Bed Bath & Beyond and Wheat Bread

So... our coffee maker broke. It still worked but the brew basket would occasionally pop out, brewing coffee all over our kitchen counter. And the grinder also would stick making it impossible to clean. So my mom and dad gave us theirs since they only used it when we were around.


I heard Bed Bath & Beyond was really  good with returns so I figured I would check it out. The coffee maker was a wedding gift so it was over 6 years old but no harm in asking, right? They gave us around $140 store credit!!! So I was finally able to get some really nice sauté pans, a cheese grater and two 1lb bread pans! And I still have over $50 left!!! I only had a large loaf pan before which made it hard to bake a regular loaf. I was really excited to try them out and today was the day. B and I donned our new aprons (a gift from our wonderful Grandma Lorene) and got to work.

Here is the dough divided into their pans and ready for their second rise. And my little munchkin who has been asking to play with bubbles all day. So I figured bake time was a perfect time.

And.... (drum roll please) dunnn - da - da - duuuuuuun!

A little soft inside but soooo yummy. There is something about fresh bread out of the oven slathered in honey butter. (Right, Rachel?) Between the kids and I we've already eaten half a loaf!

Oh, and I can't leave out a couple pictures of T. She's way too cute!

Here is the recipe I used:

Combine 2 1/2C warm water, 2 C whole wheat flour, 2t salt, 1/2 C oil and 1/2 C honey. Mix well. Then mix in 1 T yeast. Continue adding flour until you have a nice soft dough. About 4-5C. (I used about 3 C all purpose and 1-2 whole wheat) Knead, cover and let rise 30-40 minutes (till doubled in bulk). 

A little trick I've learned is that it's better to add less flour. I used to keep adding flower while kneading because the dough kept getting sticky but my bread was so hard and dense. One way to keep from getting to sticky is once you have a nice soft dough, oil your hands and the kneading surface instead of adding more flour. That trick and this recipe are from the wonderful DVD Homestead Blessings, The Art of Bread Making 

During rising time I usually wash the dishes but unfortunately the water had been shut off to do some plumbing work in another unit =/ So instead we had to rub the dough off our hands and then use baby wipes and paper towels.  (I don't know how I survived before baby wipes. They are amazing!) But hey, I actually had a legitimate excuse for not doing the dishes. That almost never happens.

After the rise, punch down and form into 2 loaves. Place in greased loaf pans and use a fork to poke several holes in dough. This helps with the rising. Cover and let rise a second time for a bout an hour.

Then bake at 350°F aproximately 30 minutes. Until golden brown. Let cool on wire rack. If you have the will power to let it cool before slicing into it, that is.

So far with this bread we have made the most amazing french toast (... for dinner), grilled cheese sandwiches to die for, toast with butter and jelly for breakfast and buttered to compliment tomato soup. I wish I made six loaves instead of 2! I need to learn to pace myself... or start exercising. ;)

Let me know if you try it yourself!