Homemade Bread

My husband's favorite food is bread.  No, seriously.  A few years ago, he told me that his favorite part about Thanksgiving dinner is the rolls.  Rolls!  At Thanksgiving!  I promptly told him he was crazy.  I mean, I like bread and all, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's my favorite part of any meal, much less Thanksgiving.

Anyway.  Like I said a few posts ago, I've been starting to try more new things in the kitchen and I started with desserts.  Well.  Drew and I do not have the same tastes in desserts.  My first few attempts at surprising him when he got home from work were less than satisfactory.  Knowing that his favorite Christmas candy is his mom's toffee, I tried my hand at this recipe (which turned out amazing, by the way).

After eating a piece, he said:  "You know, I don't think I actually really like toffee.  I think it's more the idea that I only get it at Christmas that appeals to me."

Well, excuse me.  (Not that I minded so much.  I have proceeded to eat almost the whole batch myself.  He has only had one piece and that is fine with me.)

So desserts are pretty much out.  If I can't make something that both of us like, I might as well not make a lot.  I certainly don't need the extra sugar and I am not going to labor in the kitchen for sweets that I don't like!  If I wasn't almost nine months pregnant, I might consider it; right now, being on my feet long enough to make and clean up dinner is rough enough.

But enough of the backstory.  Last week, I got a craving for fresh homemade bread after seeing seeing this recipe on Pinterest.  I knew I had to make it.  It looked so easy and my poor KitchenAid mixer has been somewhat neglected in the last three years.  Yesterday, while my teething tyke was sleeping, I threw everything together in the mixer and happily watched it go.

The recipe says to mix for 7 minutes, but that was way too long.
Mine was done after only 4 and I think I over mixed it.

After letting it rise for an hour, I separated it and let it rise again.

Then, I brushed it with an egg mixture and sprinkled it with oats before baking it.  At this point, Gabriel woke up.  He was not amused that the bread was baking and not ready to eat.  He stood at the oven for about five minutes saying "Mmmm?  Mmmm!"

Meanwhile, the smell of fresh bread permeated my house and possibly the building.

It.  Was.  Heavenly.

After baking for about thirty minutes, I pulled the bread out of the oven and turned the loaves onto a wire rack for cooling.

Totally scrumptious-looking (and -smelling)!

I promptly texted my husband:  "You are in for a treat tonight!!!"

When he came home, he was ecstatic that I'd made him homemade bread.  He couldn't say enough about it.  Between the three of us, we polished off over half a loaf.  Drew and I both ruined our dinner... but we couldn't help ourselves!  The bread was so yummy that it was worth it!

And you know what?  The bread was my favorite part of the meal. :)

Gabriel and I had some for breakfast this morning.  I toasted it in the toaster and then spread butter and strawberry jelly on it.  It was insane.

I use paper plates for breakfast.  Don't judge.

This bread is probably going to become a weekly staple for me.  I'm definitely going to have to bake a few loaves to freeze so that I can enjoy it after Baby Girl gets here!