The First Step Toward Your Homestead Dream

We're all at different places in our journey to a simpler life, in different parts of the country, with different finances. But one thing we can all do to move toward a simpler lifestyle is make our own bread. (Even if you don't eat bread, stick around, this applies to you too!) For those of you who do eat bread, go get the ingredients, mix them up, knead your dough and bake your own loaf of bread. 
The reason for this is threefold:

• If you forego buying bread at the store, you will have made a healthier choice firstly, by choosing to eat bread without added chemicals, sweeteners and hydrogenated oils. 
• Secondly, you will have created something with your hands to consume. Into your body. Yes. That is good stuff.
• And thirdly, You will literally not believe how freaking delicious homemade bread is if you have never made it before.  (And I'm not one to overuse the word literally.)

I believe that we homesteaders (that includes homestead wannabes!) are creators and generally want to be conscious of the foods we put into our bodies. Even so, I don't know how many times we have fallen back on store bought bread for a meal of sandwiches or toast. BUT, if you schedule in the time to make homemade bread once or twice a week, I really believe that some part of your homesteader's soul will be satisfied. Even if you're not able to grow a garden this year. Even if you live in the middle of a booming metropolis. Even if no other part of your life is centered around this ideal. Then, when you do fall back on sandwiches, or toast with cream cheese for a meal, it won't feel like a fall-back at all.

My favorite bread recipes are usually a half wheat, half white mix with honey or molasses and butter or coconut oil. 

• This recipe from Betty Crocker is our staple. I buy our yeast in bulk, so I use 2 tablespoons of yeast instead of 2 packets.
• We use Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day when we need bread throughout the week with little effort. There are all different flavors of bread in this book, but our favorites are the basic recipe, and the cornmeal one (which is similar to what we use for barquitos

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

If you are low-carbing it, doing paleo, gluten free, or otherwise have dietary restrictions, it may not be bread for you. It may be corn tortillas you are making from scratch, or  cream cheese pancakes, or anything that would be a good option for you to have on-hand and consume with more confidence, knowing exactly what's in them, and putting your own hand into the making of them. 

So, this week, make some bread! Share with me in the comments or on Twitter using #hearthandcaravan . Share the recipe you used and if you felt like it made a difference in your life. 

P.S. Don't forget to check me out on Periscope (@hearth_caravan) too, where I'll be sharing bits my life with you including aspects of homesteading, travel, and living off the beaten path.