Honey Wheat Bread

Family time in the kitchen is a big deal to us, but I am realizing how little I post about it!  Maybe because I have so few pictures – we are all enjoying ourselves in the actual cooking, and I don’t pull out the camera much.  So, I’m going to resolve this issue by trying to get back to posting recipes regularly – hopefully once a week. 

My most requested recipe is the one I use for our bread, so I thought I’d share that one first!

I use an adaptation of the Honey Wheat Bread recipe on the back of the whole wheat flour bag.  Here’s my adaptation:

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups white flour

2 pkg (4 1/2 tsp) Rapid Rise or Bread Machine yeast

2 1/2 tsp salt

4 Tbs dough enhancer

1/2 cup honey

4 Tbs butter, cut into small pieces

2 1/4 cups warm water (120-130 degrees)

Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl.  Add honey and butter.  While beginning to stir in honey and butter, slowly add water.  Continue mixing and adding water little by little until a slightly sticky dough is formed.  (For stand mixer,use the dough hook,  turn the mixer on to speed 2 and add the water slowly.)  You might not use all of the water, but a slightly sticky dough makes for softer bread. 

Once a nice dough has formed, knead the dough in the stand mixer on speed 2 for at 2-4 minutes or by hand 7-10 minutes until dough is smooth.  Turn out onto lightly floured surface and let rest for ten minutes.  While the dough is resting, grease three loaf pans.  Divide the dough into three balls.  Roll the balls out into rectangles with the width of the rectangle roughly matching the length of the loaf pan.  Roll each rectangle up from like a jelly roll, sealing the seam and ends.  Place the rolls seam-side down in the loaf pans.  Let rise in a warm location (I use the oven with the light on, especially during the winter) for 45 minutes to an hour or until doubled in size. 

Bake 25 minutes in 375 degree oven, or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.  Turn loaves immediately out of pans onto wire racks to cool. 

Be warned – fresh loaves of bread are very tempting and will bring hungry mouths running!

Comments

Beth said…
Ann, what is dough enhancer?
Oops! I meant to put that in there! It's an optional additive that greatly increases the softness and lightness of the bread. We found it made a huge difference. What you're actually looking for is Vital Wheat Gluten. We buy the Hodgson Mill brand because we can find it at Wal-Mart. It's in a brown box on the baking aisle. I actually just discovered that Amazon sells it in bulk - I need to compare their prices with Wal-Mart! Might be worth buying an 8-pack at a time! :-)
Beth beat me to the punch.

I want to try this!

Julie

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