Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

I have now made homemade bread two times in my life! And both times were in the last month.

I used a recipe from my Sue Gregg cookbooks again. I have had this set of cookbooks for several years now, but I am using them more than ever now that I am trying to improve my family's diet.

Whole Wheat Bread

(with my variations)

1/4 cup very warm water

1 Tbs. active dry yeast

1 Tbs. honey

2 cups hot water

2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup olive oil

6 cups whole wheat flour (maybe a little bit more)

Stir 1 Tbs. yeast and 1 Tbs. honey into 1/4 cup very warm water.

Let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes or so. It will bubble up.

Then it looks like this.

In a large bowl combine 2 cups hot water, 2 tsp. salt, 1/3 cup honey, and 1/3 cup olive oil (if you measure the olive oil first, and then measure the honey in the same measuring cup, the honey will slide out easily).

Now add 3 cups of flour to the above mixture, combine and then add the bubbly yeast mixture. Combine as best you can--it will be stiff.

Measure 3 more cups of flour into a bowl and sprinkle a little bit on the counter.

Put the dough on the counter, and begin kneading the remaining 3 cups of flour into the dough.

Knead for 15 minutes, adding the flour gradually. You may need to add a little bit more than the 3 cups, but try not to add too much. Just add it as you are kneading as the dough gets sticky.

I have to say that I really enjoyed kneading the dough.

When you are finished kneading, it will look like this!

Beautiful!

Spray non-stick spray into a large bowl add put the ball of dough inside. Spray a little bit on top of the dough too.

Cover the dough with a damp dish cloth, and put it somewhere warm to rise for an hour and a half. I put my bowl of dough in our schoolroom bathroom! It is a small room, and it gets really warm in there with the door closed and the heat running. I will have to find a new place when the weather gets hot.

It should rise to about double the original size.

Punch the dough down with your fist.

Punch it a little bit more!

Next, divide the dough half, and shape each half into a loaf. Spray two loaf pans with non-stick spray, add the dough, cover, and let rise in the warm place for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the loaves for 40 minutes.

When the bread is done, place the loaves on racks to cool.

Slice and enjoy!

100 calories per 1/2 inch slice.

This post is linked to Four Moms, 35 Kids.

Please click here for the links to all of the blogs hosting this event.