This is our favorite homemade bread. I haven't bought bread for over six months after Dorothy shared this recipe with me. I also grind wheat to make this bread. I grind enough for two batches and freeze the flour for the second batch.
Makes 4 (8x4) inch loaves--recipe for two size loaves following directions for this one.
"This recipe came from an Education Week class taught by Leslie Probert. After we tried it we never wanted to use another!" said Dorothy. In fact this bread is so easy that even her husband makes it. Now there's a thought.
6 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup flax seed flour (this is my addition, if you aren't using flax seed flour use 7 cups ww flour. I grind the flax in a coffee grinder so it's fresh)
2/3 cups gluten flour*
1/4 cup lecithin (this is my addition and so you don't really need it)
2½ Tbs. instant yeast
5 cups steaming hot tap water (120-130°--I don't usually use this hot of water unless my flour is right out of the freezer)
2 Tbs. salt
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey or 1 cup sugar
2½ Tbs. bottled lemon juice**
5 cups whole wheat flour
Mix first five ingredients in mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for one minute. Cover and let rest of 10 minutes. Add salt, oil, honey or sugar and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl. Beat for about 10 minutes . (This makes a very soft dough.)
Preheat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide and shape into loaves. Place in oiled bread pans. (I spray a plastic bread board with "Pam" and also my bread pans with it. I make sure the edges of the bread pans are sprayed well so the baked bread doesn't stick to the edges in case it raises over the edge a bit.) Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes--or longer--or until dough reaches top of pans. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven t o 350° and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks. I put a piece of foil over the top of the loaves until the oven reaches 350° and then remove it. It's not really necessary but the tops are sometimes too dark, I think so I cover them while the oven preheats.
*gluten, a natural protein derived from whet, provides elasticity and strength, added texture, helps retain moisture, prevents crumbling and extends the shelf life of bread. If you do not want to store gluten flour, you may substitute whole wheat flour in its place.
**Lemon juice in this recipe acts as a dough enhancer which gives bread a fine, light texture.
TWO LOAF OPTION
3½ cups whole-wheat flour OR 3 cups whole-wheat flour plus ½ cup freshly ground flax seed flour (I use an electric coffee grinder)
1/3 cup gluten flour
1¼ Tbs. instant yeast
2½ cups steaming hot tap water (120-130° F.)
2 Tbs. lecithin (optional)
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey or ½ cup sugar
1¼ Tbs. bottled lemon juice
1 Tbs. salt
2½ cups whole wheat flour
Follow direction above only use two loaf pans.
Makes 4 (8x4) inch loaves--recipe for two size loaves following directions for this one.
"This recipe came from an Education Week class taught by Leslie Probert. After we tried it we never wanted to use another!" said Dorothy. In fact this bread is so easy that even her husband makes it. Now there's a thought.
6 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup flax seed flour (this is my addition, if you aren't using flax seed flour use 7 cups ww flour. I grind the flax in a coffee grinder so it's fresh)
2/3 cups gluten flour*
1/4 cup lecithin (this is my addition and so you don't really need it)
2½ Tbs. instant yeast
5 cups steaming hot tap water (120-130°--I don't usually use this hot of water unless my flour is right out of the freezer)
2 Tbs. salt
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey or 1 cup sugar
2½ Tbs. bottled lemon juice**
5 cups whole wheat flour
Mix first five ingredients in mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for one minute. Cover and let rest of 10 minutes. Add salt, oil, honey or sugar and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl. Beat for about 10 minutes . (This makes a very soft dough.)
Preheat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide and shape into loaves. Place in oiled bread pans. (I spray a plastic bread board with "Pam" and also my bread pans with it. I make sure the edges of the bread pans are sprayed well so the baked bread doesn't stick to the edges in case it raises over the edge a bit.) Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes--or longer--or until dough reaches top of pans. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven t o 350° and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks. I put a piece of foil over the top of the loaves until the oven reaches 350° and then remove it. It's not really necessary but the tops are sometimes too dark, I think so I cover them while the oven preheats.
*gluten, a natural protein derived from whet, provides elasticity and strength, added texture, helps retain moisture, prevents crumbling and extends the shelf life of bread. If you do not want to store gluten flour, you may substitute whole wheat flour in its place.
**Lemon juice in this recipe acts as a dough enhancer which gives bread a fine, light texture.
TWO LOAF OPTION
3½ cups whole-wheat flour OR 3 cups whole-wheat flour plus ½ cup freshly ground flax seed flour (I use an electric coffee grinder)
1/3 cup gluten flour
1¼ Tbs. instant yeast
2½ cups steaming hot tap water (120-130° F.)
2 Tbs. lecithin (optional)
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey or ½ cup sugar
1¼ Tbs. bottled lemon juice
1 Tbs. salt
2½ cups whole wheat flour
Follow direction above only use two loaf pans.
