making bread

Funny little tidbit - I have struggled to make bread for years. Couldn't do it! I killed the yeast every time. I have only been successful making bread in the breadmaker. Yet, honestly for all the homemade foods that I make bread just shouldn't be that hard for me. A very good friend of mine gave me a recipe she uses and some helpful hints on the phone. And glory be but it worked. I have since made several batches of bread! It is amazing. My youngest wanted to help out with today's batch. The kids think it is absolutely great that we now have fresh homemade bread - and what a great smell when cooking! Love it.

The loaves didn't turn out perfectly shaped but that is cause I had help - and it was more important to let the 7 year old help then to worry about it being perfect. Plus, we only care that the bread rises - not that the loaf is shaped perfectly. Rising is a big deal --- because when you kill the yeast like I am known to do --- ya get a lump of dough and it just sits there. Starring at you! Almost laughing in your face! Yuk!

Here is the recipe - in case any of you want to try it. I find it is much better tasting than store bought bread and far cheaper.

6 to 7 cups of wheat flour - I use 3 1/2 cups of whole wheat and 3 cups of a lighter, white wheat.

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt (I use sea salt)

2 tablespoon shortening

4 1/2 teaspoons regular or quick action dry yeast

2 1/4 cups very warm water (microwave water for 2 minutes - then use)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup of honey

• In a large bowl, stir 3 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, shortening and yeast until well mixed.
• Add the warm water. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping the bowl frequently.
• Add honey and beat/mix with electric mixer
• Stir in enough remaining flour - 1 cup at a time to make dough easy to handle - I add 3 cups
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes.
• Grease large bowl with shortening. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place about 60 minutes. (I plan it that when I am making bread I have something else going in the oven - then I put the bread to rise on top - it is warm there and rises nicely) Let it rise until the dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
• Grease bottoms and sides of two 8x5 or 9x5 inch loaf pans
• Gently push fist into dough to deflate it. Divide into two.
• Flatten each half with rolling pin into roughly 18x9 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough up tightly beginning at 9-inch side. Press thumbs to seal after each turn. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Pinch each end of roll to seal. Fold ends under loaf. Place seam side down in pan.
• Brush loaves with butter.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise on stove top another 50 to 60 minutes (or until dough has doubled in size)
• Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be center of the oven. Oven should be preheated to 425 degrees.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
• Remove from pans to wire rack to cool.

Very, very tasty! I have found that cutting the bread with an electric knife works incredibly well.

I tried a variation - and added 1/2 cup of Bob's Red Mill Oat Bran Hot Cereal (basically it is adding fiber to the bread) - and cut the wheat amount by 1/2 cup. My oldest son loves it even better than the regular recipe. The bread was softer and he likes that. Plus it has a slightly different but very good taste (according to my son). So give that a try if you are looking for a healthy variation.