There are few things in this world that are as satisfying to
both body and soul as a warm loaf of bread, fresh from the oven. I first began baking bread on a regular basis
when I was pregnant with my first baby. That pregnancy was the beginning of my
desire to get back to basics, and baking my own bread from scratch, as our
grandmothers and their grandmothers did, just felt right to me. Nowadays, most
of the bread my family eats is homemade, mostly because it’s WAY cheaper than
store-bought (particularly the all-natural brands, which we prefer) but also
because it’s delicious, and because it still makes me feel good to nurture my
family in this way. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “I can’t possibly bake
bread for my family on a regular basis… I’m waaaay to busy!” Well, never fear…
Mama is here to help! I’m very busy too, with working full time running my own
business, homeschooling, taking care of home and family, gardening, writing,
etc. But here’s how I make it work!
 |
| Here is the frozen dough, ready to thaw, rise and bake! |
On weekends, I take some time to make a couple of batches of
dough (recipe to follow!) The dough rises on the counter while I’m busy doing
other things, then I shape the dough into loaves (usually 4 loaves for two
batches of dough) and then I wrap the loaves and pop them in the freezer.
During the week, I take a loaf out of the freezer in the morning. I lightly oil
a cookie sheet and dust it with cornmeal, and place the frozen dough in the
center. I cover it loosely with oiled wax paper and a towel and allow the dough
to thaw and rise (usually about 4 hours, altogether) Then I pop it in the oven
at 350 for 30 minutes or so. Fresh bread for lunch!
Here is my recipe...
Mama Jenney’s Easy Whole Wheat Bread
1 ½ cups of
warm water
2 tsp active
dry yeast
½ tsp sugar
1 cup warm
(not hot) milk (you can use milk substitute, to make it vegan)
¼ cup oil (I
use sunflower oil)
2 Tbsp honey
(you can use maple syrup or molasses to make it vegan)
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup
vital gluten
About 6 cups
or so of whole wheat flour
In a large
bowl, combine yeast, sugar and ½ cup of the warm water. When it’s all foamy (5
minutes or so) add the rest of the water, milk, oil, honey, and salt. Slowly
start to stir in the gluten and flour, adding a bit at a time, stirring well
after each, until it forms a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured
counter or bread board, and knead, adding more flour as needed to keep it from
being too sticky. When you have a nice, uniform, soft, not-sticky ball of
dough, place it in a large, oiled bowl, turning it over once to coat it with
oil. Cover with a damp towel and let it rise until doubled in bulk (an hour or more)
Next, punch
down the dough and divide it into two balls. Let the dough rest 5-10 minutes ,
then shape into loaves. If you’re going to freeze the dough for later, now is
the time to do it! If you want to bake it right away, keep reading…
Lightly oil
a cookie sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal.
Place the loaf (or loaves) on the cookie sheet. If you are using a big
enough cookie sheet, you might be able to bake two loaves at once. Just make
sure there is some space between them as they will get much bigger before they
are done.
Cover the
loaves with oiled wax paper and a towel, and let them rise for another 30-40
minutes. Place into a preheated 350 oven, and bake for 30 minutes or so, until they
sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Best enjoyed warm, but will keep covered in the fridge for several days.
 |
| Warm, fresh, whole wheat bread! Mmmmm... |
No comments:
Post a Comment