Getting Fresh... with the bread

I'm so excited about today! Today I not only made bread (with my current best-friend Yeast) and had it rise beautifully, but I also made it without a recipe! *Gasp* I know... it blows the mind. I was just really sick and tired of sitting at my computer and studying, and with my kitchen just sitting there and not being used I thought I would make myself useful and bake some bread. I wasn't sure if I wanted something savory or sweet, so I just randomly decided I would make an all-purpose bread that could be used for both. I would never have thought the day would come when I would make bread from my own recipe, but it has and now I must reveal to all the amazing recipe I used. I'm so excited to call this recipe my own.

Joanna's Own All-purpose Bread

Ingredients:

- 3 cups ap flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- pinch salt

- 2 tbsp sugar

- 7g dried active yeast

- 200ml milk

- 1/4 cup cream cheese (and then some... seriously, just go crazy with the stuff)

- 1 1/2 tbsp butter

- 1 egg

- 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk (for eggwash)

Method:

1. Heat milk, cream cheese and butter until all ingredients are blended together without clumps.

2. Mix in the sugar until it dissolves; when mixture is warm (but not hot) sprinkle in the yeast and stir. Let stand for 10mins.

3. Sift together salt, baking powder and flour in a separate bowl. Set aside

4. Once milk+yeast mixture is foamy, mix in 1 egg until well incorporated.

5. Remove 1/2 a cup of flour from the bowl of dry ingredients and set aside.

6. Stir milk mixture into bowl of dry ingredients, adding the "removed" flour as needed. (Dough should be soft, but not stick to hands and not too dry)

7. Knead dough for 5mins; place in greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1hr.

8. After rise, work gently with the dough and shape it into whatever you like.

9. Place shaped portions of dough on baking sheet, cover and let rise for 15mins.

10. Combine ingredients for egg wash and brush a generous coating on each portion of dough. Bake in 350F oven for 10-12mins, or until golden brown.