Rosebud's Bread

Is it possible to have bad bread from a cute little granny named Rosebud?

Nope.

Don't think so.

The other day, I tried this recipe from "The Curvy Carrot" {found HERE} and it actually worked. Not only that, but it worked really, really well. Ordinarily, my bread doesn't look too great. . . nor does it taste too great. But this time, it was different.

If you find yourself in a similar bread-baking-boat {or even if you're an amazing bread-baker-person}, you should try this recipe. You shan't be disappointed.

After all, it comes from Rosebud. :)

. . . .

Before I get started, let me just say that you can click on over to "The Curvy Carrot" and read her recipe HERE and be totally fine. However, I did a couple things differently. . . because. . . well. That's just how I roll. And yes, I added a little pizzazz to the instructions. Rosebud's recipe didn't read like a crazy lady wrote it. So, in other words. . . if you want an easy recipe to follow, click through to the original. :)


Rosebud's Butter-Topped White Bread
{adapted slightly by myself from this recipe HERE} 


4 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast {2 packets}
3/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. sugar
1 scant tablespoon salt
3 T. butter, room temp, cut into small-ish pieces
2 2/3 c. additional warm water
9 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
Additional butter for brushing the tops of baked loaves, optional


In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attached{I know. It feels a little weird and counter intuitive.}, combine the yeast and 3/4 cup warm water. Allow time to dissolve and get fluffy; about five minutes. Then add in your sugar, salt, butter, and additional 2 and 2/3 cups warm water and mix well on your slowest speed.

While still on your slow speed, gradually add in 5 cups of flour. Mix it 'til it's smooth, and then sloooowly add in the remaining flour {if you're bad at math like me, that's 4 1/2 cups}.

A WORD OF CAUTION HERE, folks. This dough means business. If you don't have a manly {i.e. "Professional"} stand mixer, you'll probably blow up your motor. Split up your dough into two separate batches if need be. . . or knead half by hand while your mixer works on the other half.

Once it's mixed fairly well, but not kneaded, take off your paddle and pop on your dough hook {things just got serious!}. Allow that ol' hook to do its duty for 10 minutes.

This is where I would always go wrong in the past. I thought kneading for 10 minutes was just silly and would only go for maybe 3 minutes. Don't do it, guys. Knead it for 10 minutes. Honestly. Set a timer and don't chicken out. You need to build up the gluten in the dough, so just do it. :)

While your dough is kneading, lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray. Shortly before your dough is done being kneaded, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for about 25-30 seconds. Then turn off the oven. Please don't forget to turn it off! This trick provides a nice, warm, draft-free place for your dough to rise. Plop the dough into the bowl and spritz the top with more cooking spray. Cover and place in the warm oven to rise for 1 hour.

After an hour, spray two glass 9" loaf pans with cooking spray. Lightly dust your {clean!} counter top with some flour to make working with the dough easier. Divide your dough into two equal blobs. Take blob #1 and roll it out into roughly a 12x12 square. Starting from the bottom, roll it up nice and tight and then pinch off both ends. Fold the ends underneath and place in your greased pan. Repeat with blob #2.

Do the same preheating trick with your oven, cover your loaves, and let your 'em rise for about 25 minutes. Take the loaves out and make sure you have a rack on the very bottom slot in your oven with ample head room for your loaves. Preheat your oven to 420 degrees {NOTE: My oven cooks hot, so if yours doesn't, preheat to 425 instead}. Once preheated, place both loaves on the lowest rack and bake for 15 minutes.

Then, if you have a overeager oven like somebody I know, lower the temperature to 410 degrees. Otherwise, keep it the same. Cover your beautiful loaves with tin foil to keep the tops from over-browning and bake for an additional 10-11 minutes {or 15 minutes if you're all "normal"}.

Transfer those cuties to a wire rack and lightly brush the tops with some melted butter. Allow to cool before slicing if you think that's humanly possible. . . which it isn't.

. . .

Like most homemade bread, it tastes best fresh. This bread is so very scrumptious because its outer crust is the prefect amount of crunchy while its inside is soft and fluffy. Mmm-mmm good! I dare you not to eat an entire loaf in one night.

{insert evil laugh here}

Click HERE to learn how to make delicious peach freezer jam to go with your homemade bread! You're basically a self-sufficient pioneer, so congratulations! :)