Semi-Wheat Bread

Happy Wednesday guys!  I'm glad you guys liked my wedding bouquet idea! 

I'm pretty excited because tonight is our first sand volleyball game of the season.  It's just the start of more "active" nights.  During the winter, it's so hard to get motivated to do anything, but once spring hits - it's volleyball and softball season so I'm outside all the time!

It's actually a big weekend coming up too.  It's Thunder Over Louisville (one of the largest fireworks shows in the US!) and it pretty much signifies the start of 'Derby Season' (I don't think that's really a season, but everyone does start talking about Kentucky Derby this and Kentucky Derby that).  So looking forward to posting pics from the weekend to come!

Anyway, Andy's favorite type of bread is wheat bread, so when Sunday rolls around (my usual bread baking day) he's always begging for wheat bread.  I've got to give in to him every now and then, right? 

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

In a large bowl, combine the water, milk, olive oil, honey, and brown sugar.  Add in both flours, yeast, and salt.

Knead dough for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Whole wheat flour always requires a little more elbow grease, so be prepared!

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel.  Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and knead for a couple more minutes and form into a loaf.  Please in a greased loaf pan and cover with a kitchen towel.  Allow to rise for another hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Bake bread for 35-40 minutes.

Allow to cool for a couple minutes and turn onto wire rack to finish cooling.  Or if you can't hold back (like us), slice it up while it's still warm and serve with a pat of butter!

This was really great bread!  I'm actually using it tonight to make some Vietnamese Shrimp Toasts (hopefully a recipe is sure to come if all goes well!).

Well, I've got some last minute studying to do before my volleyball game tonight!  Wish me luck!

Have a great rest of your Wednesday guys!

Honey Oat Wheat Bread

I apologize for the cruddy pictures... this is what happens when I get in a rush I guess =)

Happy Monday guys!  How was everyone's weekend? 

We went out for sushi on Friday night and for dessert afterward.  Andy was holding a grudge (not really) because I wouldn't let him go get ice cream the night before, so I told him we could go this weekend.  And after pondering what to eat for dessert, we stumbled upon the Comfy Cow, and came up with a genius idea.  Get this... we're gonna have an ice cream sundae bar at the wedding!  The Comfy Cow caters, so hopefully I can book that soon!  We figure it'll be something different for dessert, although we're still planning on having a little wedding cake too.  Neat, eh?

Anyway, today's bread is probably the best I've made yet.  It's definitely the softest, fluffiest loaf I've produced this year.  And Andy has been begging me to make some wheat bread, so I finally did it! 

Man, I've been caving into a lot of his needs and wants lately, haven't I?  First with the Velveeta, and now the wheat bread.  At least with the wheat bread, we both can agree it was fantastic!


Ingredients:

Adapted from Radishes & Rhubarb's recipe

1/2 cup oats

1 to 2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons of honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-2 teaspoons salt

1 & 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 & 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 & 1/4  teaspoons instant yeast

2 tablespoons milk
oats, for dusting (optional)

In a large bowl, combine oats, 1 cup boiling water, honey, butter, and salt.  Mix until butter has melted.  

Allow mixture to cool slightly and stir again. You've basically made some oatmeal porridge and this is going to rock your world when mixed with the flour.  Seriously.

Stir in all three flours and yeast.  The dough will be relatively shaggy.  Add water (in 1/2 cup increments) until you have a manageable dough.

Turn bread onto floured worktop and knead for about 7 to 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic.
 

Oil a large, clean bowl and form your dough into a ball. Turn dough ball to lightly cover with oil in bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a warm, damp towel and leave for about an hour until it has roughly doubled in size.

Turn dough ball onto floured surface again and punch down.  With a floured rolling pin, roll dough out into a rectangle and fold like a business letter (top half down and bottom half up).  Turn once and roll out and fold once more.

Fold in the sides to get a nicely shaped loaf.  Grease a bread loaf pan/tin and place dough, smooth side up in pan.  Using a pastry brush, brush on enough milk to lightly coat the top.  Lightly sprinkle oats on top, if desired.  Cover with warm towel and let rise for another 30-45 minutes.

 

Cut 3 diagonal slashes on top of bread and place in oven on middle rack. 

 

Place a baking sheet underneath and add about 1/2 to 1 cup of water.  

 

Heat oven to 375 F and bake for about 45 minutes, or until outside is golden and bread is cooked through.

 

Cool on a heating rack before cutting.

Serve with your favorite jam or a slat of butter.  This bread is THE bomb.

 

Through my bread-making escapades this year, I've found when I place the loaf in a cold oven, it results in a softer bread.  And when there's steam from the water in the pan below, it created a crispy crust.  I'm no bread expert, trust me.  This is just what I've found works for me! 

Hope you guys have a great rest of your Monday and see you tomorrow!