Buttermilk Bread and Butter!

Fresh homemade butter and Buttermilk Bread.

(Bread recipe from allrecipes.com)

~*~

To use up the buttermilk after making a fresh batch of

butter, I used this recipe for Buttermilk Bread.

The bread isn't pretty, but it tastes great!

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup warm water (110*)

1/2 butter (I used homemade)

1/4 cup white sugar (I used honey)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (I used 4 1/2 teaspoons, I don't have packages of yeast)

2 teaspoons salt

5 1/2 cups bread flour

1. Proof yeast in warm water.

2. Place the butter and buttermilk in a small saucepan. Heat slowly until butter has melted. Cool to lukewarm.

3. Place sugar (honey), salt, baking soda, buttermilk mixture, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add 3 cups flour (one cup at a time) and mix with the dough hook attachment of an electric mixer. (I mix by hand with a wooden spoon). Gradually add the remaining flour while continuing to mix. When dough is not sticky, turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for several minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth. Place in a greased bowl, and turn once. Allow to rise until doubled in size.

4 Punch down the dough. Divide, and shape into 2 loaves. Place in two well greased 8 X 4 inch bread pans. Allow to rise until dough has risen one inch above pans. (Mine rose but fell just before baking. A few of the reviewers had similar problems with this recipe)

5. Bake in a preheated oven 350* oven for 30-35 minutes. Loaves are done when nicely brown and hollow sounding when thumped.

Serve with homemade butter and enjoy!

(When making butter from fresh, raw milk, you get faster results

using cream that is a couple of days old ~ not fresh from the cow! In my

post on making butter, I say that it takes 30 minutes or so. Using a little older

cream, it only takes a few minutes!)

Oh! You can make butter from heavy cream bought at the store ~ organic would be best!