Hello and welcome to the 3rd weekly blog.
In this week’s blog, I’ll be going over a newfound passion of mine: baking bread. I’ll share my go-to recipe, explain why I enjoy it, and why you should give it a try as well.
I’ve been cooking meals for a long time—everything from casseroles to meatloaf to BBQ, and even making my own pasta sauces (Alfredo and red sauce). A few years ago, I started mastering the art of cooking on cast iron and high-carbon steel. Suffice it to say, I’m competent in the kitchen. I do most of the cooking in my household because my wife works five days a week and I only work three. Since I enjoy cooking and get to pick what we eat each week, it’s a win-win for me.
About two years ago, I started binge-watching Outdoor Boys. Luke (who is a national treasure) always brought bread on his camping trips and would show how he made and cooked it. I was curious, but never motivated enough to try it myself. I’ve always preferred cooking, where recipes are flexible and nothing has to be perfect. In my day job, things are strict and rigid, with no room for deviation. In my free time, I like doing things that don’t require a lot of reading or strict instruction. Over time, though, I realized baking isn’t as rigid as I once thought.
A few months ago, while on vacation, a friend brought up Outdoor Boys and mentioned she had been making bread using his recipe. Knowing how much I love cooking, she was excited to make some for me. She baked a batch, and I was hooked. For the rest of the trip, we ended each night with fry bread topped with honey butter. When I got home, I told my wife about it and decided to make some for her. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour (all-purpose or bread flour)
- 1 packet fast-acting yeast (2¼ tsp if using bulk)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1½–2 cups warm water (you can substitute beer or milk for slight flavor variations)
Instructions:
Add the flour to a large bowl and make a cavity in the center. In the cavity, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and all the yeast. Using the back of a spoon, gently mix the yeast and sugar together—do not mix it into the flour yet. Add the salt, distributing it evenly throughout the flour. Then add a few tablespoons of warm water. After a few minutes, the yeast and sugar mixture will begin to bubble.
Start kneading the mixture into the flour while gradually adding more warm water. The dough will go from powdery to sticky and gluey (pro tip: rub a little olive oil on your hands to prevent sticking). Continue kneading until everything comes together into a smooth, slightly shiny dough. I usually find 1½ cups of water is enough, but you may need more depending on your flour.
Once the dough forms a cohesive ball, cover it with a towel and let it sit at room temperature for a few hours. You’ll know fermentation has occurred when you can smell the dough throughout your house and see small holes forming—this is CO₂ escaping.
At this point, you have options. For less dense bread, bake it after the first rise—this gives you a light, airy loaf similar to store-bought bread. For denser bread, knead it every few hours, about 4–5 times total. After the first knead, I usually refrigerate the dough, as it should be cooked within 24 hours. It will continue to rise slowly in the cold. This denser dough works especially well for fry bread.
To bake: preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a pizza pan, place the dough on it, and bake on the center rack for about 35 minutes. At the 30-minute mark, turn off the oven and let the residual heat finish the job. Insert a wooden skewer into the center—if it comes out clean, it’s done. This method produces a hard crust with a light interior.
For fry bread, take small portions of dough and fry them in a stainless steel pan with butter. They’re done when the outside is golden brown and crisp.
I enjoy baking bread because it’s another skill I’ve learned to do myself. It’s also a useful one—especially when you think about times like COVID, when supplies became scarce. Flour has about a one-year shelf life, and yeast can last up to two years if stored properly (even longer in sealed containers). Like cooking, the reward is almost immediate, and there’s something satisfying about seeing—and eating—the results of your effort. It’s a bit cheaper than buying bread, though only by a few dollars. Still, I enjoy the process: putting on some heavy metal, pouring a glass of scotch, and baking—it’s good for the soul.
As Minutemen, we should always be open to trying new things and learning as much as we can. Every new skill adds another tool to your toolbox and broadens your experience. If I had never baked my first loaf of bread, I wouldn’t have discovered how much I enjoy it. Cooking is an art, but baking is a science. Like many worthwhile things in life, it requires attention to detail, a plan, and execution.
Give this recipe a try and experiment with it. I’m always open to tweaks and would love to hear about your experience in the comments below.
Thanks for reading!
Keep your powder dry!
-Ian-
