The following special feature has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times” magazine “HER magazine” Holiday 2025 edition. By: Blaise Doubman
“For the Love of Bread…”
Blaise Doubman
Do you remember that commercial a few years back with Oprah Winfrey when she threw her arms in the air and declared, “I love bread!”? I think it was for a Weight Watchers commercial at the time. Those were the days before all the now popular weight loss shots. When I first caught that commercial on TV, I thought, “That is me!” Ha! I love bread. Always have. One of my first memories that I can remember is eating white bread on the floor of my Grandma Barbra’s kitchen. I remember everything about that time. The lights, the people in the room, the smells, how the floor felt against my skin, what I was wearing but most of all, I remember the bread. It was not anything fancy. It was just a regular slice of white bread and it was delicious! I think of that memory every single time I make homemade bread or even sometimes find myself remembering that as I unwrap some bread from the grocery store. Funny the things we remember. Since that moment I have went on, as most all of you know, to develop and make all kinds of breads.
I have made artisan breads, regular yeast breads, quick breads, sourdough and on and on. I love them all but if I am making bread, I prefer to make either quick breads or yeast-based breads. I am sharing some of both here today in my recipes. I really hope you will enjoy them.
First up is my favorite “Lemon Loaf”. This recipe is so much better than the lemon loaf that you can buy at Starbucks and the like.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a bread pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl combine 1 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. In another bowl whisk together 3 eggs, 1 cup white sugar, 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 teaspoons lemon extract, 1/3 cup lemon juice, ½ cup vegetable oil and the zest of 1 lemon. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry. Do not over mix. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool. When ready to serve, remove from the pan. In a large bowl combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 2-4 teaspoons milk. Pour glaze over cake, slice and serve. Leftovers should be kept wrapped in plastic at room temperature, or wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
I would have to say my next favorite quick bread would easily be “Banana Bread”. I will tell you one thing; it drives me crazy when people do not put sour cream in their banana bread! It makes the bread so moist! It seriously makes all the difference in the entire world!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a bread pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl combine 1 stick melted butter with 1 cup white sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 ½ teaspoon salt. Fold in 1 ½ cups flour. Fold in ½ cup sour cream. Fold in 1 cup ripe mashed bananas. Pour batter into the prepared bread pan and bake for 55 minutes. Once baked, remove and let cool in loaf pan. After cooled, gently remove and serve. Leftovers should be kept wrapped in plastic at room temperature, or wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 5 days. If you are feeling adventurous, you can make a thick buttercream frosting to top your banana bread with!
My go-to chocolate loaf cake comes in the form of my “Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake”. It is so simple and easy to stir up, not to mention delicious!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a bread pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together 6 tablespoons melted butter, 2/3 cups white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup sour cream and 1 egg. Fold in 1 ½ cups flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon baking powder and 1 cup chocolate chips. Pour into prepared bread pan and bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes before removing. Make the frosting by microwaving 1 cup chocolate chips until melted. Be careful not to burn. Do this in 30 second intervals. Stir in ¾ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon cocoa powder. Beat until shiny. Spoon and spread evenly over the loaf. Leftovers should be kept stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you are wondering about the best homemade white bread there is, this is the recipe. Skip the trendy and fussy sourdough and make something that will be enjoyed by everyone. This recipe for bread is from my Grandma Barbra and is foolproof! Just follow the directions.
Start by combining 2 cups warm water with 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, which is 1 packet. The water should not be too hot nor too cold. Add in 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Stir. Add 2 cups flour and stir. Add another 2 cups of flour and stir. Take the dough out and knead on a floured surface for 20 minutes, adding 1 more cup of flour to the dough. Place the dough into a buttered bowl and cover with a towel. Let rest in a warm spot for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the dough and knead again for 5 minutes. Place the dough back into the buttered bowl and cover with towel. Let this rest another hour. Spray 2 bread pans with cooking spray. Divide the dough in half and place each half into one of the prepared pans. Cover the tops of both with a towel and let rest for 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. After the last resting of 1 hour, place in oven and bake for 35 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before slicing and serving. Leftovers should be kept wrapped in plastic at room temperature, or wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
I really hope that you all will try the recipes I have shared here today. I really think you will like them and have success with them! As usual, if you make them, I would love to hear from you! Visit my website, blaisedoubman.com and click “contact” and send me a message!