Basic Bread

3 cups hot tap water
2 tablespoons yeast (I use SAF)
1/3 cup oil (I use lecithin)
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt (I use kosher)
2 tablespoons gluten flour
6-8 cups of flour
1 tablespoon Dough Enhancer (optional. Add during the last 2 minutes of kneading.)

Add ingredients into mixer in this order making sure to add only the amount of flour needed for the dough to form (too much flour makes dry crumbly bread). Spray the inside of bread pans with non-stick cooking spray. Knead dough 5 minutes for white flour, 6 minutes for ½ white ½ wheat flour, or 8 minutes for whole wheat flour. On an oiled surface, divide dough and form into loaves/rolls, (this makes enough for 4 small or 3 large loaves). Preheat oven to 350°. Let dough rise an inch or so above bread pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove bread from pans immediately and spread butter on top. Enjoy the bread that day, give it away or freeze it.

Tip: if you want to make hearty whole grain bread, you can mix in nuts, seeds, wheat bran, oats, dry milk, potato flakes, whatever you want really, in any combination amounting up to 2 cups just before adding the flour, making sure to still use at least 4 cups of flour.

This recipe takes only one hour start to finish when the kitchen is warm, only 10-15 minutes are hands on really. It's super easy, tastes wonderful, and makes the whole house smell fabulous. I make this once or twice a week while the kids are in school. I buy bread during the summer only cause I don't like running the oven and the A/C at the same time.