Bread Recipes

Since I have been getting requests for my bread recipe, I thought I'd post a couple of my favorites. The bread featured in the previous post (and in the picture above) is the following recipe that I've tweaked a little after getting it from my friend Melissa R. I like it because it is a lot quicker than most bread recipes since it only takes one rise.

Melissa R.'s One-Rise Bread

Makes 2 loaves

2 scant (not full) Tbsp instant active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
3 cups whole wheat flour
3-4 cups unbleached bread flour


Put warm water into a mixing bowl; sprinkle with yeast and 1/4 cup sugar and let set until foamy (about 5-10 minutes). Coat 2 5"x9" loaf pans with oil/cooking spray.


Add whole wheat flour to the yeast mixture and stir. Add eggs, butter, salt, vital wheat gluten, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Use either kneading attachment on an electric mixer or a wooden spoon if doing it by hand. Add bread flour until the dough is stiff enough to form a sticky ball. If doing it by hand, dump onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding by hand.


Separate into two equal pieces. Take each piece and form into a tight ball with your hands to squeeze out air pockets. Shape into loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Cover with dish towel and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour. (I put them on top of my stove with the oven at 250 degrees.) Once doubled, place in oven and turn temp up to 350. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan to cool and brush with melted butter. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Here's my other favorite bread recipe. It's from a Better Homes & Gardens cookbook Vince got from my stepmom for his birthday. I like it because it's more of a grainy bread, but our natural foods store stopped selling cracked wheat so I haven't made it in a while. But it is delicious. It uses cracked wheat, cornmeal, oats, and whole wheat flour.

Mixed Grain Bread
Makes 2 loaves


3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
2 pkgs (or 4 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup warm water (110-115)
Honey
1/2 cup cracked wheat
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
Water
Rolled Oats


In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and a drizzle of honey. Set aside to proof. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, cracked wheat, cornmeal, brown sugar, oil, and salt. Heat and stir over medium-low heat just until warm. Add milk mixture to yeast mixture and add 2 cups of the all-purpose flour. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in whole wheat flour, oats, and as much of the remaining all-purpose flour as you can.


Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in remaining dough until it forms a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in size (about 1 hour).


Punch down dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grease two loaf pans. Shape each half into a loaf and place in prepared pans. Cover; let rise in warm place until nearly double in size (about 30 minutes-1 hour). Preheat oven to 375. Brush loaf tops with additional water; sprinkle with additional rolled oats. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. (If necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning.) Immediately remove bread from pans and cool on wire racks. Serve within 2 days or freeze for longer storage.

There you have it. Down here, summertime has unfortunately proved to not be the best time to have the oven on all day for bread-making. Our a/c is constantly running on these 100-degree days without our oven being on! But for our friends in Minnesota, I hope you enjoy trying these out soon! If you do, please let me know how it went. Thanks!