Food Nirvana has contained only a few bread recipes for the past ten years (2010-2020). Recently I expanded my interests to include simple bread making ... sort of the opposite of my earlier interest in the more complicated procedure for making Sesame Semolina Bread. Why? There is usually an easy answer, and that is the case this time.

As of March 2020 many of we older folks are self isolating to avoid the COVID-19 virus, which is often fatal for people in our age group, particularly those with existing health problems, like my sweetheart, Peggy. Thus, I have laid in supplies to allow us to self isolate for up to six months. Is that overkill? Yes, of course, but there was no guide up front to predict the extent and the duration of the timing of the pandemic. Yes, I am conservative, and I make allowance for the possibility (albeit small) of extended periods of unsafe exposure in public places.

The above having been said, the circumstances were perfect for extending the recipe range of Food Nirvana, so I ordered and received a bread machine to make bread. And note that I am also comfortable with making bread by manual procedures and baking it in my oven, as well as making it using my new bread machine.

My inventory of flour and other pertinent ingredients was/is extensive. I've been in the perfect environment to use, further develop, and finally record a few really good bread recipes for what we can make at home. I should also mention that, having started down this path, I acquired a few different encyclopedias of regular and bread machine bread making.

Why do anything worth doing half way? It is very important to mention using a high quality bread flour, like the King Arthur® brand. It is equally important to use the vital wheat gluten to achieve the perfect level of moisture, chewiness, flavor and tenderness of the bread. I bought Anthony's® Vital Wheat Gluten inexpensively via Amazon®.

I have learned, however, that use of All Purpose flour works well as long at the gluten content is increased. I/we like our bread to be somewhat chewy, not crumbly.

Note that I am not attempting to become any type of bread expert. My intent is simple but very important. I want to make excellent bread of a few types, reliably, such that I do not miss buying those breads from bakeries or supermarkets. For the moment, that is wise. For the future, it is a matter of quality of life.

If you follow the steps and ingredients listed in this recipe you may well stop buying many commercial loaves of bread. There is a massive difference in quality and level of enjoyment in eating home made bread that results from this recipe, which calls for using a bread maker or bread machine that mixes the dough ingredients and does all other steps through baking.

The steps for using typical bread machines at home are virtually identical. Put in the ingredients in a specific order. Turn on the machine. Wait. Ultimately, remove the finished bread and allow it to cool to near room temperature. Then you can slice it with a serrated edge knife or electric knife without fear of the soft loaf collapsing. Trust me, it is worth the wait. Slather a slightly warm piece with soft butter and indulge. You will be wearing a very happy smile. Later you will find the bread also makes excellent toast.

Ingredients: (makes one, 1 1/2 pound loaf of Buttermilk Honey bread)

1 1/2 cups of Buttermilk

1 1/2 tbsp. of honey

2 tbsp. of soft butter

3 cups of All Purpose flour (15.0 ounces by weight ... use a kitchen scale and be precise)

2 tbsp. of vital wheat gluten

1 1/2 tsp. of salt

2 1/4 tsp. of Bread Machine Yeast

Directions:

Put the Buttermilk, honey, soft butter and salt into a microwave safe bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave oven to slightly warm, about 105 degrees F. It is smart to use an instant read thermometer to avoid overheating the mixture.

Whisk the mixture until everything is uniform and then pour it into the bread machine pan.

Add the flour and the vital wheat gluten to a two quart bowl and whisk them briefly until they are well combined.

Add the flour and vital wheat gluten mixture to the bread machine pan.

Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the flour and gluten.

Close the lid and start the bread machine, setting it for a medium crust and a 1 1/2 pound loaf, and using the standard menu choice for a white bread.

Go away for a few hours until the machine beeps, indicating the bread has been baked.

Dump the bread out of the bread maker pan on to a wood cutting board and let it cool to room temperature.

You can store the cooled loaf of bread in a one gallon Ziploc® freezer bag to keep it fresh until you use it.

To use the bread, cut slices of it to the thickness you want with a serrated edge knife or an electric knife. I also like to wrap the cut end of the loaf of bread with plastic wrap to keep it moist and soft.

Enjoy the delicious result in whatever way you decide to use the bread.