Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Farmhouse Honey Wheat Bread

Today I was busy getting ready for "Miss Ella" and her mommy and daddy to arrive tomorrow. On Thursday her "Auntie" Kristy will get here. We will have our Tulsa Christmas on Friday night since "Auntie" Dr. Kristy can't go to Minneapolis with us because she is working in the ER next week. Being a medical family we understand and adjust. Just so glad we can all be together for a few days this week. That in itself is the greatest blessing, just being with each other.

I cleaned house and baked bread before going to work this evening. The entire house smelled heavenly after the bread was baked. I am a bread maker. I LOVE to make all kinds of breads. My mother is a bread maker. She taught me. The one thing about baking yeast bread is that you can't be AFRAID of the yeast. So let's make some Farmhouse Honey Whole Wheat Bread and I will show you how to bake bread like a pro.

Farmhouse Honey Wheat Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

1 c small curd cottage cheese

1/2 c honey

1/4 c butter

5 1/2 - 6 cups flour

1 c whole wheat flour

2 T sugar

1 T salt

2 pkgs yeast or 11/2 Tbsp yeast

1 egg

In a saucepan heat water, cottage cheese, honey and butter until very warm, 120 degrees.

To be sure of your temperature you should use a thermometer.

You want it at 120 degrees....no hotter or you may kill the yeast.

Perfect!! Now combine the warm liquids with 2 cups of flour and the remaining ingredients. Beat with the paddle attachment of your electric mixer for 2 minutes. This stretches the gluten in the flour and allows your bread to rise better.

Change the paddle to your dough hook. Then add the remaining flour a cup at a time until it is mixed into the dough. Continue to knead the dough for 5 minutes adding enough flour to make a soft, not too sticky ball in the mixer bowl.

Remove the dough ball and place on floured board.

Knead by hand several times to make a smooth, rounded ball.

Place in large oiled bowl. I have several "dough" bowls which I love. Kristy got me this one several years ago for Christmas. I just love it.

Be sure you bowl is large enough to allow for the dough to double in size.

Place your bowl in a warm area of your kitchen. I put mine on the back of the stove and turn on the light on the hood. It is a hallogen light and gets very warm. Cover the dough to prevent it from drying out.

Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk. About an hour.

This is beautiful dough waiting to get the air punched out of it and shaped. This recipe makes two 9" X 5" loaf pans but I like to make smaller loaves so I use a stoneware pan I got years ago at a Pampered Chef party.

This recipe makes 4 loaves this size and 1 more smaller loaf. More to give away!

Divide the dough and shape by hand into loves and place in greased pans.

Move to warm area and allow to rise again. This time about 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.

Immediately when the bread comes out of the oven I spread butter all over the tops. It makes them taste even better.

Transfer out of pans onto a cooling rack.

I buy these "bakery bags" at the dollar store and they work great for this size loaf. They are waxed inside so it handles the bread well. Now all I have to do is put the bread in the bags and they are ready to be gifted. Now you too can bake delicious bread...use the thermometer...it is your friend with yeast. DO NOT BE AFRAID!! You can do it too!! Just keep practicing!!

I challenge you to be still for just 5 minutes today in the midst of all the holiday craziness and ponder what the Baby King Jesus means to you in your life. I guarantee that in the quietness of the moment He will meet you there if you ask him to!! Tidings of Comfort and JOY to each and everyone of you!!