How to Bake Bread and Store Overnight

Homemade bread is easier to make than it sounds.

Homemade bread is not only high-quality, but it's frugal as well. While many people prefer to use bread makers, you can bake your own bread a day ahead of time and store it overnight until it is ready to be consumed. The trick to making delicious homemade bread is to mix the ingredients in the right order, so the yeast can do its job and the dough rises properly.

Things You'll Need

• Large mixing bowl
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. yeast
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 cup milk
• Pinch salt
• 6 cups flour
• Loaf pans (2)
• Cooking spray
• Plastic wrap
• Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Pour 1 cup warm water, 1 tbsp. sugar, and 2 tbsp. yeast into a large mixing bowl. Pour the yeast evenly over the water so it all gets wet. Let the yeast sit in the warm water for five minutes, or until the yeast becomes slightly foamy at the surface of the water.

2. Add 3 tbsp. vegetable oil, 1 cup milk, a pinch of salt, and 2 additional tbsp. sugar to the sugar-yeast water.

3. Stir the water mixture well and add 3 cups all purpose or bread flour. Stir 50 times clockwise, then 50 times counter-clockwise.

4. Add 3 more cups flour and blend into a dough, using your hands.

5. Sprinkle flour over your counter and place the ball of dough on it. Knead the dough for five minutes by repeatedly flattening the dough out over the counter and folding it over itself.

6. Clean out the mixing bowl and grease the sides with vegetable oil. Place the kneaded dough ball in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

7. Let the dough sit for one hour or until it doubles in size. Press your fist through the dough ball to deflate it. Re-cover and allow to sit for 30 more minutes.

8. Cut the dough ball in half and let each half rest for 10 minutes before rolling them into log shapes. Place each log into a loaf pan sprayed with cooking oil.

9. Bake the bread for 25 minutes at 425 degrees.

10. Let the baked bread loaves cool to room temperature and wrap them with plastic wrap.

11. Add an additional layer of aluminum foil over the plastic wrap and store overnight at room temperature.

References

• Just Peace: Your Basic Bread Recipe
• Diane's Kitchen: Keeping Homemade Bread Fresher, Long