Buttermilk Bread

 

I always kinda feel like when I share one buttermilk recipe, I oughtta share another right after so you have the opportunity to use up an ingredient that’s at times tricky to use up.  Unless you doubled up on those Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits….which uh yeah, you should.

Hey, if I’m gonna make you buy an out-of-the-ordinary item, the least I could do is to make it worth your while, amiright?

So yeah, Buttermilk Bread.  Who woulda thought? 

Looks pretty good, yeah?

Recently I lamented to Mike, “I wish I could bake bread more often, siiiiigh.”  He kinda looked at me weirdly, a why-bake-it-when-you-can-buy-it-so-easily look, didn’t have much of a response.  Probably because I haven’t baked much bread since we’ve been together for oh, um, uh, quite a few years.  The embarrassment stems from lack of bread baking, not us being together, heh.

But hello, freshly baked homemade bread?  And uh, hello, baking blog?

It’s not that I don’t like to bake bread.  Or like making bread.  Or heck, eating it, I mean c’mon!   Bread!  

Not that baking bread is a hugely time-consuming thing either yet….I just cannot find the time.  I need to find more time.

Sure, ok, ok, in all fairness, it can be labor-intensive and complicated and time-consuming and can tip into super science-y and obsessive.  But not always.

I mean, for goodness sake, I’ve got a two freakin’ pound bag….Start that yeast up and when it’s poofy and puffy, add the wet ingredients.

A good, ease-you-into-it, confidence building start is this Buttermilk Bread from The Wood and Spoon as it is not hugely labor-intensive nor time-consuming. ………….

I keep making statements backwards-ly suggesting that bread making is scary or absorbs all your time and I shouldn’t because once you’ve had homemade bread, very little compares.  You’ll second guess yourself every time you’re reaching for a bag at the grocery store.  Or I do anyway.

Yeeeaaarrrs ago I used to make French Bread, using my spiffy brand new Kitchen-Aid mixer* that my folks gave me for the holidays.  Heh, I used the recipe right out of the cookbook, er manual that came with it!

Adding the first portion of the flour here.

I should revisit that recipe, see if it’s as good as memory serves.  It was fun, it was tasty, it came out reaaaalllly well, I loved it, I was proud, it knocked an item off my grocery list.  I made it myself! 

I did not have all the related accouterment, what with the pans and cloths* and knives and whoo-ha and whatever.  Henceforth, that stuff’s not required, fyi.

I’ve made a challah.  Didn’t turn out well.  I made a version of that internet famous no-knead bread in a dutch oven.  Didn’t turn out well.  Other breads too….obviously I’ll have to try again now that I’ve got yeast figured out.

All the flour is in now, I think, having a memory lapse. Looks kinda mushy but it’ll come together, don’t you worry.

This particular bread turned out well though, really well, really really well.  Plus it’s sooo easy and hands-off-y, you can get loads of other things accomplished while the bread is doin’ its thing.

Sure it’s a white bread and white bread maybe doesn’t pack as big a’ healthy punch but this is a different homemade white, bonus being there ain’t none a’ them wacky chemicals or icky things.  It has seven simple ingredients and you know what they are.  Plus seriously, it uses up that buttermilk taking up space in the fridge!  Score!

Now see?  Isn’t that lovely after kneading?  Clean bowl and everything!

It’s a simple bread, fluffy and soft without being Wonder Bread-ish.  It has only a slight buttermilk tang, just enough oddly enough considering the quantity, a subtle whiff of honey sweetness, and it’s delicate, deeeelicious.  The crust is thin and subtle.  It’s excellent lightly toasted, smeared with melty butter.

Ugh….do I have time today??……

Holy cow people, look at that first rise!

I baked up this loaf and have zero idea what happened to it.  One minute it was here, next it was gone.  Seriously.  Gone.  *Poof.*

Like I said, it is quite effortless to make, so pull out the mixer (or warm up those hands), let’s do this!

Yeah I know, my photos are ahead of the outline of steps, thought I’d spread ’em out a bit.  But here’s the second rise in the loaf pan.  Poof!  Nice!

Bloom the yeast in that mixer bowl with a fat pinch of sugar to get the yeast hopping, then add your liquid ingredients.

After that, add about half of the flour and all the salt (do not forget the salt; I have, doh!), stir that up nicely, then add the rest of the flour.  Kindly allow the mixer to then do the work for you by kneading it for about eight minutes, until it has completely pulled away from the bowl and is niiiice and smooth, as above.

Tada!  Voila!  Bread!  I made bread!  It’s a beaut!

Or too, by all means, you can knead the dough by hand if you’d like, don’t let me stop you.

You’ll give the bread two rises obviously since you’ve seen the photos, once in a bowl and then a shorter rise in the loaf pan, after which pop it into a hot oven.  In return, you’ll receive this ooh so lovely, grandiose golden brown loaf of joyfulness.

I can’t stop staring at this photo, the nooks, the stretchies, the golden brown, the crispy parts….breaaaaadddd.

Let that bread cool completely though before you start ripping into it so it can do the rest of its juju magic and set properly.

It slices so nicely too! These little soft, fluffy, delectable slivers of bread heaven….

Ok, now go and enjoy some spectacular fresh homemade bread!  Yay!

Note:  This content originally appeared on Flaky Bakers.

*The Kitchen-Aid mixers and French Bread accessories are Amazon affiliate links.  Happy baking, thanks!  Please see the "info" tab for more, well, info.