make a homemade loaf of bread

I love making bread. Its a real stress reliever to knead and pound the dough, and the end result is quite delicious with butter and jam!

Mmm yummy bread, it saves money too!

then you are set – it is so good!

I’ve made bread in a breadmaker, but I want to learn to do it the old fashioned way, and for some reason, I can’t ever seem to keep my yeast alive! Any suggestions? I’ve heard cold water, scalding water, room temperature water…none of them work. There must be a trick, because I’m a helluva cook, but just can’t wrap my brain around homemade bread.