part 2/2

Make-ahead procedure:

I do 2 things for doing prep work:

1. Make plastic bags of pre-mix
2. Setup an "easy prep station" for a 2-minute setup procedure before bed

For the pre-mix bags, I put the following in a gallon zipper-seal bag (not the press-to-seal kind, the pull-zipper ones are WAY easier in terms of not poofing out the flour everywhere):

• 3 tablespoons packed Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 3 cups White Flour

I make a week's worth of bags at a time (which is 4 bags for us, as we tend to go through a loaf about every 2 days). Just dump all of the dry ingredients in & mix it around by hand (the brown sugar tends to clump & needs to be broken up). I then store the following on a shelf for my quick-access "prep station":

• Bread machine
• Large bottle of Olive Oil (with small pour spout)
• Pre-measured cup with measuring spoons
• Pre-mix bags
• Yeast (kept in the fridge)

I bought a dedicated set of plastic measuring spoons, as well as a large plastic cup, for setting up my prep station: a tablespoon for the olive oil, and the a 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, and 1/4 teaspoon for the yeast (1 & 3/4 teaspoons total, so just one scoop per teaspoon for fast measuring). For the plastic cup, measure in 12 ounces of water & mark the line with a black Sharpie marker...that way you simply have to fill up the water & then throw it in the microwave to warm up, no measuring required. My nightly process goes like this:

1. Fill the cup up to the line with filtered water and microwave for 90 seconds (go brush your teeth while it's nuking, haha)
2. Measure in the Olive Oil (2 tablespoons), then use the water from the cup to rinse the spoon off into the machine (to make sure you get it all...and of course, pour in the whole cup of water)
3. Dump the pre-mix bag in (you can re-use the bag again for more mixes later)
4. Measure in the yeast using the three teaspoons (if you don't have your yeast in a jar, get a mason jar with a plastic screw-on lid & keep the 3 teaspoons inside of it, in the fridge)
5. Set the color to Light & click the start button

Takes all of 2 minutes to do. Water, oil, bag, yeast. Since everything is at-hand, it makes the process very simple & becomes routine. This method has worked really well for me for actually making it on a regular basis because it's so easy this way...I don't have to go looking for measuring cups or measuring spoons or any of the ingredients.

If your bread machine does clump during the first few minutes of mixing, keep a dedicated rubber spatula in the machine's bowl for when you use it every night. A few bucks up front for some extra plastic spoons, cup, and spatula really makes life easier...fresh, healthier-than-store bought, preservative-free bread anytime you want!

Also, if you do make a "prep station" like this, just throw all of the accessories in a small plastic container to make it easy to move everything to your countertop for working (olive oil, tablespoon, marked cup, make-ahead bags, and optional spatula).

Additional notes:

• You can use regular water, but I recommend filtered water because the tap water makes the bread too hard (at least in my area).
• Cheap flour works the best for this recipe, which is what makes it great. It doesn't come out so good with hybrids like white wheat.
• 4 tablespoons of Dark Brown Sugar is too much; the bottom of my loaf was wet and the loaf itself was kind of tough and spongy. 3 tablespoons (packed) gives the best flavor so far. Note that you can also make brown sugar very easily using granulated sugar & molasses. I have tried honey, but agave nectar (mentioned above) works better, and also makes a shorter loaf, which fits in regular toasters better.
• Regarding knives & cutters:
  • The best bread knife I've ever used is a wavy bread knife ($30)
  • I also recommend a condiment spreading knife ($5)
  • You can also get a deli slicer for $60 (this one is 7.5", so make sure to purchase the size that fits your bread machine) for more even slices (works best with day-old bread or slightly-frozen bread for stiffness, and can also be used to slice meats & veggies)
• I use a 2-pound Breadman TR875 appliance. Don't feel compelled to buy a bread machine new - they are on Craigslist ALL THE TIME for like $20 because people never use them, like exercise machines - or visit a local Goodwill or similar store, or ask your friends on Facebook because chances are, someone has one in their closet they want to get rid of. Sometimes people will pick up bread machines in mint condition at yard sales for like five bucks.
• If you're in the market for a new toaster, don't get a toaster, get a Panasonic NB-G110P toaster oven. When you set it one shade darker than default on the "Toast" setting, it gives you awesome edge-to-edge browning. Photo by Amazon reviewer Joe Ekaitis: