Tasty Tuesday - Whole Wheat Bread

A while back I was blessed enough to win an amazing new appliance for my kitchen, a Nutrimill grain mill.  Since then, I have been having a lot of fun grinding grain and trying out new recipes.  My family likes whole wheat bread, and most of us actually prefer it to white, but I have had a hard time finding a good whole wheat recipe that doesn't come out too heavy or have too hard of a crust.  And now I know why, store bought whole wheat flour is nothing compared to freshly ground hard white wheat flour!  It tastes so much better and makes a very light and fluffy loaf of bread!  If you bake your own bread and want to make it even better, I highly recommend getting yourself a grain mill!  They are kinda pricey, but if you could taste the difference you would know it is worth it!  It will actually pay for itself very quickly with the money you can save over buying good wheat flour.  And it is healthier for you!  (If you live near me, I will even bake you a fresh loaf so you can taste the difference for youself, just let me know want one!)  Here is the recipe that I use and it probably will work with regular flour, but might not be quite as tasty!

1-1/2 cups hot water
1 cup cold milk
(The resulting temperature will be lukewarm so as not to kill the yeast)
1/3 cup oil (I use melted coconut oil and I think that is another reason this bread it so good!)
1/3 cup honey
3 eggs
4-1/2 tsp. instant yeast
2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
4 tsp lecithin granules
6 to 7 1/4 cups freshly milled flour
1 Tbs. salt

Combine water, milk, oil, honey and eggs. Add yeast, gluten, and about 5 cups of the flour. Mix on medium speed until well blended. Add the salt. Continue to mix adding the flour 1/2 cup at a time. When the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl enough flour has been added. Knead 8-10 minutes in a mixer (more if done by hand), or until the dough, forms a smooth ball . Let rise until double. With a single or double batch, you may let the dough rise in the bowl. With a triple recipe, turn the dough out onto a floured surface to let rise.

After rising, form into loaves or other shapes. Place in greased loaf pan. Let rise until at least double in size. Bake loaves at 350o for 25-30 minutes.  When done, brush with melted butter for a really soft crust. Recipe makes 3 medium size loaves or about 30 dinner rolls.

Enjoy! There is nothing better than fresh bread with butter on it while it is still warm!

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