Hillside Homestead LA

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If you had told me five years ago that I’d be the mom who makes homemade sandwich bread on a random Wednesday night, I would’ve laughed and handed you a coupon for store bought dinner rolls. Because like every working mom, I lived in the space between school drop offs, late night emails, laundry that multiplies overnight, and the never ending question: what’s for lunch tomorrow?

But here we are. By some small miracle (and one very forgiving bread recipe), I discovered that homemade sandwich bread is not a weekend luxury, it’s a midweek lifesaver. My kids love it, it’s so simple, and it makes me look like super mom.

I’ve gathered my favorite bread items! Click here

The Surprising Realization: Bread Doesn’t Need You Hovering

Bread sounds like a commitment. Like it needs:

• Hours of attention
• Grandma level baking skills
• A kitchen that looks straight out of a magazine

Don’t believe those that make it sound complicated. Here’s the secret nobody told me:

99% of bread making is just waiting while the dough minds its own business.

I feed my starter before bedtime.

I mix my dough in the morning while coffee is brewing.

Let it ferment (this is a good thing!) and rise while I’m at work.

Shape it after work while the kids show me their crayon on furniture masterpiece.

Bake it while I watch the last show of the night.

Suddenly, fresh bread becomes part of the rhythm, not an extra task on the list.

Why Midweek Bread Matters

Sure, your kids can happily eat store bought bread. Mine did. And still do sometimes.

But when they come home, drop backpacks at the door, and shout,

“Did you make the bread today?”

with the same excitement usually reserved for ice cream trucks…

It’s a different feeling.

Fresh bread says:

• I thought of you even when I was busy
• This home is more than the hurry
• We can have small pockets of slow, even on fast days
• I like to think they’ll remember the taste and smell of my bread when they’re older

It’s not really about the bread.

It’s about a midweek ritual that feels like a hug.

It’s Cheaper, Cleaner, and Shockingly Simple

With just a handful of ingredients: flour, water, salt, and starter. It’s cost effective and customizable. Need:

• Dairy-free? Easy.
• Low sodium? Done.
• Without ingredients that sound like lab assignments? Check.

And the smell!

If “my life is together” had a fragrance, it would be bread baking on a Wednesday night.

Here’s the Part I Didn’t Expect

Making bread slows the house down, almost like it sets its own tempo.

The kids peek into the bowl to see if it grew.

Someone always asks if they can “punch it down” (the universal favorite step).

We slice it while it’s still warm, even though we said we wouldn’t/

Suddenly everyone is gathered at the counter without being called.

There aren’t many things that pull people together the way fresh bread does.

It doesn’t have to be fancy.

It just has to be intentional.

A Simple Reminder Wrapped in Crumbs

In a world that tells moms to do more, be more, schedule more: 

making bread is the reminder that we don’t have to move at the world’s pace.

We can pause.

We can create.

We can bake something warm and real in the middle of the week.

Maybe your bread won’t look perfect.

Maybe you’ll forget the salt once (speaking from experience).

Maybe it’ll be crooked, rustic, or slightly too brown…

And your kids will still devour it.

Because what they taste isn’t just bread—

It’s time. It’s intention. It’s home.

Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 4 c all purpose flour (substitute for whole wheat if you prefer)
2. 1 ¼ water
3. ½ c sourdough starter
4. 2 tsp salt
5. 2 tablespoon honey
6. ¼ c butter, softened
7. Optional: egg wash, lightly beaten egg with 1 tsp of water

Directions:

8. I feed my starter before bedtime with ½ cup of filtered water, ¼ c all purpose flour, ¼ c whole wheat flour.
9. I leave out my flour, salt, honey, and water so that it is all ready in the morning.
10. I mix my dough the following morning while coffee is brewing. Knead for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is fully hydrated and you don’t see anymore dry flour.
11. Let it ferment (this is a good thing!) and rise while I’m at work. I cover it with a wet tea towel before leaving.
12. Shape it after work and place it into the bread pan, cover it with a wet tea towel and put the kids to sleep.
13. Bake the bread at 375 degree F for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Optional: egg wash

Bake it while I watch the last show of the night.

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