Homemade Bread in a Bag

Spring is in the air and our thoughts turn to gardening and the desire to be as sustainable as possible. I think of this and realize what if the power went out or we weren’t able to cook with the stove? I have found that my grandkids love to play pioneer. We have made butter, used oil lamps, a day without cars, and read numerous stories of our pioneer relatives. What if we had to make bread by hand? Here is a fun recipe for you to try or better yet, have dad make with the kids to surprise mom with hot fresh baked bread for Mother’s Day. I know my daughter is looking forward to me making a kit for each of the kids and they can make their own bread.

I came across this recipe and thought how fun it would be to make with the grands. This bread is so fun and easy to make that it is doable anywhere. I have also included a strawberry compote recipe to pair perfectly with this hot bread. Fresh cheese or avocado would also be delicious served on this delicious bread. Today at my house, the weather is cold and windy and I think a cup of cocoa with whipped cream is also the perfect way to enjoy this bread. However you choose to use this fun idea– at family reunions, emergency preparedness practice, a camping trip, a home school activity, or just a fun family time, I guarantee this will be a recipe that you will treasure for your family. I have freshly ground my flour in my WonderMill – hard white wheat and hulled barley. I have also used ½ cup of bread flour (Big J brand) in the blend of flours. Take pictures as you are making this recipe to share with the memory books.

Homemade Bread in a Bag

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and either grease 2 mini loaf pans or 1 small loaf pan. (If the power was out, you could use a Dutch oven cooking with briquettes to equal 350 degrees, indirect heat on a BBQ grill, pizza oven on top of your outdoor cook stove, or a sun oven. If all of these cooking options feel foreign and awkward, look into alternative cooking methods as a way to prepare for an emergency.)
2. In a gallon Ziploc, layer the following items in this order:

• 1 ½ teaspoon Real Salt
• 2 cups fresh ground hard white wheat flour
• ½ cups fresh ground barley
• ½ cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon SAF Instant yeast (I used the red label)

DON’T MIX YET.  I know you want to shake the bag – but DON’T!!

3. Add to the bag:

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
• 3 tablespoon olive oil

4. Seal the bag and mix until well blended.
5. Oil a countertop with a thin layer of olive oil. Also, oil your hands.
6. Take dough out of bag and begin to knead. If your bread feels really sticky you can add a slight dusting of flour on your work surface. I have found the different blends of flour will sometimes warrant a bit additional flour added in the kneading process.
7. Knead for 10 minutes or until gluten is developed.
8. Divide the dough in half for 2 mini loaves or leave all dough together for 1 small loaf.
9. Form bread into loaves and place in either 2 mini loaf pans or 1 small loaf pan.
10. Cover the dough with a clean, dry cloth and allow the dough to double in size before cooking (about 30 – 45 minutes)
11. Bake for 20 -25 minutes or until golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees F.
12. Remove from oven and remove from pan and cool on a cooling rack
13. Serve warm with fresh strawberry compote.

Fresh Strawberry Compote:

• 16 ounces fresh strawberries, cleaned and sliced
• 1 teaspoon honey or sweetener of choice
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
3. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the strawberries are very soft.
4. Mash the strawberries to desired thickness with a potato masher.
5. Cool the strawberry compote for 10 minutes, to allow it to thicken, then serve over warm bread, ice cream, yogurt, pancakes, waffles, or cheesecake.
6. Keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to three days.