Homemade Goodness!

When I tell folks that I bake almost all the bread we consume, I know some get the wrong idea. They think I must slave for hours, week after week. Folks tend to assume that I judge them for not baking - and that we must be heath freaks or yuppie foodies.

Well, what if I told you that I use the "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" basic recipe? That it takes me about 5-10 minutes to start a batch of dough...and there is no kneading involved? And that whenever I require a loaf, I just scoop out a portion of dough, shape it, let it rest on parchment while the oven preheats, and then score the top and toss it in?
Oh...and it is easy and convenient enough that my sweetie also feels free to scoop and bake when he wants fresh bread!

Now, this isn't the only bread I bake - but it is our standby, it is the dough we ALWAYS have on hand for a bread emergency (LOL!). It is the bread I bake with the littles, as it is delicious and almost foolproof. And it contains FOUR ingredients: flour, water, yeast and sea salt. (That's right - no hydrogenated fats, no corn syrup, no preservatives, no unpronounceable chemicals!)

For me, home-baked bread has always been about quality of ingredients - that it also saves me money is a very nice bonus! What do you make from scratch to save costs or improve quality - or both?