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HowtoMakeHomemadeBread.com {Giveaway}

ByBrooke

**This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been announced. Thank you!**

There is nothing quite like the smell (or taste) of freshly baked homemade bread, don’t you agree? Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! Have you always wanted to learn how to make delicious breads for you and your family to enjoy but don’t quite know where to start? Intimidated by the process or not sure how on earth you “proof yeast” or what gluten is? Never fear, I am here to tell you about a great website that will teach you how to whip up amazing breads and tasty rolls in your own kitchen: www.howtomakehomemadebread.com.

How to Make Homemade Bread helps take the guesswork out of the bread-making process! Detailed videos feature original recipes developed by Lorie Fleischer, who has been teaching and sharing this passion of hers for many years. Lorie takes you through each recipe step-by-step, sharing great tips and techniques along the way that will definitely build your bread baking skills and confidence! Soon your own home will be filled with the aroma of fresh bread from your own oven!

There are many benefits of making your own bread. It is cost effective, because you are using pantry staples and simple ingredients, especially with Lorie’s recipes–making your bread much less expensive and much more delicious than store-bought bread. Plus, you know what is going into your food–no preservatives or unknown chemicals.

Before I go into more detail about the website, Lorie was kind enough to do a little question-and-answer session with me. You’ll get a taste of her knowledge, personality, and her love for making homemade bread! Thank you so much Lorie, I learned a lot!

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Q & A with Lorie of HowtoMakeHomemadeBread.com

Brooke: It’s clear to me that you are very talented in the kitchen! Have you always had a love for baking and cooking? When did you start?
Lorie: I learned to cook from my mother and with the 4-H program. I have always liked creating different foods. Chopping, slicing, dicing and kneading is therapeutic for me. I found my love for baking bread when I was fourteen years old. Dinner time is a daily ritual at our house. It is nice for the family to be together around the table.

 

Brooke:  I love your cinnamon roll recipe, and my family raves about it too. What is your favorite type of bread to bake? Do you prefer sweet or savory?
Lorie:My favorite recipe is the Everyday Loaf. It really is the bread we eat everyday. It is good for sandwiches, toast, and an after school snack. Friends and neighbors also love getting a loaf at Christmas time! (GREAT IDEA!) I also like artisan bread, bread sticks, focaccia bread – the list goes on. I would rather have a piece of bread than a piece of cake.

Brooke: Is there a particular type of flour you recommend for baking bread? For white bread as well as wheat bread?
Lorie: I use bread flour. It has a higher protein content that helps the gluten develop. Gluten enhances flavor in the bread as well as build strong cell walls.

I find I get a better flavor in my wheat bread when I grind my wheat flour fresh. Wheat grinders are readily available for purchase. Wheat is great to have in food storage and it has a long shelf life.

Brooke: For some reason I get a tiny bit nervous when having to work with yeast–for example, sometimes my dough doesn’t raise as much as it’s supposed to. Do you have any tips or tricks to having success using yeast in bread recipes? What type of yeast do you recommend?
Lorie: Using too hot of water can kill yeast. If  your water is too cool it will require more time to properly activate the yeast and raise the dough. Your water should be the temperature of a baby’s bottle.

I also add  sugar or honey to feed the yeast and give it a jump start when I begin my dough.

 

 

I purchase  2lb bags of Active Dry Yeast. After it is opened I store it in the fridge. It sounds like a really large bag of yeast but  I make bread often enough I always use it way before the expiration date. If you are a beginner bread baker you might want to start with a smaller package.

 

Brooke:  Sometimes I like to think ahead and have some food prep done in advance so when dinner time comes around, I’m not left stressed and scrambling. Can I do this with bread dough–meaning, can I mix together some dough and keep it in the fridge or even freeze it for later? What are your recommendations for freezing, thawing or refrigerating bread dough? Do I let it raise first and then freeze it? Help!
Lorie: You can certainly make dough, let it raise once, punch it down, shape it and then store it in the fridge or freezer. However, after you take it out of the fridge/freezer it needs plenty of time to properly raise before you bake it.

After the bread is baked it should be cooled completely, stored in a tightly closed plastic bag in the freezer. If you are not going freeze the bread, store it in the cupboard. Storing bread in the fridge will cause it go stale faster.

I have been asked how long a baked loaf will last in the freezer. My answer is, I really don’t know. Our family of 4 eats six loaves every week!

 

Baking many loaves and freezing them insures that we always have a fresh loaf of bread. I regularly bake six loaves of bread at a time and freeze five of them. I just thaw it on the counter top. (My kids won’t eat bread from the grocery store!)

Brooke:  What are some ways moms can instill a love for cooking and baking in their kids (or even in themselves!)?
Lorie: Cooking with children takes time, patience, laughter and a good sense of humor. Most children love the feel of bread dough. Even if the dough never gets baked, the children love the hands on experience. Children are more likely to eat food that they have helped prepare. My sixteen year old daughter is now the official Sunday dinner roll baker. Her rolls are as good as mine!

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When I was sent a few recipes and videos to try out, I was most eager to try Lorie’s cinnamon roll recipe. I’ll admit it, I have a sweet tooth!! Let me just tell you, this recipe is a WINNER. I am being completely honest when I say that her cinnamon roll recipe is my family’s all-time favorite, and I have tried out several recipes.

The videos are so helpful because you can watch carefully as each ingredient is added, which helps make sure you are following the recipe correctly. You can push pause and rewind to clarify and review. I’ve had issues before with messing up the yeast or doing something wrong and maybe once or twice I’ve had some bread FAILS come out of my oven. 🙂 That is why I really like how Lorie shows and describes exactly what the mixture and dough is supposed to look like every step of the way. I like seeing what it looks like after the yeast is ready to go, and the right consistency when you’ve added enough flour.

I have made these cinnamon rolls many times now over the past few months, and the rolls have turned out every single time–even the first time I made them (cue the heavenly choirs!). My kids request them often. Oooh, and the cream cheese frosting? Completely scrumptious.

Now, here is a little more information about How to Make Homemade Bread. It is a membership site with two options:

Silver Monthly Membership: $12.95/month for access to a new bread recipe every other week

Gold Monthly Membership: $19.95/month for access to a new bread recipe every other week PLUS unlimited email access to Lorie

You can pay monthly and you will always have access to the videos you receive during your membership. When you log into the membership section, you will also have access to a PDF version of the recipe for you to print off and have handy. Here are some of the recipes that you can look forward to learning about:

  • cinnamon rolls
  • focaccia bread
  • whole wheat bread
  • pizza dough
  • breadsticks
  • pita bread
  • dinner rolls and more!

What’s great is that you can try out the first video for the “Everyday Loaf” for FREE! Simply sign up with your name and email on the website, and you will be sent the video link where Lorie will teach you how to make her “everyday” white bread, which as you read in the interview happens to be her favorite type of bread.

So now it’s  GIVEAWAY TIME!

The prize: 6 months FREE silver membership to How to Make Homemade Bread!

You will receive approx. 12 awesome recipes during this time!

There are two easy ways to enter:

  • Leave a comment on this post (you must be a public follower of The Crafting Chicks to be eligible)
  • Sign up for the free “everyday bread” video at How to Make Homemade Bread, then come back and leave a comment on this post telling us you signed up.

The giveaway will close Sunday 5/29/11 at midnight (MST) and the winner will be announced Monday 5/30/11 on our Facebook page. Good luck!

**This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been announced. Thank you!**

The kind folks at How to Make Homemade Bread sent us several videos and recipes in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

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93 Comments

  1. ooooooooooooooh, I LOVE homemade bread!!! I would love to win this fabulous giveaway! Thank you for the chance! I also signed up for the free “Everyday Bread” video. Can’t wait to try it. Wish me luck!

    Reply

  2. What a great giveaway — I’d love this! (I’d really love to get my hands on that recipe for cinnamon rolls; my family would LOVE them)

    Reply

  3. I was thinking about buying a bread machine for years now, but i might have to try this first. Thanks for the chance of trial membership.

    Reply

  9. I would love to learn more about bread making. Thanks for the chance at a free trial. I also signed up for the free video.

    Reply

  11. Those cinnamon rolls look Delish! I would love to learn how to make yummy and healthy homemade breads.

    Reply

  16. I’ve just recently started making my own bread and grinding my own flour. My children are in love with the bread, I love the process and the fact that I’m feeding my kids healthier foods. I would love to be able to learn more recipes and techniques.

    Reply

  25. I would love to learn more about making bread. Yeast scares me a bit too and I would love to learn more!

    Reply

  27. I would love to win the membership! I make breads in the breadmaker, but would love to learn how to do it without. My son just saw the picture of her cinnamon rolls and wants me to make them…now!

    Reply

  33. Oh my gosh………………I have craved homemade bread my entire life, but never seem to be able to make it as good as other people. This looks wonderful!

    Reply

  34. I signed up for the free video……………….this site looks amazing. Maybe I can finally learn how to make wonderful homemade bread!

    Reply

  35. I just signed up for the first video! I can’t wait to make bread as tasty as it looks on the site! Thank you! Woot!

    Reply

  38. I LOVE bread and signed up for the free video. To learn how to make one of our favorite foods would be amazing! Thanks for the chance to win something delicious.

    Reply

  46. We live in the middle of nowhere and therefore I make most of our bread- would LOVE These tips and recipes! Thanks!

    Reply

  47. I would love to win the free membership. I have been telling my husband for months that I want to start making bread.

    Reply

  48. Thanks.. for the website. I’ve been looking for something like this. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make bread. Can’t wait to start trying. 🙂

    Reply

  52. Reading this made my mouth water….breads are my favorite, by far…..but I do need help when I make my own!!

    Reply

  53. You got me at the Cinnamon Rolls!! I LOVE making homemade bread. I’ve only used my grandmother’s recipe. I’d like to try new ones. Thanks!

    Reply

  57. I have just started making my own bread! Due to my many failures my dh isnt convinced it will be more cost effective! I cant wait to try out the recipes!

    Reply

  58. This sounds wonderful! I have just recently started trying to make my own bread and trying out new bread recipes. I would LOVE to win this membership!

    Reply

  62. I would love to win this for my husband – he is the bread maker in our family(in more ways than one), and he is always looking for “better” recipes! Thanks for the chance.

    Reply

  65. I would love to be able to win this. I love homemade bread but have yet been able to master it. I always having rising problems! I hope I win!

    Reply

  69. I have a few standard bread recipes I used to make frequently, but since having kids & going back to work life has been a bit too busy to keep up on it! I’d love to get back into baking homemade bread (my 2 boys LOVE to be “helpers” in the kitchen) & would love some new tried & true recipes. Please consider me for the membership prize!

    Reply

  70. My family loves homemade bread but I need some tips for this heat and humidity in Florida. I signed up for the free video.

    Reply

  84. I love making homemade bread for my family. It always tastes amazing! And is a treat for potlucks.

    Reply

  85. I would love to start making homemade bread!! Thanks for telling me about this great website. I signed up for the video.

    Reply

  90. I’m a follower of your blog and I’m in love with the idea to truly learn to make bread and not be intimidated. I would love to win this membership.

    Reply

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