zalena | Honey Whole Wheat Bread

For

arialas on the occasion of her new home:

When I was a little girl, my mother made all our bread at home. This was done once a week, usually on Mondays. As our family went through several loaves each week, she would make it all at once, using a large, metal tub in which to knead the dough and let it rise. This tub was also the tub that we were washed in as babies. Thus the whole process of baking bread, from texture of the dough kneading, to the yeasty smell of bread rising, and the taste of hot bread slathered in honey or butter, has always been associated with family and the home.

There came a point in my life when I was horribly ashamed of the hearty wheat slices my mother put in my lunch. I wanted soft, white, bread like all my friends. But since then, I have learned to love baking bread myself. There is nothing like fresh baked bread to make a house a home.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 2 Loaves
375

Combine in a large bowl:
3 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. nonfat dry milk
1 T. salt
2 pkg dry yeast

Heat in saucepan until warm:
3 c. water or potato water
1/2 c. honey
2 T. oil

Pour warm (not hot) liquid over flour mixture. Beat for three minutes. Stir in:
1 additional c. whole wheat flour
4 c. white flour

Knead for 5 minutes using additional white flour if necessary. Place in greased bowl, turn, let rise until double in bulk (usually about 45 min. – 1 hour.) Punch down, divide dough in half and shape into loaves. Place in greased 9x5 bread pans. Cover and let rise 40-45 minutes. Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes.

Some hints:
* It’s a good idea to remove all jewelry and grease your hands before kneading. If the dough sticks too much, it is a sign you need more flour. However, whole wheat flour is traditionally very dry, so take that into account before adding a lot of extra flour.

* The longer you let bread rise, the fluffier it gets. If you have the time, you might want to repeat the step where bread rises to double and is punched down several times. Yeast needs a warm place, so make sure your dough is in a place protected from drafts. I find the top of the refrigerator works well.