Bread Baking 101 for Beginners

Move over Betty Crocker, there’s a new girl in town! Y’all, I am obsessed with baking bread and I don’t care who knows it. I know everyone hopped on the baking bread train this time last year, so maybe I am a bit late to the game, but boy is it a game changer! I think it is so important to have hobbies as an adult and I have officially found mine. Baking bread and doing my best to get it perfect has brought me so much joy over these past few weeks and I am dishing on it all!

I’ve received tons of questions on what type of bread I’ve been making, what ingredients I’ve used, and what utensils help with baking the bread to perfection. First things first, I am quickly becoming an expert at Kamut bread. Kamut, also called Khorasan wheat, is available at most health food stores and is a great source of protein and fiber. When I bake, I use The Food Nanny’s Kamut Flour, which I buy online. You can find it here. According to a study, each 1 cup serving of cooked kamut contains 10g of protein, or 17% of the protein requirements for an average 150-pound individual. Plus, it is organically grown and non-GMO, which makes me feel good about what I am eating.

Breads I’ve been making:

So far I have made Kamut white bread, cinnamon sugar bread, biscuits and cinnamon rolls! Yes, I have been busy in the kitchen! Next up, I plan to try out a french baguette and chocolate chip cookies! I cannot wait because the flour gives off a slightly nutty flavor and I think it’ll be phenomenal with chocolate chip cookies. It’s important to note, especially for those who have been following me for awhile on social media and have been on my health journey with me, I have not had any issues with Kamut. Over the years, I’ve cut out gluten, counted macros, and have tried just about everything to prioritize my health. Even though Kamut is technically a type of wheat, my body has had no negative reactions to it. Obviously every body is different but I wanted to share my experience.

Baking Essentials

So what do you need to bake bread? I recently bought a dough whisk and it’s been a total game changer for my baking game! A dough scraper, glass mixing bowls, bowl covers (to throw over the bowl when the dough is rising), and a brush to slather butter on the loaves are all necessary baking essentials too! I’ve linked everything in the graphic above here if you’re looking to purchase new items for your bread baking journey.

Kamut Bread Step-By-Step

Now it’s time for the fun! Since I use The Food Nanny’s flour, I follow their recipe as well. This bread is great to introduce in your diet if you are looking to add more magnesium, zinc, or fiber. A diet rich in zinc benefits your immune system, which I think we could all use with springtime right around the corner. The bread takes about three hours in total to make but it’s so worth it. I promise!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp active dry yeast
• 3 cups warm water 
• ⅔ cup honey, divided
• 7 cups White Kamut flour, divided
• 3 ½ tbsp melted butter or olive oil
• 1 tbsp French gray coarse salt

Instructions (from The Food Nanny)

1. “First prepare a sponge. In a large bowl, mix together yeast, warm water, 1⁄3 cup honey and 4 cups flour. Mix with wooden spoon until well combined. Cover with plastic (sprayed with cooking spray). Let rise for 20-30 minutes (until double in size) in a warm, draft-free place.
2. Add 2½ more cups flour along with 1⁄3 cup more honey, the melted butter or olive oil and salt. Mix well. Knead for at least 5 minutes. Add the last ½ cup flour if dough seems too sticky, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Grease bowl with cooking spray or a little olive oil. Place dough in bowl, turn and cover with a lightweight dishtowel or plastic sprayed with cooking spray. Let rise for 30 minutes (until double in size) in a warm, draft-free place.
3. Preheat oven to 400º. Spray pans generously with cooking spray. Six 6×3½ inch mini pans (or close to that size), three 8½x5 inch pans or two 9×5¾ inch pans. Punch down to remove air bubbles. Divide evenly and place in greased pans. Cover with a lightweight dishtowel. Let rise until double. (You know dough is ready when an indention stays after you poke the corner.)
4. Place pans inside of the oven when dough is ready. Turn temperature down to 350º and bake loaves. 30 minutes for large, 25-30 for medium and 17-18 for minis. Loaves are done when bottom of bread is light brown. You can tilt the hot pan just enough to check the bottom. Do not over-bake this bread or let it get too brown. Be vigilant because every oven is different.
5. When done, immediately invert bread pans. Place loaves on cooling rack until completely cool. If desired, brush loaves with butter. Store in bread bags or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Bread will be good for one week on the counter, refrigeration is not necessary.”

Prepare your taste buds for deliciousness! Also, know that baking bread takes patience and practice. Not every loaf is going to be perfect! The Food Nanny says if your bread comes out deflated then it probably rose for too long before it was placed in the oven. If the sides are blown it, it didn’t have enough time to rise. If it has a hole in the middle, it rose too fast or the yeast didn’t have a chance to activate. See how bread baking is an art? Whether your first time trying is a failure or a success, I want to hear all about it! I challenge you to try out this recipe and tag me over on Instagram with your results!

My kids have absolutely loved this bread! We’ve had so much fun experimenting with different flavors and bread products. Once you get one good bread loaf, you will be addicted to baking more! The Kamut bread is such an easy to make bread and you feel healthy while eating it. I’d love to hear all about your experiences! Thank y’all for always encouraging me in my latest obsessions! I will say, I am confident that bread baking is here to stay.

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