Overnight Bread

(a few slices of bread for sandwiches)

One of the recipes I'm definitely keeping from the Hillbilly Housewife experiment is her recipe for Overnight Bread. I'd never made bread before trying this recipe, but I found it easy and accessible. I've heard a lot of people talk about using bread makers, but for a bread this simple I almost think it would be more work to take the machine out and clean it and start it up. I make two loaves at a time, which works because I only have 2 pans, and besides that homemade bread doesn't keep like store-bought bread does because it doesn't have any preservatives in it. I also make my bread half-whole wheat, and I think the flavor and texture turn out pretty nicely. This is a light bread, and it tends to be a little crumblier than the store-bought stuff I'm used to, but I'm not sure how it compares to other similar recipes.

Oh, and there's a reason for the name. This bread is best made before bed, because of the very long first rise.

Overnight Bread
adapted from Hillbilly Housewife
(makes 2 loaves, total time: ~18 hours)

2 cups warm tap water
1/3 cup non-fat dry milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 packet yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 of 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups whole wheat flour

1. Mix water, dry milk, and sugar in a very large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and allow to sit for a few minutes.

2. Add salt, oil, and flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough becomes too thick, then use your hands to bring it together the rest of the way.

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 full minutes. Coat the dough with oil, replace it into the bowl, cover, and let it rise for 12-18 hours, until it has doubled in size.

4. Punch the dough down, divide it into 2 loaves, and place them in oiled loaf pans. Cover both, and let rise again, 2 hours, or until they've doubled in size.

5. Bake the loaves at 350 for 40 minutes. Cool them for a few minutes in the pans, but then turn them out and cool on a rack until they reach room temperature. I wrap mine in paper towels and place them in large zip-loc bags.

Notes: You could of course use actual milk instead of water and dry milk powder, but first you'd have to bring it to the temperature of warm tap water.