Works for Me! (part 2)

These are my bread-making tips. If you are not a baker, these will be very boring!

1. If you make at least a loaf of bread a week, buy the 1 pound yeast brick (Red Star or Fleischmann's) in the institutional food section of your grocery. Once opened, it turns into the same stuff as in the Fleischmann's jars at the grocery but will cost about 20% of the price, volume for volume. Pour the granulated yeast into one of the Classico Jars (see my last post) and store in the fridge.

2. Measure the oil first, then use the same spoon or cup to measure the honey. The honey will slide out, rather than stick to the utensil.

3. Your bread will stay fresher an extra day or two if you add an additional Tablespoon of olive oil or pure unfiltered coconut oil per loaf.

4. If you use a bread machine: Measure the water, oil and honey into the same Pyrex measuring cup. Put it in the microwave for 30 seconds per cup of volume. This will allow you to 'pre-warm' the ingredients so you can use the quick cycles.

5. If you use the quick cycle per #4 above, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of regular yeast if you are not a rapid-rise yeast user.

6. If you sit down for a cup of tea while your bread is baking, warm your spoon in the tea before measuring honey into the spoon. The honey will slide right off and mix into the tea more easily!