Breads

Personally speaking, of all the possible products that can be made with flour, my favourite would definitely be Bread.

Looking at the other possible products, cake (for example), is one that requires you to dress it up afterwards, or you'll have to let it cool down. The difference with bread, is that the minute it is out of the oven, it is already at it's best, it's taste, it's aroma, it's colour...

Also, the hands-on interaction you have when kneading bread (the process of creating strands of gluten after mixing flour with water), it just brings you closer to your own creation.

Btw, if you're using a bread maker, please don't tell people you bake bread. At best, i'll acknowledge you as a fellow person who know how to enjoy fresh bread, but you are not baking bread... you're simply telling a machine to do it. it's like pressing print on your computer, and saying you painted a picture.

Usually, at the end of my posts, i'd like to add a recipe.

1 tbsp active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
6 cups white bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 tsp. salt
(gives two white loaves)

1st fermentation: 1-2 hours
Punch down, rest for 5 minutes
cut in two, place in meat loaf pan
cover with oiled plastic wrap for second raising (20-30 minutes)

preheat oven and bake at 425F for 20mintes
reduce heat to 350F and continue baking for 15 minutes.

as a person who bakes, i am all for getting the freshest ingredients, but as a young university student that does not have a car, and eats out (due to lack of time), fresh ingredients may not always be available. the "active dry yeast" mentioned above? it's of course better to use fresh yeast, but not everyone has fresh yeast access- so just make do with what's around you.

there are some people that say you have to "activate" the instant yeast (by adding warm water and sugar to the yeast). i find that you dont really have to, but the most important thing about that list of ingredients is the WARM water.

note that it says WARM and not HOT. while warm water will help the yeast ferment, hot water will kill the yeast - a small rule of thumb, if the temperature of the water is not one where you can chug it, then it is too hot.

another thing, i know the recipe gives an accurate proportion of water and flour, but keep a little extra of each on the side - flour absorption rates are different from brand to brand, plus, for beginner you often make mistakes in measuring. It's very difficult to explain the proper kneading process in words only, and now that you're on the internet already, you might as well go on youtube and look up "kneading bread", of course there is a much better way to do it, but it's simply impossible to describe, so for the moment, stick with the traditional method.