Chow down on fresh homemade bread

Many of us have forgotten about time-honoured ways of preparing food. Read on for fresh bread-making tips from yesteryear that are still useful in today's kitchens.

Many of us have forgotten about time-honoured ways of preparing food — from drying to pickling — that are both nutritious and easy on the pocketbook. Read on for breadmaking tips from yesteryear that are still useful in today's kitchens.

Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods. In the past few decades, homemade bread has become a delicacy — especially when it's warm, fragrant and fresh from the oven. It doesn't take many ingredients, or too much effort, to bake delicious breads in your own home.

To make bread dough, in addition to flour or whole grains, you need water, salt and a leavening agent such as yeast, sourdough or baking powder. As a rule of thumb, the more thoroughly you knead the dough, the looser and finer the crumb. Make sure you give your dough enough time to rise undisturbed at an even temperature of about 22°C (72°F). But keep in mind that it's not the elapsed time that determines when the bread is ready to bake, but rather the volume of the dough; it should be roughly double in size.

• Avoid mixing salt and yeast right away; salt can stunt the activity of yeast.
• Add any number of flavourings to your dough according to taste: coriander, caraway or pepper. Or try tossing in 25 millilitres (two tablespoons) of sunflower seeds or flaxseeds for a tasty change.
• Press firmly with your fingertip on the dough and if the impression remains visible after you remove your finger, you will know your bread is risen and ready to bake.
• Prevent air bubbles from forming while the dough rises by punching it down vigorously before shaping it, then again kneading it carefully and thoroughly with the heels of your hands for a few minutes more.
• Use baking soda or baking powder for leavening quick breads, which don't require long periods of time for rising. But they must be baked in a loaf pan; otherwise, the dough will spread all over the baking sheet.
• Keep yeast breads for one to three days, as they taste best fresh.Now you're ready to wow your guests — or even just yourself — with the freshest bread around.

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