Easiest Loaf You'll Ever Bake

3 cups of bread flour
1 packet (or 1/4 oz) of instant yeast (bread machine yeast if you buy a jar)
1 1/2 tsp salt
oil as needed

1.  combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.  add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Let dough rest about 4 hours at room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2.  lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice.  cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes more.

3.  At least a half hour before dough is ready, heat over to 450 degrees.  Put a 6-8 qt heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamal, pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats.  when dough is ready, carefully reove pot from oven.  Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up.  shake pan one or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

4.  cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15-30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.  Cool on a rack.

Cheese Bread

Ingredients
3 Cups Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheese, I used mild cheddar, and you can adjust the amount.
3 Tablespoons Butter, melted
2 Teaspoons Butter
1 1/4 Cups Milk
3/4 Cup Sour Cream
1 Egg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Melt about 2 teaspoons of butter in your bread pan and coat bottom and sides well. I use a 5 x 9.

2. Stir flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne and cheese together.

3. Mix butter, milk, sour cream, and egg with mixer just until well stirred. You can do this by hand if you prefer.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until mixed well.

5. The mixture is sticky, and I can never resist adding a couple of tablespoons more flour, but I don’t think that is necessary!

6. Place in bread pan and bake. I bake for about 45 minutes, but you might need to check sooner according to how your oven bakes.

This bread slices much better after cooling completely, but we seldom wait! 

http://www.texansunited.com/blog/oh-so-good-cheese-bread/

Artisan Bread (no knead)

Basic No-Knead Bread
slightly adapted from Jim Lahey’s My Bread
6 cups bread flour (recommended) or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 t. instant or active-dry yeast
2 1/2 t. salt
2 2/3 c. cool water

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated; the dough should be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest 12-18 hours on the counter at room temperature. When surface of the risen dough has darkened slightly, smells yeasty, and is dotted with bubbles, it is ready.
2. Lightly flour your hands and a work surface. Place dough on work surface and sprinkle with more flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice and, using floured fingers, tuck the dough underneath to form a rough ball.
3. Generously dust a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with enough flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran to prevent the dough from sticking to the towel as it rises; place dough seam side down on the towel and dust with more flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran. Cover with the edges or a second cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
4. After about 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, in the oven as it heats. When the dough has fully risen, carefully remove pot from oven. Remove top towel from dough and slide your hand under the bottom towel; flip the dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough looks unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
5. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, until the crust is a deep chestnut brown. The internal temperature of the bread should be around 200 degrees. You can check this with a meat thermometer, if desired.
6. Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Homemade English Muffins

English Muffins makes about sixteen muffins. greatly adapted from chasincakes.
(can be gluten and dairy free, see below for subsitutions)

Ingredients

1 cup of milk

3 TBSP butter

3 TBSP of honey

1 cup of warm water (105-110 degrees)

1/4 oz of yeast

2 TBSP cornmeal
5 cups + extra for sprinkling all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
(To make gluten free, use a mix of rice flour instead of the ap flour, and use soy milk in place of the milk)

Directions
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, mix lightly and set aside for ten minutes to foam lightly.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk, butter and honey until the butter is melted. Let cool lightly.
Combine the yeast mixture and milk mixtures gently. 
In a large bowl, sift 3 cups of flour. Stir in the milk and yeast. Sift the remaining flour and salt. Stir until cohesive.
Flour and marble slab well and knead the dough for 3 minutes or til lightly elastic. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cover two cookie sheet with parchment and lightly sprinkle with cornmeal. 
Flour the marble slab lightly and roll the dough out until it's a 1/2 inch thick. Air on the side of too thick okay. Cut out circles (don't twirl your cutter, just cut). Gently place on the cookie sheets, sprinkle the tops with cornmeal and cover with a dry, light cloth. Let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes or til nearly doubled in size. It's more like 2/3. 45 minutes will definitely do though.
Heat a heavy bottomed skillet on medium low, don't grease it. 
Gently place a muffin in your hand and shake lightly to remove some of the corn meal. Gentleness is key in all of the handling. Place into the pan and repeat til the pan is full. Don't let them touch each other. Keep the heat on low. Cook for 8 minutes per side or until browned well, flip and cook again. Let cool lightly on a wire rack. Split and top with butter and honey. 

http://myfairbaking.blogspot.com/2012/12/homemade-english-muffins.html

Party Cheese Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 round loaf sourdough bread (1 pound)
• 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients; set aside. Cut bread diagonally into 1-in. slices to within 1/2 in. of bottom of loaf. Repeat cuts in opposite direction. Arrange cheese slices in cuts. Drizzle butter mixture over bread.
• Wrap loaf in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals 491 calories, 30 g fat (19 g saturated fat), 80 mg cholesterol, 1,012 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 21 g protein.