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Bread, in my opinion is the basis of all good food cultures.And home made bread with easy bread recipes should be a part of every good kitchen

Who can imagine a world without it, and yet the very idea of it seems to be on the way out !

Overtaken ,at least in some quarters by the seemingly unstoppable tide of Atkins ,and of course Atkins copycat diets.

All of whom seem eager to explain to us how the very food that has kept people growing and building in health over the last five thousand years is actually “very bad for us “.

Apparently what we should have been doing all that time is stuffing ourselves non stop with the fattest meats we can find.

Adding a little more oil and cream, just to ensure we get the full benefit.

Then topping it off with a pound of cheese and half a dozen eggs, while studiously avoiding all loaves, potatoes, rice pasta and fruit.

Bread comes in huge variety of type combinations and recipes from a simple and, possibly best French baguette to Italian focaccia, from garlic rolls to Indian chapattis and panera, to Spanish tortillas.

It even extends beyond the savory into the realms of the dessert as anyone who has a good banana loaf recipe or bread pudding recipe will know.

But the real high point for me is a is a simple home baked white or whole meal loaf fresh from the oven allowed to cool for ten minutes or so and spread with a good quality slightly salted butter, what could be finer ?

Except possibly the addition of a good ripe camembert a glass of a simple full bodied country wine and a few friends.

For the French, who after all know a thing or two about good food, bread, wine and cheese are often referred to as the trinity of the table.

But what if you have never felt inspired to switch off the telly, dust down your old clothes (posh clothes and baking do not go together) and start on your own to personal pathway to carbohydrate overload before?

There are plenty of quick easy bread recipes for even the most tentative of bakers.

For some reason a lot of people seem to think that baking is more an art form than cooking.

Something that you have to have a particular knowledge or skill to be able to participate in or else all, at least the dough anyway , will come crashing down around your ears.

This misconception puts off many from the pleasure of baking, ( also the unpleasant, if not slightly unhygienic thought of having dough in your ears ) but it is really not as complicated as some would have you believe.

All baking and especially easy bread recipes are just a simple chemical reaction.

If you do things in the right order at the right temperature it will turn out fine. That really is all there is to it.

With the advent of home bakery machines it is even simpler, I’ve never used one myself but friends who have them assure they are the best thing since, well sliced bread.

The manufacturers also of course include their own easy bread recipes and basic plain and flavoured recipes with the machines.

And you can easily find free machine recipes at the maker’s website

If you don’t have or can’t afford a breadmaker,a few reasonable quality loaf tins, expensive ones are unnecessary, should cost no more than the price a couple of supermarket loaves.

Or save your money, go free form and shape your own loaves. A simple bloomer round cob or platted loaf is just as pleasing to the eye, and of course the stomach, as any tin formed loaves. While machines provide a good starting point for those lacking in time or confidence there is nothing like kneading and rising the dough yourself.

And don’t let yourself be drawn to the many packet bread mixes that are available, though these are still better than plastic wrapped shop bought loaves.

All you need is a bowl an oven and a quick easy bread recipe and there are plenty to choose from.

A few simple recipes to look out for would include :

French baguette recipes………………ciabatta

corn bread recipes……………….tortilla recipes

wholemeal recipes……………beer bread recipes

white crusty recipes…………………..chapatti recipes

Italian bread recipes…………garlic roll recipes

And of course for the sweet toothed among you:

banana loaf recipes ……………………bread pudding recipes

banana nut loaf recipes

There are some quick easy bread recipes below to get you started. And remember although a white shirt is always a good idea when baking your best shoes are definately not.




Basic easy white or wholemeal bread recipe



Wholemeal bread recipe, a simple easy to follow basic easy bread recipe