5 Minute Bread Dough

Prep time: 5 minutes

Bake time: 40 minutes

Total time: variable

Entry number two in the Broke Ass baking series.

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts”

-James Beard

There is nothing better than some crusty bread fresh from the oven.

The Ingredients:

• 6 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 3 cups water (80° to 100°)
• 1 Tblsp Kosher Salt
• A Splash of Olive Oil

The Method:

Pour water, salt, and oil into large container.

Stir to until salt is dissolved .

Stir in 6 1/2 cups of flour.

Stir ingredients until a wet dough forms, do not bother kneading gluten will form in time.

Let dough sit at room temperature for 1 hour to 5 hours until it had risen and begun to deflate.

Put the dough in the fridge and make use of as you see fit.

Making Bread

• Open dough container take out a fist sized ball.
• Roll in to a ball and place on either a peel with corn meal on it or with a sheet of parchment paper on it.
• Cut dough either in decorative or traditional ways.
• Pre heat oven to 400° with a baking stone approx 6 inches from the top of the oven.
• While preheating place a broiler pan in to heat up.
• Let dough do a second rise for about 30 minutes or until it has about doubled in sized.
• Slide dough ball on to baking stone and pour a cup of water in to the roasting pan. (You have just made a steam oven… of sorts.)
• Bake until crust is browned to your liking and firm to the touch. About 30 minutes.
• Lastly if you have the spiritual fortitude to do so, let the bread cool to room temp before eating, you crumb will be better and this the texture.

Final Thoughts:

When it’s all said and done this dough can be used in many different applications honestly I mostly use it for pizza and calzones during the week. But it makes great crusty bread that goes with most dinners.

If you are wondering what the strange plastic container is, it’s an old red vines container cleaned and repurposed. I’m a big fan of repurpising containers to reside plastic waste and because it’s way cheaper than buying a container.

Cheaty Banana Bread

Prep time: 5 minutes

Bake time: 40 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Alright so today we have our first in the Broke Ass Baking series.

B. A. N. A. N. A. S. This S**t is Bananas… ok but seriously this has got to be one of the easiest ways to make some quick bread, and to be clear it was already quick to make.

This banana bread is moist, sweet, easy to make, and above all crazy cheap. I used my food processor for the whole mixing thing, and I’m sure some one will ask, “but dude, why not the stand mixer?” The answer is easy, banana chunks! I am no a fan of chunks in banana bread, they make me want to gag. So smooth banana puree is a must in my book. I simply toss all the ingredients in to the processor, give it a spin for a minute or 2 and voila banana bread dough… batter… I’m honestly unsure which is the correct terminology here.

…Enter google…

Well crap it appears both are ok, though some debate is out there. Shocking I know, disagreement on the internet.

Bake off the batter-dough and then enjoy, or let the bread cool then enjoy. The order of those last two operations are up to you.

The Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix (I used butter, spiced would be rather nice too)
• 2 eggs
• 3-4 ripe bananas
• Tblsp veg oil
• Extras
  • Nuts
  • Chocolate chips
  • Idk do what you want, I’m not the boss of you.

The Method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all ingredients together until a batter forms.

Grease two small loaf pans with your preferred food lube.

Pour batter into two small or one large loaf pans, previously greased.

Bake for 30-45 minutes

Done!

Final Notes:

Now I mentioned that this recipe was cheap and I meant it. Here was my cost break down for the two loaves pictured above.

Disposable loaf pans – $0.43

Bananas – approx $1.00

Cake mix – $0.50

Eggs- $0.34

Total cost – $2.27 for the recipe or $1.13 a loaf.

These loaves have a very nice crumb and are moist. They make a nice sweet breakfast or great dessert. I am thinking what other fruit this might work with… I’ve a few pounds of black berries I need to do something with. Maybe black berry bread…. hmmm

For Starters

A starter, or “sponge” as the pioneers called it, feeds many families over many years. Starters have always been passed through families and from friend to friend.

1. The actual process is easy enough…
2. Feed your sourdough starter the night before you want to bake.
3. Start the sourdough bread recipe the next morning.
4. Let the dough rise until early afternoon before baking and cooling.

But before all the baking and such you need a starter!

The Ingredients:

• 1 Cup warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry yeast
• 3 Tablespoons Instant Potato Flakes

• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Flour

The Method:

In a small container mix together the water, sugar, yeast, and potato flakes. Let set lightly covered for 2 days. This should get frothy or bubbly.

After 2 days fermenting combine the starter with one cup flour and one cup water making a sponge at which point every 3 to 5 days you will need to retain one cup of your sponge and add to it 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water.

I store mine in the fridge, and divide it every time I do a feeding. I feed both the portion going back in the fridge and the portion I keep out. I feed to portion that is usually tossed because I make use of it and don’t actually toss it.