Bread baking

So I dusted off my bread machine and started baking bread again... I've only ever used the mixes you buy at the grocery store (which includes everything but the water!) But I decided to become adventurous and start making bread from scratch, though it's not like it's much work when you simply have to measure and dump the ingredients in your bread machine, but still... I'm considering this bread to be "homemade!" hehe.

First I tried a recipe I got off the internet for plain 'ole white bread, but was NOT impressed with it... well, I mean, it was good, but the top/center caved in and I used regular all-purpose flour to make it & it just wasn't the best bread ever. So then I went to the library and got a few bread machine recipe books and just randomly picked one which I had all the ingredients for (and I also purchased bread flour in the meantime).... and this loaf of bread was SOOOOO good... And it's a sweet bread, so it took only 2.5 hours instead of the typical 3 hours... So that was nice... amazingly I timed it just right and it was done RIGHT at the same time as our dinner that night, so we got to eat it spread with melted butter and steaming hot and OH MY was it good! So, if you are looking to make a good loaf of bread, here's your recipe :)

Sally Lunn Bread

For 1.5 lb loaf:

1 cup milk (room temp)
1 egg
3/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. butter
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp. bread machine yeast

1) Measure ingredients into baking pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Insert pan into the oven chamber.

2) Select "sweet cycle".

** Okay, so I don't really like that those are ALL the instructions given, so here is exactly what I did :)

1) Spray the pan w/non-stick spray.
2) Pour milk in pan. (I put it in the microwave for a short while until considered room temp.)
3) Melt butter in small bowl. Add beaten egg to butter. Pour in the pan.
4) Put flour in the pan, on top of the liquid ingredients.
5) Sprinkle sugar over the flour.
6) Make small hole with your finger in the top of the flour/sugar and pour yeast into hole.
7) Select 1.5 lb loaf (if your machine has a size option) & select "sweet" cycle and "light" colored crust.
8) Let the bread machine do the rest! (Toward the beginning, I tend to check the dough and occasionally use a rubber scraper to get any dry ingredients which are simply sitting in the corner and not getting mixed w/the dough).

Hope you enjoy this yummy bread!!