Okay So I gotta...

I have been lazy, really, really lazy when it comes to cooking of late.  It's not like me at all, and kinda worries me.  I am pretty sure its a combination of the kids not wanting to help withe the clean-up in the kitchen and not really seeing anything I passionately want to make.

So. here goes an old standby.  Remember, sometimes its not about going old school--its about getting the smells to enter your kitchen and make the bug of cooking sting again.

Basic Bread Machine Bread

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1-1/3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar ( I like to err on the side of sweeter bread--so often I will add a little more sugar--always organic so I feel better about myself.
• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
• 1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Preparation:

Place ingredients in bread pan in order listed or according to manufacturer's directions. That's What everyone says--but I find this method works better.  

Put the water yeast and sugar in the bottom of the bread machine for about 10 minutes--let it bubble like you would if you lived in Paris or something and were making old school bread because that's apparently what you do in Paris.  After its all bubbly, add the rest of the ingredients and put the machine on dough, for the love of god, we want this to look like you actually kneaded it and are like one of those bakers who has time and desire, even though we are only trying to warm the house and get your cooking juices flowing again.  Turn the machine on and watch it for a few minutes, making sure it looks like dough.  If its too clumpy, add some more warm water, if its too soggy add some flour.  Yeah, I know, I know you are making it in a bread machine because you want to have time to watch the game, or eve, gasp do laundry or something--but watch it for 5 minutes while it pulls itself together.  Or better yet, do what I do and have one of your kids do it. 

Step away fro about an hour and a half while it rises twice. 

You can now pre-heat your oven to about 350 or 375.  I go with 350 because that is the auto-on setting with my oven, and frankly I am lazy.  Cook it until when you tap on it is sounds hallow. That is key to yummy bread, how it sounds, not how it looks.  

If you don't believe me, watch that movie about the Rat that cooks in Paris. If you have kids, you've seen it and already believe me. 

Let it cool, then smother as much butter as you can, because that will add to the ambiance of smells in your house.  Let's be honest we don't make fresh bread to cut calories. We make it to put more butter on than we will likely admit. 

Now, move on to something really fun and creative./