Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette David Green works on a loaf in the kitchen of his Regent Square bakery, Sweetie Sweetie.

By Amy McConnell Schaarsmith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

At the risk of disappointing you, I have a confession to make: Despite all of my best attempts, I am a bread-baking disaster.

My first try was in fifth grade, at age 10, when I promised to bake bread for a class potluck lunch, not knowing what I was getting myself into. I put off the project until the morning I was supposed to bring the bread to school, gave my dough just 20 minutes to rise, then stuck the clump into the oven and hoped for the best. My classmates asked why I had brought them a loaf of clay.

Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette A golden loaf is perfect for sandwiches and much more. Online Multimedia A step-by-step slideshow presentation on how to make bread

Another time, my yeast-proofing water was too hot, scalding the delicate organisms into oblivion. Ever hopeful, I mistakenly thought I had detected signs of life in the puddle of destroyed yeast and forged ahead. I produced a brick of bread you could have used as the cornerstone of a new bank.

And still, I persist, tweaked by memories of fresh-baked, airy breads I have known: my grandmother's heavenly, yeasty white rolls, a friend's delectably nutty whole-grain bread. This time, though, I have admitted my shortcomings and brought in the big bread guns, pro baker David Green of Sweetie Sweetie bakery in Regent Square, for a detailed lesson in baking bread that might help those of you out there who've had bread-baking frustrations of your own.

For those of you who have never tried it, baking bread isn't as hard as it sounds as long as you follow a few essential rules, according to Mr. Green.

One, you must make sure the water you use to "proof" the yeast, or make sure it's alive, is between 105 and 115 degrees. To do that, you'll need a fast-read kitchen thermometer, which is available at most kitchenware stores. If the water is less than 105 degrees, you won't know if it's alive. If the water is hotter than 115 degrees, you will kill the yeast and your bread will be fit only for construction purposes. After feeding your yeast with a little sugar to get it growing, you'll know it's alive and doing well when it forms a thick foam on its surface that will cling to your finger.

Two, after mixing the dough, you must add additional flour a little at a time, sprinkling a bit onto the board or counter on which you're kneading the bread, rather than on the bread itself, which can form clumps. "If the dough is sticking to the board or to your hands, you need to add more flour," Mr. Green said.

Three, don't fear the dough. Knead it strongly for 6 or 7 minutes until it begins to feel silky, elastic and plump -- a bit like a firm but fluffy down pillow. "You basically cannot overknead. Kneading strengthens the walls of the gluten, which holds in the gas. You can be rough with bread. You shouldn't be too gentle with it," Mr. Green said.

Four, don't hurry through the rising process, which can't be cut short. The dough must rise twice until doubled in size -- once in the bowl after kneading, and once in the baking pan after it's been punched down and rolled out. The process takes about 1 hour for each rising.

Five, don't show the once-risen bread any mercy. As lovely as it looks, all voluptuous and silky, you must punch it down flat before rolling it out and sticking it in its pan. Have faith -- it will rise again.

Six, take the bread out of the pan to cool after baking, or moisture will condense inside the pan around the loaf and give your bread a soggy bottom. And I know you don't want that.

Sure, you're saying, Grandma had plenty of time to fool around with proofing yeast and punching dough between stints of boiling laundry over an open fire and catching a chicken for supper. But who really has time for baking bread these days?

You do, if you're going to be home for a few hours over the weekend.

While the entire process of baking bread takes a few hours, the individual steps take only a few minutes, and there's plenty of time between steps to do something else, whether that's scrubbing the floors or reading a book.

The ingredients -- yeast, water, sugar, milk, salt, butter and flour -- are cheap, and you probably have most of them in your pantry.

Baking bread can be a therapeutic break that slows your thoughts, relaxes your mind and puts you in touch with a part of you that existed before meetings, schedules and family duties.

"It's meditative," Mr. Green said. "It takes you back to the earth and back to the roots."

Best of all, baking bread gives you a steamy, buttery loaf so delicious, so luscious, so simply decadent that it will top any bread you've ever bought at a store, guaranteed. And it will forever convince your friends and family -- if they still need convincing -- that you are a saint and a genius, all rolled into one.

Baker David Green took us through his recipe for Grandma's White Bread. Below is the recipe, as well as recipes for two others.

GRANDMA'S WHITE BREAD

• 2 packages dry yeast
  
• 3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• 1  1/4 cups milk
  
• 1/4 cup butter (unsalted)
  
• 1 tablespoon salt
  
• 5 cups bread flour (approximately)
  
• Melted butter for brushing

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar. Let set for 3 minutes until a layer of foam covers surface.

Heat milk, butter and salt to 110 degrees and add to yeast mixture.

Add half the flour and mix with a wooden spoon or heavy wire whisk for 2 minutes.

Add remaining flour and work in with hands until a ball forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and begin kneading. If dough is too sticky, add a small amount of flour.

Knead for 6 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly coat with oil and return to bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down and form into a large rectangle. Cut in half and roll each half into a loaf. Place seam side down in greased pans. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Gently remove plastic wrap. Cut a slit down center of the loaf with a sharp knife or razor blade. Brush with melted butter and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until loaf gives off a hollow sound when tapped on crust.

Remove from pans and allow to cool on a rack to ensure a nice crisp crust.

-- David Green

THREE FLOURS BREAD

• 2 packages dry yeast
  
• 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
  
• 2 1/4 cups warm tap water (120 to 130 degrees)
  
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
  
• 4 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 1 cup bread flour
  
• 1 1/2 cups soy flour
  
• 1/8 cup poppy seeds
  
• 1/8 cup sesame seeds
  
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
  
• Seeds for garnish

In a small bowl, stir yeast into water with a wire whisk. Set aside.

Place brown sugar, salt and butter in a large mixing bowl. Cover with warm tap water. Gradually beat in 3 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup bread flour with a heavy wire whisk. Add yeast and beat for 2 minutes. Add remaining whole wheat flour and soy flour and mix in by hand. Turn out onto a floured surface.

Knead for about 7 minutes. Up to 1 cup bread flour can be added during the kneading process if dough is too sticky. Knead in seeds.

Return to bowl and lightly coat with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down dough and turn out onto table. Form into loaves and place in two 7- by 3 3/8-inch greased pans or one 9- by 5-inch greased pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Gently remove plastic wrap and sprinkle loaves with seeds. Bake at 375 degrees until bread tests done. Cool on wire rack.

David Green

POTATO BREAD

• 2 medium potatoes
  
• 1 cup cooking water reserved from boiling potatoes
  
• 1 package dry yeast
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
• 1/3 cup butter
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 5 cups bread flour

Peel and boil potatoes until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup water. Place water in a large mixing bowl and cool to 110 degrees. Add yeast and stir to dissolve.

Mash potatoes to equal 1 1/2 cups and add sugar, butter and salt. Stir until butter is melted. Beat in eggs and add to yeast. Blend well.

Add half the flour and mix with wooden spoon or a heavy wire whisk for 2 minutes.

Add remaining flour and mix with hands until a ball is formed. Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 7 minutes.

Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down and form into 2 small or 1 large loaf. Place in two 7- by 3 3/8-inch greased pans or one 9- by 5-inch greased pan and cover lightly with plastic wrap.

Allow to rise until doubled in bulk. Gently remove plastic wrap and bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until bread gives off a hollow sound when tapped.

Remove from pans and cool on rack.

David Green