Whole wheat bread

Nothing makes you feel more like a pioneer woman than grinding your own wheat to make some bread. If you really want to feel like a self reliant woman of Zion, get yourself elbow deep in bread dough, it is a good feeling!

My mother made bread often, but this recipe was taught to me by my friend Lori (yes the pie goddess) my mother must hate her. To give my mother credit, I learned ALMOST everything I know from her.

Ingredients:
1 c warm water
2 T yeast
2 t sugar
Add sugar and yeast to warm water, and proof until dissolved and foamy.



4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c vital wheat gluten
3/4 c dry milk
2 1/2 t salt

Mix together dry ingredients in a stand mixer (kitchen aid). Next add. . . .

1/2 c oil
3 c warm water
1/2 c honey
yeast mixture

Mix this together with paddle attachment to make a "batter".

Let this sit for about 15 minutes till bubbles start to form on the surface. Switch to the dough hook.

Now it is time to start adding more flour. Add one cup whole wheat flour. Turn the kitchen aid to 4 speed. Once the flour in incorporated, ( it should be really sticky) scrape down the sides with a rubber scraper and add 1 more c of flour. One incorporated, scrape down the sides again. Keep the speed on 4 and keep adding flour 1/4 c at a time till the dough forms a ball and stops sticking to the sides. The goal is not add too much flour. Keep kneading, if the dough starts to stick to the sides again, add a little bit more flour. As soon as it has the right amount of flour, I like to take it out of the bowl and knead it by hand. I just love to put my fingers into dough! Although you can continue to knead it with the mixer. Knead till the dough is smooth and "pillow like"

Form the dough into a pretty ball. Spray the same mixing bowl with pam and place the dough inside.

Cover dough with a towel and let raise until double (about 30 minutes)

Punch down.

Let rise again for about 15 minutes

Divide into three parts and shape into loaves. Spray bread pans before putting the dough in.

Let raise till it grows an inch above the rime (about 1 hour) Heat oven to 400 degrees, put in loaves and turn it down to 350. Cook for 30 minutes. As soon as you pull it out of the oven rub a stick of butter over the tops.

Tips:

I used hard white wheat from Lehi Roller Mills (costco) and ground it myself. I have a Vitamix Blender with a grain grinding container, so that is how I grind wheat. Some prefer red wheat, (like my mom) I prefer white because kids like it better, it is more "white bread" looking.

Your oven is the prefect place to raise dough. Turn the oven on for like 1 minute to get some heat in it then turn it off and put your dough inside.

Measure the honey along with the water. Meaning measure a 1 1/2 water then add honey to the water to make 2 cups. That's the easiest way to measure the honey.