Monday, September 7, 2009

Secret Bread Recipe

I'm about to share a family bread recipe.  Write this one down, it's a keeper.  I usually use all wheat flour except for about a cup or two of white while I'm kneading it. These are the worst looking loaves though- the kids ate up the better ones this time before I could snap pics.  I recommend large dark non-stick metal bread pans (like the ones shown) .  The ones in the photo above were done with old glass pans that just don't give it the shape it should have (still tastes the same).  I grind my own wheat and don't use a bread machine or food processor and I get that much more enjoyment out of it knowing that my sweat is in the food I'm eating.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Yeast
1/2 Cup Warm Water
5 Cups Hot Water
2 Tbsp Salt
2/3 Cup Oil
2/3 Cup Honey
2 Tbsp Vital Wheat Gluten
2 Tbsp Dough Enhancer
12 Cups Flour
1 Tbsp Sugar (or honey)

Directions:
Mix yeast + 1 Tbsp Sugar into warm water - set aside
Mix 7 Cups flour with Hot Water- mix well
add salt, oil, honey, gluten, enhancer- mix well
add 1 cup flour- mix well
add yeast mixture and 3-4 cups flour- mix well
knead for 10 min adding flour if needed- let rise in bowl for 30 min in warm area with moist hand towel over the top.
Punch down- let rise again for 30min.
Divide into 4 loaves and put in greased bread pans and let rise 30 min.

Bake at 350' for about 30 min.  Brush with butter when it comes out.
Sit back and enjoy.

I've done this recipe substituting with variations: 2 cups rice flour, 2 cups oatmeal, white flour... I think the gluten and dough enhancer really help the bread though.  I bought 2 cases for my food storage from Honeyville Farms.  Good stuff.  The more you let it rise and punch down, the better consistency and texture of the bread (I don't punch more than 3 times though).  This recipe works well with dinner rolls too.  Kids love it.

3 comments:

Linda-nwo said...

Where to buy enhancer? Please advise.

Jimmy (pen name) said...

I got mine from http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/

Bulk only- but that's kind of the idea.

:)

Jimmy (pen name) said...

Honeyville Grain is having a sale! Here's the information:

15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER* from Thursday, April 1, 2010 thru Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 6:00PM PST. Simply enter the coupon code NOFOOL during checkout. This month we're featuring our new expanded line of emergency food combo packs, and our new Freeze Dried Grapes. DON'T MISS OUT!