Sometimes people don’t know where to start when planning out their pantry cabinet storage goals. I receive emails from people asking where to start when putting together a food storage system.
I get it. We have all been there. Some of us have more shelf space, while others do not.
Some of us had parents who always had a pantry stocked with food. My mother was a woman who taught her four daughters how to sew, cook from scratch, can food, make bread, and make biscuits. Not everyone was as lucky as I was to have a mom like I did.
It was a way of life for our family to cook together in the kitchen and prepare meals as a team. We never ate out, unless it was someone’s birthday.
When I was growing up, I remember one food drive where teenagers wore roller skates to deliver food to cars and hook the tray onto our door via the rolled-down window. Now it seems that eating out, particularly at fast-food drive-up windows, is part of our culture rather than eating at home much of the time.
If you are buying smaller packages of flour, I highly recommend King Arthur Flour.
These are the one-pound bread pans I have for all my bread-making: One-Pound Bread Pans (7.75 x 3.75 x 2.5 inches). My mother used two-pound or 1-1/2 pound pans, which are too big for me.
I prefer my bread to be fresh and soft. I store my bread in Bread Bags. Yes, I freeze my bread after it has baked.
What You Need In Your Pantry Cabinet
Drive-Throughs
Nowadays, I see some popular drive-throughs for fast food with cars lined bumper to bumper in my little town. And it’s not just one drive-through that’s super busy, it’s almost every drive-through.
Here’s the deal: I understand that everyone has a busy life, with kids, grandkids, sports, carpooling, plays, and so on. Grabbing a quick meal has become very popular, at least in my town.
Here’s my concern: Are we so busy that we don’t take the time to teach our families how to cook from scratch? I realize that many families are teaching their children and grandchildren. This skill will be a blessing in their lives for generations to come.
One thing I learned when eating at a dinner table was the use of words like “please pass the salad” or “please pass the butter.” How can we teach our kids manners in a car in a drive-through?
And setting the table the correct way, and learning that you always use a napkin, no exception. Okay, I will get off my soapbox.
Let’s get started. I won’t be able to list everything in today’s post for both beginners and advanced users of pantry cabinets. But it will be an excellent start.
In case you missed this post, Canned Foods I Highly Recommend You Store
What You Need In Your Pantry Cabinet
Why should I stock flour?
First of all, I could not have a pantry without white bread flour. And it has to be fresh because if it’s older than 12-18 months, your bread will not rise as it should. I’ve been making bread for over 56 years, white bread, dinner rolls, breadsticks, and cinnamon rolls. Fresh ingredients are best for optimal results.
If you stock white flour, you can make waffles, pancakes, lefse, tortillas, biscuits, and any bread your heart desires. My recipes are no-fail if you have FRESH ingredients.
Just remember, you can’t store yeast in the pantry, wheat gluten (for whole wheat bread), or dough enhancer. It must be stored in the refrigerator, or the freezer is even better.
Have you tried making biscuits? Easy Homemade Biscuit Recipe or Easy 2-Ingredient Biscuit Recipe
My White Bread Recipes
White Bread: 2 Loaves
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 tsp. SAF instant yeast
- 2 tsp. dough enhancer (optional)
- 1 egg
- 1/8 cup oil-I use olive oil
- 3/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 to 3-1/2 cups white bread flour
Instructions
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I start with a Bosch bread mixer, although you could make this in a bowl. I put the yeast, warm water, salt, oil, and sugar in the bowl.
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I then add the eggs and lightly mix them in the Bosch so the egg does not “cook”.
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Then I add the warm milk and flour slowly. I continue to add flour until the bread dough pulls away from the sides of the Bosch bowl.
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Then knead the dough for about 7-8 minutes. I place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
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Let the dough rise until it's double the original size. Then punch down the dough and make it into loaves and place these in greased pans (this recipe makes two-1-pound loaves).
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I let it rise once again (using the same plastic wrap) until doubled in size.
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Remove the plastic wrap and bake them at (350°F) = (176°C) degrees for 27-30 minutes. I lightly butter the tops of each loaf after baking and remove them from the pans.
Notes
- I start with a very large skillet and heat the oil one to two inches deep until I can spritz a few drops of water into the oil ever so carefully, then I know it’s hot enough.
White Bread-8 Loaves
White Bread: 8 Loaves
Ingredients
- 4 cups warm milk
- 8 tsp. SAF Instant Yeast
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup Oil – I use olive oil
- 8 teaspoons dough enhancer – optional
- 3 tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 13-14 cups white bread flour
Instructions
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I start with a Bosch Mixer, although you could make this in a bowl and stir by hand.
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I put the yeast, warm water, salt, oil, and sugar in the bowl. I then add the eggs and lightly mix it in the Bosch so the eggs don't “cook."
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Then I add the warm milk and flour slowly. I continue to add flour until the bread dough pulls away from the sides of the Bosch bowl.
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I knead for about 7-8 minutes. I place the dough in a greased bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
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I let the dough rise until it's doubled in size. I punch down the dough, shape it into loaves, and place them in greased pans (I make eight, one-pound loaves).
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I let it rise once again (using the same plastic wrap) until it doubles in size, and then I bake it at 350°F (176°C) for 27-30 minutes.
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I lightly butter the tops of each loaf after baking while it's still warm on cooling racks.
Do I need yeast?
You can make a lot of things without yeast, and you can also make a lot of things with yeast. Either way, I recommend stocking SAF Instant Yeast. You can make the best waffles with yeast; of course, you can also make bread, soft dinner rolls, and the best-ever cinnamon rolls. This is the only yeast I use: SAF Instant Yeast.
You can also make a sourdough starter within 3-4 days and use it to make all of the above without regular yeast. Sourdough bread typically doesn’t use regular yeast because the starter itself serves as the primary source of yeast. The remarkable thing is that it only uses two ingredients: water and flour. The water can’t be chlorinated, just giving you a heads up.
If you want to learn how to make my sourdough starter, you do not need to pay for a class, my friends. It’s a two-ingredient recipe; you can do it. And you will love it. How to Make A Sourdough Starter + Bread
What spices, etc., do I need?
This is where I can use your help. I will list my favorite spices, but let’s add yours as well. We all love to cook, but we may use different spices.
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt & Pepper
- Honey
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
- Molasses
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Sweet Basil
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Oatmeal/Oats
- Curry
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Dried chives
- Smoked paprika
- Herbs de Provence
- White pepper
- Pepper flakes
- Cayenne pepper
- Garlic salt and powder
- Onion salt and powder
- Old Bay seasoning
- Italian seasoning
- Beef, chicken, ham, and vegetable bouillon cubes
- Pink Himalayan Salt
- Sea Salt
- Dill weed and dill seed
- Cream of Tartar
- Ground Mustard
- Lemon Pepper
- Mrs Dash
- Lemon Pepper
- Baking Powder
- Cornstarch
Should I stock hard white wheat?
Now, if you do stock hard white wheat, I hope you have a wheat grinder. It can be electric or manual. If you decide to get a hand one, be prepared to have sore arms, so that you know.
If you have a heavy-duty blender, you may be able to do one cup of wheat berries in a batch. Let the blender cool down to prevent overheating.
You can sprout the wheat or grind the grain and make pancakes, waffles, wheat chili, whole wheat bread, and whole wheat dinner rolls. Please don’t be intimidated by making bread for the first time. If you have fresh ingredients, you can make bread.
I know some bloggers sell their recipes in a book, but I’m not able to do that. My love of making bread is my gift to you. All of my recipes are no-fail, truly. All you need is fresh ingredients.
My Whole Wheat Bread Recipes:
No-Fail Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Cups Warm Water
- 2/3 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Honey
- 2 Tablespoons Dough Enhancer
- 2 Tablespoons Wheat Gluten
- 2 Tablespoons Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Saf Instant Yeast
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 14 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
Instructions
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Start adding the ingredients in the order shown above with one exception into your mixing bowl…start with 7 cups of flour and slowly add more flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. I use a Bosch Mixer.
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I grew up making bread without a mixer, it can be done by hand. I grew up letting my bread rise twice so I still do that. Old habits are hard to break!
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I mix it for 10 minutes in my Bosch. Cover with greased plastic wrap until it doubles in size.
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Punch down and form dough into eight one-pound loaves or less if your bread pans are larger. I let the dough rise one more time with greased plastic wrap.
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Bake the bread at (350°F) = 176°C) degrees for 27-30 minutes. If your pans are larger you will bake your bread longer. You will love making whole-wheat bread, I promise!!
My Smaller Recipe for Two Loaves:
Whole Wheat Bread For Two
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup or so of honey
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon SAF instant yeast
- 1/2 tablespoon dough enhancer
- 1/2 tablespoon wheat gluten
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3-1/2 to 4 cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
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Start adding the ingredients in the order shown above with one exception into your mixing bowl…start with 2 cups of flour and slowly add more flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. I use a Bosch Mixer.
-
I grew up making bread without a mixer. It can be done by hand. I grew up letting my bread rise twice so I still do that. Old habits are hard to break!
-
I mix it for 10 minutes in my Bosch. Cover with greased plastic wrap until it doubles in size.
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Punch down and form dough into two one-pound loaves. I let the dough rise one more time with greased plastic wrap.
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Remove the plastic wrap Bake the bread at (350°F) = (76°C) degrees for 27-30 minutes. If your pans are larger you will bake your bread longer. You will love making whole-wheat bread, I promise!!
Is white rice essential to have on hand?
White rice has a long shelf life, enabling you to create a diverse range of dishes with it. You can make fried rice, rice and beans, and plain rice as a side dish. Plus, leftover rice is excellent with milk and sugar for breakfast. So there you have it.
You can always add leftover rice to soups, casseroles, and burritos for a delicious addition. How to Cook Rice.
Do I need to stock beans?
Beans are great to store, as they are inexpensive, filling, and rich in protein. I stock mostly pinto and black beans, dry and in cans.
If we experience a power outage, beans are ready to eat right out of the can. Here’s something I highly recommend: you can heat them on a Butane Stove.
Here’s where it’s great if you can make tortillas, add some beans and rice, and top it with salsa. Is your mouth watering, yet?
What You Need In Your Pantry Cabinet
Final Word
I hope you enjoyed my post today on what to put in a pantry cabinet. We all have different budgets, tastes, and health issues. We know what our family will eat, so please stock those items. I notice prices increasing every time I visit a grocery store.
The price also seems to have gone up each time I pull up to the gas pumps. Additionally, building supply prices have skyrocketed. We still can’t get canning lids here, let alone any canning bottles and other supplies. We see a few cases of bottles, but so many of us need the good lids, right?
If you try to get started or add to your current inventory using these staple items, you’ll be well on your way to filling your pantry and feeling comfortable with your steps toward being prepared. If you think I should have listed other items as well, please let me know. May God bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Small Pantry Deposit photos_382686452_s-2019
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