Post titles are pinging around my brain and all I can hear is Nicki Minaj singing Its All About That Bass. The difference is I’m thinking Its All About That Bread (and chocolate——–but since this isn’t a post about chocolate I’ll shush on that for now.)

Seriously, what is it about bread?

Many folks are going Paleo. And it is good to have color on our plates. However, bread brings such comfort! My motto is “all things in moderation”. Healthy cooking and moderate intake translates in to the regular appearance of home baked bread on our family table.

Of course, busy schedules mean a gal has got to find a way to DoAhead with regards to the whole bread “thang”. In case your lives are just as busy we came up with five tips (listed in no particular order) that will help make fresh bread a reality in your kitchen!

DoAhead Tips for Bread

1.. Thawing frozen bread

One of the best DoAheads for bread is to make extra loaves and then freeze. Unfortunately, even the best baked bread can turn out less than appetizing if thawed poorly. An easy mistake is to set bread on the counter that’s been sealed in a baggie and allow it to thaw in the plastic. As the bread thaws moisture will be released, condensed and trapped in the baggie. The end result is often wet, mushy bread.

In order to avoid this, remove the bread from the baggie. Place it on a cooling rack so the bottom of the bread is exposed. Cover it with a light cloth (I use a tea towel.) The tea towel protects the bread from any exposed elements and it soaks up any moisture released during the thaw. Once the bread is fully thawed it can be stored in a dry airtight baggie or container.

2. Bread Maker

There are a ton of excellent bread makers on the market. If you don’t have one save your penny’s and invest in one. (Check out the breadmachinemom.com for a full review of numerous machines. )Cool nights with warm soup and fresh bread are the bomb. You can’t DoAhead much better than throwing ingredients together in the evening, setting the timer and Bam! Warm bread the next night.

3. Kneading Bread

If you’re trying your hand at a full-fledged, home-made batch of yeast-rising bread it can be tricky learning to knead. Honestly, it’s a bit of a lost art and many of us don’t have grandmothers around to show us how it’s done. Thank heaven for the internet! Below is a great clip with kneading instructions. If you’re in the market for a good old fashioned recipe we’ve got “Hot Cross Buns” in Grandmothers DoAhead Cookbook.

4. Crock-pot Bread

Monkey bread, corn bread, cinnamon rolls. You name it. You can make it in your crock-pot. I won’t re-invent the wheel but I’ll share this link from a terrific article Huffington Post shared on making slow cooker bread

5. Batter-Up

Prepare batter ahead of time. Ideally, it’s best to refrigerate batter in whatever pan it’s going to bake in. This allows you to go straight from fridge to oven. However, sometimes premium space in the fridge (or freezer) is not an option. If that’s the case, store batter in an airtight container. When your ready to bake fill your pan or muffin tins, place in oven and Wha La!

That’s it——–five simple tips. Cuz’ it’s all about that bread!

Your DoAhead Friend,