Turning a new leaf

Ok, so I have thought about this a little and decided that I need to blog a bit more and post about all the fun and exciting stuff that is going on in the Christian household. So, I am turning a new leaf. I used to blog, oh I'd say, maybe once or twice a month, and now I am going to do my best to blog about something every other day....whether that be family stuff, fantastic new recipes, free stuff I have found, or ways that I have felt the Lord move in my life. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I am planning to! :)

Sooooo, here we go.

I have found this awesome recipe for homemade white bread. I have tried several different ones and although this one makes a smaller loaf, it's wonderful!! Thanks goes out to Cher's Kitchen for this one! I haven't made this into buns yet, but I can imagine they would be just as good! I'll put a picture under the recipe....oh, I also didn't fold the dough up like the recipe suggests because I have not had the best results with that, so I just shape it into the pan and let it rise....but you can do it either way.

White Bread

also for hamburger and hot dog buns and dinner rolls

1 cup warm milk (100 - 120 degrees)
1 T. sugar
2 1/2 t. yeast (1 packet)
2 T. melted butter
2 1/2 to 3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 t. kosher salt or 1 t. table salt

Stir milk, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. Let stand 5
minutes. It should have foamed on the top (if not, your yeast is not active). Add the butter. Stir in 1 cup of the flour and mix well,
Stir in another cup of the flour and salt. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the remaining flour as needed, until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 8 minutes. Put in an oiled bowl, turning to oil the top, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, aboout 1 hour.
Punch down and shape as desired.

For 1 loaf, shape it into a rectangle. Fold in the short ends of
the dough until it is approximately the length of the pan. Then, fold the
far, long edge over to the middle. Fold over the other long sides
and compress it gently to form a tight cylinder. Place seam-side down in the lightly greased bread pan. Cover. Let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until golden brown and the bottom
sounds hollow if tapped. Remove immediately from pan and let
cool on it's side on a wire rack.

For Hamburger buns:
Divide dough into equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Cover, and let rise for 30 to 35 minutes.
Bake at 400 F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

For Hot Dog Buns:
Shape each piece into a 6x4 inch rectangle. Starting with the longer side, roll up tightly, and pinch edges and ends to seal. Let rise about 20 to 25 minutes. Bake as above.