To all my no-carb friends out there, I apologize in advance. Check back in next week, because this week it’s bread week, up in here! I’m all about a good salad, but there is nothing like a warm slice of fresh bread, topped with butter. I will gladly pass on the jam at this point, because, HELLO… it’s warm fresh bread! I was always so intimidated by the thought of making bread, because of all the horror stories about yeast. Turns out, it isn’t that hard at all. I have been baking bread at home for the last couple of years now, and the result is million times better than a store-bought loaf. I also love the fact that I know exactly what goes in it and can adjust the ingredients to my liking. I have a bread maker for the weeks when I do not have time to knead, rise and bake bread in the oven. If you are in the market for a good bread maker, this Zojirushi is what I have, and highly recommend. You just dump all the ingredients in, and 3 hours later, your bread is ready.
I know it might sound totally crazy to you, but I have to come to enjoy bread making so much that I prefer to knead and bake in the oven. There is something so rewarding about the process of bread making, and watching simple ingredients transform into something so beautiful. I also love that it is a process that takes patience. I’m often in a hurry to get things done, but bread making forces me to slow down and enjoy the journey, and I am rewarded in the end with 2 gorgeous risen loaves. My youngest daughter loves to make bread with me, so this is bonding time for us. This recipe is a mix of white and whole wheat bread. I have toyed around with a few different ratios, and this is my favorite. I get the nuttiness and the health benefits of the whole wheat, while still maintaining the rise and the softness from white flour. We are officially bread snobs now, after getting used to a homemade loaf. There is just nothing like it.
Here are a few tips on successful bread baking.
- Proof your yeast. Basically, make sure that your yeast is still good. This is done by mixing the yeast with sugar and warm water (warm to the touch, not hotter than 140 degrees F, or else you will kill the yeast) and letting it sit for 10-15 minutes. If it is foamy, your yeast is good.
- Don’t use too much flour. This makes the bread dense and not rise as high. Add flour until the dough pulls away from your bowl or counter, but is still a little sticky.
- Knead like your life depends on it. To develop the gluten in the dough, you have to knead for at least 10 minutes. Consider this your pre-bread consumption workout. Developing the gluten leads to a well risen, chewy loaf of bread.
- Be patient with your rise. Most bread recipes will call for a first rise in the bowl, then a second rise in the baking pan. A warm room is best for a good rise. The tendency is to try and rush the process but fight the urge. Allow your dough to rise adequately, and you will get a good loaf.
- Enjoy the process. It’s just bread. Don’t take it too seriously. Like everything in life, you get better at it the more often you do it.
Let’s get to baking!
- 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1½ tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 4 cups bread flour
- In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in the warm water. Add the yeast and mix together. Let it sit for 10 minutes until the mixture is foamy.
- Mix in salt and oil into the bowl. Add the whole wheat flour and combine. Add in 1 cup of bread flour at a time until the dough is combined.
- Transfer dough to a lightly oiled surface, and knead for about 10-12 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Place in a well-oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for about an hour until the dough has doubled in size.
- Punch dough down and knead for a few minutes. Divide the dough in half, and roll out each half flat on a surface. Roll into a cylinder (pinwheel) and place seam side down into 2 well-oiled loaf pans (9*5 inch).
- Allow to rise for 40 minutes, until the dough has risen an inch over the top of the pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
- Brush the top of the loaf with butter and cool on a rack.
Weekly reflection:
We made a trip to the beach recently, it was straight up glorious. The thing I enjoyed the most was walking along the shore in the morning. The girls had the time of their lives running into the waves, collecting shells and writing in the sand. Something struck me though, as I was watching them write their names in the sand. As soon as a wave came to shore, the sand was wiped clean, and there was no evidence at all, of their workmanship. And I thought “that is exactly what happens to my sins!”. I work furiously at life, and I make mistakes all the time, yet God’s word tells me that when I confess before God, my slate is wiped clean. My past no longer counts against me, for I am forgiven! I am so grateful for the beautiful gift of salvation. It is a free gift, that I can never earn by my own works. Yet Jesus knew this, so He paid my price, so that I can be made clean. Such a humbling thought!
Psalm 103:8-12 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, not will he harbor anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as High as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.