We all love baking bread, right? But do we really like getting out all
those ingredients, measuring cups, spoons, scales, and mixing bowls every
time we want a fresh bread, biscuits, rolls or pancakes? I don't think
so! And then there is the cleanup afterward; what a bore.
I bake bread 2 or 3 times a week and prepare waffles or pancakes at least
once a week. Some of my bread recipes are old standbys, and some are
new. To save myself time (usually on a Sunday evening) I review the
recipes I plan to make for the next 2 weeks or so and make up my dry mixes
all at one time, placing each in a zip-lock bag with recipe card inside.
With such things as biscuits and pancake mixes, I quadruple the dry
ingredients and pour them into a Mason jar with a typed label attached to
the jar to note the amount of liquid to be added per recipe.
Oh, yes, I NEVER add the yeast to my dry ingredient bread mixes. Although
I most often use instant yeast which need not be proofed, I understand
yeast doesn't like 'sleeping' with salt, so I add the former with my liquid
ingredients when I'm ready to mix, knead, and bake.
My husband's favorite bread is the 100% Whole Wheat Bread from KAF
(available on their web site). Since I bake this every 10 days or so, I
make up 4 batches of the dry ingredients once a month. The night before
baking a loaf I mix and, knead the dough and refrigerate. By the following
morning it has completed it's fist rise. I can prepare it for it's final
rise and bake it 3 or 4 hours later. The slow 2nd rise allows me more
flexibility during the AM to get out of the house, should I wish, yet still
have fresh bread for the dinner meal.
Happy baking, all.
Joni Repasch