I Love

I love baking. I love baking sweets, breads, dinner, casseroles, and everything in between. I have been baking our bread off and on our whole married life, and even baked bread several times on my mission, when I lived in New Hampshire, and while I lived at home. Recently, I have taken to baking all our bread, so it means I am baking it weekly. I have touched up our favorite bread and added whole wheat to the recipe. We love Buttermilk bread. I call this Buttermilk Wheat Honey Bread, original recipe found here. Here is how I make this.

Today, I had to mill some more wheat cause I used all I had. Our ward has 2 mills that can be "checked out". Since I don't own my own yet, I borrowed the wards. It was nice, loud and fast!

After it was milled, it looks like this: nice and warm, and smells just like wheat flour should.
The next step is to let the Yeast mixture froth, or get bubbly, what ever you want to refer to it as.
When that is done, I follow all the directions until it comes to adding the flour. At that point, I add wheat flour instead of white flour. I doubled my recipe so I put in 5 cups of Whole wheat flour. I usually hand mix the first 3-4 cups to make sure it is blended well. I think put my dough paddle in the bowl and finish my dough using my Kitchen Aid mixer.
When the Wheat is all mixed in to my liking, I start adding bread flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl and the bottom. If you stop too soon, you'll notice at the bottom of you bowl it will not be pulling away from the bowl. Add more flower. I am sure you could add more wheat, we like like the combo of both.

After all the flour added, let the mixer, or refer to the recipe directions, kneed the dough about 6 minutes.
Spray a large mixing bowl with non stick spray and turn dough out it new bowl. I usually turn my oven on to warm when the kneading starts, and turn it off when it is all warm inside. I also use a glass bowl cause I put the dough into the oven to rise. Cover with a luke warm damp cloth and sent in oven, or warm counter top, for about 1 hour until dough has doubled in size.

Here is what it will look like when it has doubled in size. It smells great too!

Punch down dough and divide into 4 loaf pans for a double batch, 2 for a regular. I actually weigh out my loafs cause I am really bad at making a small loaf and a too big loaf, which drives me batty. I like my loafs to look even. Spray your loaf pans with non stick spray and set your dough in the pans. Again, cover with a luke warm towel and let rise for about 20-40 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is. I turn on the oven at this point so help warm up the room.

After they have risen to the desired point, set in oven and bake for 30 minutes.

And you have some wonderful smelling, delicious tasting, health fulfilling bread that everyone around you will love.

After they are all cooled down, I cut them in to slices.

Then I bag them, and put all but 1 in the freezer, unless I am giving them away.

Yes, it does take time, but in the process of all this, I took a shower, made my kids lunch, visited with my Aunt and got ready to go to the temple. It really doesn't take as much time as you think it does. I do things while it is rising, and baking, and cooling. You should try it if you haven't already made you own. If you do make your own, leave a comment when you decide to post your recipe and share your secrets. I love to learn.