Wheat Bread

One of my goals this year is to make more food from scratch.  I recently read an article about store-bought bread being so heavily processed, that even the whole-wheat stuff is bad for you.  I used to buy bread from Great Harvest to get away from all that bad stuff, but that became expensive and time-consuming (the nearest location is two towns over).

As such, I decided to try my hand at homemade wheat bread.  I scoured the internet looking for top-rated recipes, and this one is featured on allrecipes.com as a favorite.  I must say, I was not dissapointed!  This bread is easy and delicious, especially right out of the oven.  It keeps for 7-10 days, and freezes well.

A few tips for making yeast bread:

1. You want to dissolve the yeast in warm water, like the the tempature of baby bath water - not too hot, but not uncomfortable to touch (thanks to Lauren from Lauren's Latest for that tip!).
2. I always use quick-rise yeast.  
3. The yeast will rise much faster if you set the bowl and bread pans on top of a heating bad, low-setting.
4. The dough should be slightly sticky, but not enough to leave a residue on your hands while kneading.    I usually end up using less flour than any recipe calls for. 

  

Wheat Bread 

Adapted from this recipe on AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 3 cups warm water
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/4 cup honey - let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy. Add 4 cups white bread flour and 1 cup wheat flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
2. Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/8 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 3 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).
3. Punch down, and divide into 2 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has doubled (about 1 hour).
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.