I found myself stuck at home over the recent holidays with only a few staples in the cupboard and no bread!! Oh no!!! Here's a recipe that I used to create some white bread and also, added a few herbs, some garlic and onions and made a superb herbed sandwich bread. YUMMY!

1 pkg active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm (!) water
1 tablespoon sugar
4 1/2 to 5 cups of AP flour
2 teaspoons salt

FIRST:
In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Then, whisk in the sugar. Let bubble for just a minute or two.

Add 2 cups of flour into the yeast mixture and whisk. Then, let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

NEXT:
Stir in the salt (to stop the yeast expansion), and add the remaining flour a little at a time. Here's where you need to judge your liquid vs. flour ratio based upon your climate and sea level location. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.

Place the kneaded dough ball into a bowl that has been very lightly rubbed with vegetable oil. Turn the ball to coat it with the oil. cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 to 2 hours. It should double in size.

Punch the dough back down and knead it again. This time, place your loaves onto a greased pan, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes. Or, create "biscuits", set them onto a greased cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for the same 45 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

For plain white bread: Simply bake off your loaves and or biscuits in the preheated oven. 30 minutes for loaves and 15 minutes for biscuits. Keep an eye on them until they have a lovely brown top. Remove and let cool on wire rack for about 5 minutes before slicing or serving.

For herbed bread: Knead in red pepper, de-hydrated onion flakes, rosemary or other favorite ingredient into the twice-risen bread dough. Be certain to knead herbs in evenly to distribute them throughout the biscuits or loaves. (Don't OVER knead!) Once the ingredients are incorporated, bake them off just as you would for plain white bread (above).

My 13-year-old son made these recipes and WOW! The bread had a nice crispy crust and delightful interior. I do recommend brushing melted butter over your loaves and biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven. By the time they cool - you have a delicious side for any meal!!