Homemade Bread

[Lorraine]

I love the smell/taste of real yeast bread and since I got a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, it has been so much easier to create good bread.

You will need:

5-6 cups whole wheat/whole grain flour

2 tsp salt

3/4 cup powdered milk (not needed if you use milk)

1/4 cup sugar or honey

2 cups warm liquid (water, milk or combination thereof)

1/3 cup olive oil

2 yeast packets

1/2 cup sour liquid like water kefir (optional)

This is how I put it together:

2 cups warm liquid (105-115 degrees; use water, milk or combination thereof - since I make water kefir I heat up 1 1/2 cups milk and add 1/2 cup room temperature kefir when I start combining ingredients in the mixer)

1/4 cup sugar or honey

2 yeast packets (Red Star Premium rises the best)

Dissolve sugar or honey in warm liquid, stir in yeast and let stand 5 minutes.

In Mixer combine:

3-4 cups whole wheat flour (I prefer organic or you can even grind your own)

2 tsp salt

(If you used water for your liquid, then add 3/4 cup powdered milk here)

Turn to Speed 2 and mix dry ingredients about 15 seconds.

Continuing on Speed 2, gradually add yeast mixture and 1/3 cup olive oil to flour in mixer and mix about 1 1/2 minutes longer (this is where you would also add the optional 1/2 cup water kefir or sour liquid you might have to give more of a sourdough flavor). Stop and scrape bowl.

Continuing on Speed 2 add more flour (whole wheat or unbleached bread flour)  in 1/2 cup increments until dough clings to dough hook of mixer and cleans sides of bowl, about 2 minutes (about 1 - 2 cups flour, depending on what you started with, but don't get it too dry)

Knead on Speed 2 for another 2 minutes.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Poke a finger in it several times. Cover, let rise in warm place about an hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place in greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pans. Cover, let rise again in warm place as oven preheats. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until browned. Can reduce temperature to 350 if more time is needed. Remove from pans immediately and cool each loaf on its side.

Variations:

Substitute some ground oatmeal, quinoa and/or brown rice for some of the flour (about 1/4 cup each or as desired - I grind in a coffee grinder for small amounts).

Make one loaf of bread and use the other half of the dough for cinnamon rolls or regular rolls.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is my friend's larger bread recipe (it's too large for my mixer)

Clan House Whole Wheat Bread

1 C hot water

1/2 C molasses

1/2 C raw sugar or honey

1/2 C olive oil

 Combine in a large mixer and let stand; then combine the following:

 

2 T dry yeast

1 C warm water

2 T honey

Combine in a small bowl or mixing cup and let stand for 5 minutes or until bubbly

 

Add the second mixture to the first and combine ~ while adding

3 cups of warm water

4 tsp salt

10 C freshly ground whole-wheat flour

1 C freshly ground oatmeal flour

1/2 C freshly ground quinoa flour [I used to use 1 cup of brown rice flour but started using 1/2 quinoa about 2 years ago, this increases the protein content]

1/2 C freshly ground brown rice

1 C cracked wheat [optional, but it gives a nice chewy texture]

*You can use all WW flour or 2-3 cups bread flour to help with a better rising bread, because some people find this bread pretty dense with all WW... but we like it that way too.

 

Mix on medium speed for 20 min [minimum] Shape into loaves immediately and place in lightly oiled bread pans. This recipe makes 3 ~ 2 lb loaves with some left over that I usually make into WW buns for burgers

 

Preheat oven to 375º and let rise until the loaves are about 1 inch above the top of the pans. Bake for 40-45 min or until nicely browned. Note: When fully cooked through bread loaves will always sound kind of hollow when you thump them [like thumping a watermelon].

It's usually best to use your own tried and true bread recipe and use some ideas from these to adapt to your recipe.

[Lorraine]

Feel free to share your own bread recipes!