When the school year started Griffen asked if he could only have homemade bread for his school lunches. I thought it was a fantastic idea and started using my bread machine on a weekly basis. The only issue was that the bread from the machine always seemed to have a hard exterior crust and I didn't really like that. I was given this recipe last week when I went to a RS meeting. We learned to bake bread from scratch. When I say scratch I mean using hard wheat grain and then grinding it into flour in the mill. Absolutely from scratch!
I'm on the hunt for a mill right now but they are fairly expensive. Hard wheat bought in bulk is very cost effective though and can be stored for up to 50 years so it is a great food storage item.
For now I am using store bought wheat flour. I chose the Bob's Red Mill whole wheat because I felt it would be the best quality for my bread. This recipe also calls for gluten so I bought Bob's Red Mill as well. If your curious as to where this can be found, it is in most grocery stores and if not near the regular baking items it would be in the natural or organic section of the store.
You do need a loaf pan or a few. I just picked up 2 more pans yesterday so that I can bake 3 loaves at a time.
There are 2 recipe options listed below depending on how much bread you would like to bake. I have tried baking 2 at a time and 5 at a time. I figured I could make the bread less often and just freeze it if I did the bigger batch. The 5 loaf recipe also provides bigger loaves. I think it is the variation in the ingredients. Either way the bread is fantastic!
2 loaves:
2 c. warm water (not hot....you don't want to kill your yeast)
1 tbs. yeast (1 packet is equivalent)
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. oil
2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. flax seed (this is optional and I haven't tried it yet)
1 tbs. wheat gluten
2 c. then 2-3 more of Wheat flour
5 loaves:
6 c. warm water
3 tbs. yeast (or 3 packets)
2/3 c. honey
2/3 c. oil
2 tbs. salt
1 c. flax seed (optional)
3 tbs. wheat gluten
5 c. then 8-9 more of Wheat flour
Mix water, yeast, and honey in a bowl to start yeast. Let it set for about 10 minutes until it looks bubbly. Add all other ingredients (for the flour only add the initial amount) until you have a cake batter consistency. I use a whisk for this part.
Add additional flour 1 c. at a time. Mix in a mixer 7-9 min. or you can mix by hand and then knead the dough by hand for about 20 minutes (until gluten is released and dough becomes elasticized). If you use your kitchenaid only set it on "2". The kitchenaid can be used for the 2 loaf batch. For the 5 loaf batch you can start mixing with your kitchenaid but will have to finish by hand because it won't all fit. Once complete divide into equal parts, either 2 or 5.
You will then roll out the dough into a long oblong shape and try to make it no more than 1/2 in. thick. Then roll it into a tube like you would do if you were making cinnamon rolls. Once rolled you will need to tuck the ends under. Make sure the loaf isn't longer than your loaf pan. Also pinch the underside of the roll to make sure the seam is sealed. Place in greased pans. I like to cut 3 diagonal slits in the top of the bread because it looks pretty and I can also tell that it is rising. Then spray the tops of the bread with oil so they don't get crunchy. Set your loaf pans in the oven without turning it on. You can watch them and leave them for about 10 min. to make sure they are rising.
Turn the oven on to 350 and leave the pans in the oven while it pre-heats. Once it is heated to 350 set your timer for 28 min. These loaves take 28-30 min. When you check the bread just gently squeeze the side and make sure it doesn't feel doughy. I have a gas oven and my small loaves take 28 min. and the large loaves took 30 min. It can vary.
Brush the tops of your loaves with butter to give them the same golden color as the rest of the bread when they come out.
FYI - After baking the first 2 loaves they were gone in a day and a 1/2 so beware that your family may inhale it!
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