Bake Your Own Bread

by Lisa P | More from this Blogger

09 Jul 2006 11:43 AM

Bake Your Own Bread

Frugal living can mean many things to many people. My idea of frugal living is to live the best possible life at the lowest possible cost. That is where baking your own bread comes in. there is certainly some time and energy involved in baking your own bread, but when you work out the numbers, it is the least expensive way to get the best possible product for your and your family. You see, homemade bread is more filling than store bought bread and it tastes great. You always know what is in it and, believe me, you can put some wonderfully tasty and healthy things into homemade bread! Overall, if made properly, this is the healthiest option for you and your family. Why not try baking your own bread? Once you get the hang of it, I guarantee your family will be hooked! Baking your own bread isn't as difficult as it once was, with all the mixing, kneading and punching by hand. If you're serious about baking your own bread, read this article by Teresa McEntire (http://food.families.com/blog/homemade-wheat-bread-part-1-the-supplies) that covers some of the great conveniences you could make a small investment in. This investment will definitely pay for itself in no time if you're serious about making homemade, healthy breads for your family.

For those of you who are worried about the texture of your homemade bread and think it will be too heavy for everyday use, Teresa has the answer to that too. Read her article on recommended ingredients and her own Dough Enhancer recipe right here: http://food.families.com/blog/homemade-wheat-bread-part-2-the-ingredients.

I know, you're thinking "is it really worth all this hassle when I can buy a loaf of wheat bread at the local bakery thrift store?"

That depends. If you just want to live cheap, then go to the thrift store. If you want to provide yourself and your family with the healthiest and tastiest possible option while saving money then get yourself to the kitchen! Read Teresa's recipe for a mouth-watering batch of homemade whole wheat bread right here: http://food.families.com/blog/homemade-wheat-bread-part-3-the-recipe.

In this day and age of high convenience, low preparation food, we're depriving our bodies of one of the most important things we could possibly ingest, fiber. You won't get it at a drive through and you won't get it from the pizza delivery guy. Why not get it from the best possible source? Homemade bread isn't as much hassle as you may think and your family will definitely thank you for it!

Learn more about Lisa P

Lisa used to be a freelance writer and Community Manager for Families.com, but she has finally made the jump to novelist.

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Christina Huffman (1406) 09 Jul 2006 01:06 PM

Thanks Lisa! I just started baking my own bread and my family loves it. It's delicious, healthy, frugal and not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. I have a kitchenaid stand mixer with a dough hook, so that helps a lot.

QueenAngie Central Illinois, USA (60091) 09 Jul 2006 07:55 PM

Everyone loves fresh homemade bread from the oven.

I sometimes use the bread machine, other times I use the dough hook on my Kitchen Aid mixer, and yet it still feels good to knead bread dough by hand.

Surprised me, but my DS#2 (now 17) really enjoys kneading bread dough by hand. He gets to use those big upper arm muscles.

I know we are talking about being healthy and frugal, but DH can eat an entire loaf in one sitting. It must be that good.

I grew up learning how to bake at the knee of my grandmother and my mother. Having a large family, there was almost daily baking for desserts or bread.

Now, I am passing it down to my sons.

Lisa P (24013) 18 Jul 2006 10:50 AM

QueenAngie, That is so great that you are teaching your sons how to bake. So few people do it any more. I almost think it is becoming a lost art. I made homemade bread once when my in-laws were visiting and my father-in-law just went wild for it. Ever since then, I've made a point of baking bread the day before they visit. And HE can go through a loaf a day easily too!