Bread Prayers Answered!

After an epic fail on Friday, which involved three cups of whole wheat flour and a resulting brick, I set my face like flint and decided to soldier on. I looked for a new recipe, and boy did I find one!

Since I have a Kitchen Aid mixer I decided to use that with the dough hook to try another recipe before going the bread machine route. Then I found a recipe which is half whole wheat flour and half regular flour. Not stellar, but I figured I’d give it a try. It was delicious!

Today I am making two more loaves; one which will be 3/4 whole wheat and 1/4 white flour, and one half/half loaf with cinnamon and raisins. Yum!

Here’s the recipe, in case you’d like to try it. It comes from the website Tammy’s Recipes.

Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)

1 tablespoon milk

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons honey ** I used agave nectar — similar consistency to honey but very low GI**

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see additional notes for a 100% whole wheat version)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour **I added 2 cups whole wheat, and 1 cup all-purpose**

2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast

1/4 cup chopped sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons flax-seed meal

** I also added 3 tablespoons of whole wheat bread improver and a pinch of ginger (thanks for the advice Rae!)**

Instructions:

1. *Combine first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir.

2. Add flours and yeast, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

3. Punch dough down; knead for a few minutes until smooth and then form into a loaf. Place in greased loaf pan and cover. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. If loaf starts browning too soon, lightly lay a piece of foil on top of the loaf to prevent too much darkening.

5. Remove bread from oven and allow to rest in pan for a few minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cover with a cloth. Slice and enjoy while still warm! Leftover bread can be stored in an airtight bag or frozen until needed.

There you have it; finally a bread recipe we like! Let me know if you try it or what recipe you like best.