Wheat Bread

We eat a LOT of bread in our house. That is why I feel that making homemade wheat bread is one of the main ways I can cut our grocery bill and help us eat healthier. However it’ll take several years of making bread before it actually becomes profitable since we spent somewhere around $350 on a wheat grinder last year (we went with the Nutrimill and are very pleased with it). But eventually it will save us money! And in the mean time we definitely have the health benefits. I hope this recipe isn't too complicated for my first ever post on this blog. It may seem like it at first, but it's really pretty simple.
I got this recipe from my mother in law. I had to change the rising time and play with the amount of yeast a bit (because I live at a different altitude) but now it's fool proof, until we move again that is! I use a bosch mixer. Use the bars the whole time.

Wheat Bread

Mix:
9 c. flour (I do 8 c. wheat, 1 c. white)
2 heaping Tbsp. yeast
Vitamin C (crushed - I use the non chewable kind. I've also been adding a crushed Vit. D tablet)
Add:
7 c. warm water
Mix for 1 min.
Let sit 10 min.
Add:
1/2 c. oil (I use olive)
1/2 c. honey
1 1/2 Tbsp. salt
then add enough flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, usually 7 – 8 c. for me. I usually do a cup or so of white flour here also and the rest wheat.

Let knead 10 min.

Grease pans with Crisco.

Preheat oven to its lowest setting (170F on my oven) while you put dough in pans. Turn off the oven and put bread in to rise. Let rise until double in size (recipe said 25 min. but it’s about 20 min. for me). Turn oven on to 350F (or 325F for glass) and set the timer for 32 – 35 min.

To clarify, yes you will start the timer right away, before the oven is preheated. And try not to open the oven while the bread’s rising or in the early stages of baking. One time mine flattened when I opened the oven. Just use the oven light!

When done put loaves onto cooling racks and grease with Crisco (optional). I bought a huge roll of produce bags from Albertsons and I use those to bag my bread.

I love filling my house with the smell of fresh bread and seeing this on my kitchen counter! Makes me feel much more domestic than I really am. :)

Makes 5 to 5 ½ loaves depending on how big you make your loaves. You may need to freeze some like I do, since homemade wheat bread goes moldy much more quickly than store bought bread!

This dough also makes delicious scones and rolls! For the rolls let rise until double just like the bread then bake for 22 – 25 min.