In an attempt to keep grocery prices down and eat a more healthy diet, I have started baking a lot of our own bread.  I still buy some, but there’s nothing like fresh homemade whole wheat bread for breakfast in the morning.  I have also made homemade french bread and whole wheat pita’s both of which are also very good.

I’m not sure if it really saves that much money, especially when you factor in the time it takes to make it.  But let me just say that, once I found the perfect recipe, I can’t tell you how much better this is than buying it at the store.  So we’ll see if I can continue to factor in the time to do this.

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I don’t own a bread machine which would probably make this a lot easier.  In all honesty, I don’t want to own a bread machine.  The 10 minutes of kneading can actually be somewhat therapeutic.  Not to mention a 10 minute workout for your arms.  Plus I seriously doubt that our great grandparents got to listen to anything like the “Stones” or Peter Frampton’s “talking guitar” on the classic rock station while they were doing this. . . always gotta think about the positives!

2017 update:  In the name of saving time I have been using my kitchen-aide mixer to do some of the bread kneading for me.  It’s seems life just gets busier and busier!

I tried a few other recipes using only whole wheat flour and, while they were fine for toast, they were a bit too much for anything else.  Not really something I would have wanted to use for sandwich bread.  But everyone has their own preferences.

2017 update:  After making this for several years, I have gotten the feel of it.  Literally.  I have gone to using only whole wheat flour in the recipe and it’s amazing no matter how you eat it IF you get the right feel to the dough before you start the kneading process.  Not too wet and not too dry.

I eventually found a recipe that used half all purpose flour and half whole wheat that I felt was the perfect compromise for both.

This recipe actually came from the Tasty Kitchen and uses ingredients most of us have in our kitchens.  Some of the recipes I found require you to use things like “bread flour” or “vital wheat gluten” and, while I’m sure they are delicious and healthy, I prefer to keep my ingredients simple.

Start by combining 1/2 cup warm water and 4 1/2 tsp yeast in a bowl.  Set aside.

As the recipe is written in Tasty Kitchen, it says to combine 2 1/2 tsp yeast or 2 packets of dry active yeast.  The yeast that I buy is in a jar and states that 2 1/4 tsp equals 1 packet of dry active yeast so I used 4 1/2 tsp yeast.  I would just recommend that if you use yeast from a jar, read what it tells you will equal 2 packets.  Now that I’ve made that completely confusing, lets move on to the next step shall we?

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Mix together 1 whole egg, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 cup maple syrup.  Then add in the yeast mixture.

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Slowly add the flour a little at a time. Make sure you don’t add too much flour or the bread will be dry.  I have found that I really do use all the flour this recipe calls for and a little more all purpose flour for kneading.  But you will be able to adjust it based on your preference to texture.

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Once the mixture becomes a big ball, it’s ready to knead.  The recipe in Tasty Kitchen doesn’t tell you how long to knead but most recipes indicate that it should be done for about 8 – 10 minutes.  I did it for the full 10 minutes.

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Once you are done kneading, place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl turning to coat and let rise for an hour or till doubled in size. Once it has risen, punch it down and divide into 2 oiled or greased bread pans.  Okay . . . I confess . . . I used canola oil no stick spray.  I’m sure Grandma would disapprove but it works.

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Allow the dough to rise in pans before putting it into the oven. The Tasty Kitchen doesn’t require that you let it rise much, but I like my bread tall and poofy, so I let it rise till it is a little above the sides of the bread pan.

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Bake for about 50 minutes depending on how your oven bakes (my oven takes about 45 minutes).

Once bread cools slice and store in plastic bag.  I freeze mine and take out only what I need.

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Perfect for my favorite breakfast of toast with peanut butter and honey!

 

 

Whole Wheat Bread

  1. 1/2 cup warm water
  2. 2 packets active dry yeast
  3. 1 whole egg
  4. 1/4 cup butter, melted
  5. 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  6. 1 1/2 tsp salt
  7. 1/2 cup maple syrup
  8. 4 cups whole wheat flour
  9. 4 cups all purpose flour

2017 update:  I no longer use white flour in this recipe.  Using only whole wheat was a learning process for me in feeling the dough as I add flour so it’s not too dry and not too wet.

Combine 1/2 cup warm water and yeast.  Set aside.

Mix together the remaining ingredients except the flour.  Add the yeast mixture to the other wet ingredients. Then slowly add the flour a little at a time. Make sure you don’t add too much flour or the bread will be dry.

2017 update:  I found that the weather seems to have an affect on the amount of flour I put into the recipe.  After about 6 1/2 cups, started feeling the dough to see how wet it is.  Once it feels a little tacky but doesn’t excessively stick to your fingers think about not adding more flour.  Never add more than the 8 cups though.

Once the mixture becomes a big ball, it’s ready to knead.  Knead for 8 – 10 minutes.  Once you are done kneading, place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl turning to coat and let rise for an hour or till doubled in size.  Once it has risen.  Punch it down and divide into 2 oiled bread pans.

2017 Update:  I have been more recently using my kitchen-aide mixer for the kneading as a time saver for an increasingly busy schedule.  Knead the dough with the mixer until your dough passes the “window pane” test.  Take a small chunk of dough in your had and stretch it.  if it stretches so the center thins out and doesn’t break right away, looking a bit like a window in a frame, it’s ready to let rise.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Allow the dough to rise again before putting it into the oven.  Bake for about 50 minutes depending on how your oven bakes.

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© 2014 – 2017, Pamela. All rights reserved.

Pamela

Taking control of life and learning to live a more intentional, holistic, minimalistic lifestyle from the heart of my inner 70's flower child.

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