Day 11, a recipe for you.

[Sasha L]

Here's my favorite whole wheat bread recipes (with variations).  Someone requested it yesterday, so here goes.  If you'd like a serious bread baking adventure you can check out my sourdough recipe at SpinningLaughingDancing.

Whole Wheat Bread

Dissolve 2 pkg active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp) in 1/4 cup lukewarm water.

In a large mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup canola oil (put it in a half cup measure then use same for honey and your honey won't stick), 1/2 cup honey, 2 tsp salt, 2 1/2 cups hot water.  Add 3 cups whole wheat flour and mix on low speed until moistened.  Then on medium for 3 minutes.  Add another 1 1/2 cups whole wheat, then slowly add in      2 3/4 to 3 3/4 cups white flour until dough forms a nice ball that is just slightly sticky to the touch but the sides of bowl are clean.  Start w/ a paddle and change to a dough hook when the dough begins to ball.

Put the dough into a greased glass bowl and let it rise until doubled in size.  I turn my oven on to it's lowest temp and then turn it OFF (that's really important!), and put the bowl in oven to rise, because it's cold where I live.  Cover the bowl w/ a clean dish cloth while it rises.

Now punch it down and turn it out onto a pastry mat.  Divide it in two and roll each into a nice long oblong rectangle, then beginning at the side nearest you, roll it up tightly until you have a loaf. Put each in a greased bread pan and let rise again, until double or nice and high above the bread pan - 30-45 minutes, covering again.

Heat the oven to 375.  Bake for 30 minutes, then turn oven down to 325 and bake another 10 minutes.  Loaves should be brown and sound hollow when tapped on top.  Let cool a few minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to completely cool.  Don't slice until cool.

Variations:  I usually add in a cup of whole oats w/ the liquid in beginning, some sesame seeds (these give a really nice sweet flavor), ground flax (1/2 cup or so) and some ground oat flour (I just use my blender to grind whole oats) for some of the whole wheat flour.  I've made this recipe w/ all whole grains (no white), and it's good, just won't rise as high and it's more dense.  You can also spread the rolled out bread dough w/ butter, then sprinkle w/ brown sugar and cinnamon and roll up really tight to make your loaf, for cinnamon swirl bread.  Really yummy toast on a cold day.  You could also change the water for scalded milk or use whey from cheese making.

There is no change for high altitude.

I will soon share my recipe for Custard Bread Pudding - the very best reason to bake bread IMO!!

[Lois55 wwt]

Thank you for sharing this!

[Deb~ Community Manager]

Bless you for sharing this heavenly recipe! Quite a gift!