THE best bread recipe

I have this friend. Her name is Katie. She makes the best bread I have ever tasted. I don’t know if it’s just girls that love bread so much or if there are actually guys out there that drool at the thought as well, but when she tells me and my small group girls that she’s making this bread, we all start salivating. It’s ridiculous.

I started craving The Bread the other day, (that’s what we call it. The Bread) so Katie and I decided to make it and document it as well so that no one has to live without this bread any longer. I know I’m talking it up quite a bit. You might be skeptical. But I think most of you know about my love for Red Lobster biscuits. Well, this bread is better than those biscuits. (Agh, I feel like I’m having an affair with The Bread!) For real, make this and you’ll agree.

THE BREAD

What you’ll need:

2 cups hot water
2 Tbls dry active yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
4-5 cups flour (but probably more like 6)

Mix the first 7 ingredients together

Then add 2 cups of flour and mix well for about 2 minutes.

It should resemble something like that.

Slowly add the rest of the flour a cup at a time. A spoon will work for a while but then you gotta get your hands in there.

Put the dough on a floured surface (or floured bowl) and knead it until the bread is no longer sticky. (You can decide if it needs more flour as you are kneading)

Once it’s kneaded, not sticky and looks like a ball, place it in a well oiled bowl and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Once it’s risen for an hour, split the dough in half. Separate each half into 3 small balls.

Form the balls into a long, thin ropes. Then braid them on a well oiled cookie sheet.

Once you get to the bottom, tuck each end in. Your 2 halves should end up looking like this:

Let it rise like this for 30 minutes before baking. Then bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste with butter. EAT IMMEDIATELY. I say this because it’s the truth. This bread tastes the best when it’s a little gooey inside and very, very warm.

See? Perfection. I just can’t describe this to you or even just convince you by the pictures. You have to bake it and try it for yourself! Or I’ll make it and tell you to come over and eat it. I think it’s the oregano that does me in. It’s just perfect.

The Bread Recipe

2 cups hot water
2 Tbls dry active yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
4-5 cups flour (but probably more like 6)

Mix first seven ingredients together, plus two cups of flour.  Mix well for two minutes.  Then slowly add in the remaining flour until dough forms a ball.  Put out on floured surface and knead in more flour until dough is no longer sticky.

Place in an oiled bowl to rise for 1 hour.  Split dough into halves.  Separate each half into three small balls.  Make each small ball into a thin rope.  Then place on a greased cookie sheet and braid the three strands together.

Let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.