Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Farmhouse Honey-Wheat Bread




Well, I've been baking bread most mornings lately so we can have a more simple, but delicious lunch. My goal was to have a very hearty, healthy whole grain bread with no bleached flour. Well, I haven't found a recipe I like so for now I'll stick to this one. It's not exactly whole grain, but it is so yummy!! I cut into it and the kids smell the fresh yeasty goodness and call out what they would like on it- jam, peanut butter, just butter. Then they can have some fruit or cheese and we call it lunch. We easily eat one loaf for lunch (yesterday I didn't even get a piece!) and then we have a second to give away, eat with dinner, or save for a day we won't be home to bake in the morning.

This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Gooseberry Patch Family Favorite Recipes:

1 1/2 cups water
1 c. small curd cottage cheese
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. butter
5 1/2- 6 cups all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. sugar
3 t. salt
2 pkgs active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp)
1 egg

Heat first 4 ingred in a saucepan until very warm (about 120 degrees).
Combine cottage cheese mixture with 2 cups all purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, and the next 4 ingred in a large mixing bowl. Beat at med speed for 2 min.
Add enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough (if it's sticky, add more flour). Knead until smooth and elastic (by hand, or as I do, in my stand mixer). Place in a large well greased bowl (turning to grease top) in a warm place, cover top, and let rise aprox 1 hour- until doubled. Punch down and shape into 2 loaves and place in 2 greased loaf pans. Cover, let rise 45 minutes more, then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. (I still don't know what that actually sounds like) Mine takes about 35-40 minutes.

1 comment:

Jon and Angie Tyner said...

I've made this two days in a row now! It's fabulous!