and some jars, seriously.  A jar lifter is nice by you can use whatever else you have around to get a decent enough grip.

Also, thanks to my friend Sarah for showing me this great food preservation website!

-Meghan