Basic Bread Dough

Mix the follow ingredients in your mixing bowl.  Allow to rest until mixture become foamy looking.

·        

1/2 cup warm water

·         1/2 cup warm milk

·         1 TB active dry yeast (or .25 ounce package) – store in your freezer

·         1/3 cup white sugar (reduce to 1 TB if making a savory dough)

After above mixture has “activated” add the following ingredients and knead until a soft dough is formed.  This may take 10-15 minutes.

·         1 egg

·         1/3 cup butter, softened (or oil)

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         3 ½+ cups all-purpose flour

After dough no longer sticks to sides of the bowl or counter top set aside and allow to rest.  You have three options:

• 1.      Quick rise: put in oven at 150 degrees and allow to rise for 20 min.
• 2.      Traditional rise: cover and allow to rise on counter for about 1 hour.
• 3.      Extended rise: cover and place in refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

Once dough has risen (doubled in size) you are ready to make bread, dinner rolls, crescent rolls, cinnamon rolls, breadsticks, scones, donuts, pizza crust (doesn’t require a second rise) etc.

·         Punch dough down and form into whatever you want to make!

·         Allow to rise a second time using same method as above. 

·     

         Or FREEZE the dough. If you choose to freeze, simply remove from freezer when ready to use and allow to defrost on counter through out the day for dinner, or over night for breakfast.  As it defrosts it will also finish it’s second rise and be ready to bake.

Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.