The Bread That Belongs On The Table

This is the bread I make again and again - the kind that finds it’s way to the center of the table without much thought, because it simply belongs there. Soft, comforting, and deeply familiar, it’s a loaf meant to be torn, buttered, and shared. There’s nothing flashy about it, and that’s exactly the point. This bread is about presence and provision, about filling the space between people and making a meal feel complete.

Bread has always feel imoprtant to me. Scripture is full of it - breaking bread, daily bread, tables prepared and shared. It represents provision, care, and the simple faithfulness of showing up for one another. My huband, Ryan, embodies that same quiet steadiness. He is kind, humble, present, strong, and deeply faithful - a God-fearing man who, quite simply, loves bread. When we were dating, his mom Shelley made a note to not tell me just how much he loves bread., something that still makes me smile. Shelley has since passed, but but her warmth and thoughfulness lives on in small moments like that. Making bread for Ryan - and for the people that we welcome into our home - feels like honoring the life she lived and the love shge poured into her family.

This is the bread I bake when friends come over, when hands gather around the table, and when I want to nourish people in a way that feels intentional and grounded. To me, it reflects the heart of hospitality and the faith that I hold - that food can be an offering, and that breaking bread is an act rooted in Christ., the one who saves and sustains us. Below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions, along with photos to guide you through the process, so you can bake this table bread and share it with the people God has placed in your life.

Inclusion Ideas: This bread is a beautiful base for simple addition. Try folding in fresh herbs, shredded cheese, roasted garlic, or a swirl of honey butter before baking. Each variation keeps the heart of the loaf the same while letting it meet in the moment you are baking for.

Table Bread

Yields: two loaves, or baguettes, or can be used to make dinner rolls

Ingredients:

1 1/2T Instant Yeast

2 1/2c Warm Water (105-110 degrees)

2T Sugar

1T Salt

2C All Purpose Flour

3 1/2 - 4c Bread Flour

4 - 5T Olive Oil

Instructions:

Prep: Preheat your over to 350 degrees and prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Step 1: In a stand mixer fixed with a hook attachment, add yeast and warm water to bloom until it foams, 5-10 mins.

Step 2: Add sugar, all purpose flour, bread flour, salt, and 1 1/2T olive oil.

Important Note: ALWAYS put the flour in between the yeast and the salt. Salt actually inhibits salt and can kill it which is another reason it is important to let your yeast bloom.

Step 3: On speed one, mix together bread, once flour has been absorbed you can turn up the speed kneading up the bread pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Step 4: Once bread is pulling away from the sides, lower the speed to one again and slowly add olive oil. Keep on speed one until all the olive oil has been incorporated.

Step 5: Let rest for 15 minutes, knock out the air of the bread and work bread in mixer again until it pulls away again. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Step 6: On a working surface, divide the dough in half and shape either into a loaf or into a long baguette. Let rest on sheet pan for an additional 10 minutes.

Step 7: Brush with egg wash and score dough, bake 25 to 35 minutes rotating half way through to evenly color your bread.

Step 8: Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting otherwise it will squish the bread cause the bottom to feel dense and doughy. Not enjoyable at all.

Loving Reminder: Not everything has to be perfect, you will notice on one of my loaves he has a little snaggle tooth (that is what I am calling it lol), this was because the angle I scored the bread at was to horizontal so the back of my blade caught on it causing this. I could have also scored these deeper, but you know what, either way, it tastes good and no one will feel less loved when eating it because it is not perfect, Ryan has already eaten approximately half the loaf already. It is a good and gentle reminder for me and anyone else that needs to hear it.