Mmmmmm Wheat Bread

Fall is in the air and nothing and I mean NOTHING is better than homemade warm wheat bread with a lot more than necessary slab of butter.  Mmmmmm!  (maybe a little honey too :)  I'm the first one to say-I am not a baker!  I am still trying to figure out this whole bread thing and this recipe is the best I've found!  Its delicious, easy, makes a ton for freezing, and very versatile!  This is my health idol, Mindi Bennett's recipe!

5 c warm water
12 c flour (half wheat/half white)
1/2c dry milk (optional)
2T salt
1/2 c oil or butter
1/2 c sugar or honey
2 c rolled oats
1/2 c ground flax seed (optional)
2T yeast

Layer ingredients in order from above in a big mixer (Kitchen Aid or Bosch, maybe a bread machine if it's big enough).  Mix with a bread hood for 10 min.  Let rise for 1 hour +/-.  Divide into 4 loaves or 50 rolls, let rise again 45 min to an hour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min and check for done-ness.  Usually takes between 20-30 minutes for a nice golden crust.  Put butter on top while hot.

My pile in my mixer-use a HOOK attachment to mix tho

(I forgot to switch it before I took the picture)

my mixer can be a little whimpy so I like to knead it on my counter for a few minutes

Be sure to grease your bowl and the top and sides...It's alive!

Grow baby grow!

I make a full batch of this bread  about every 2 weeks.  I'll make usually 4 loaves and then a small pan of rolls.  The loaves freeze great!  I stick the rolls in a bag in the freezer and pop them in the microwave (sorry mindi) for 30 sec for a quick yummy after school snack-or put one in my son's lunch box and it's thawed by lunch time and not soggy!

Be Creative and Enjoy!

Yours will most likely be much thicker than mine-it's a personal curse.

STATS:Better-Oh man....Sooo good!!!  Just taste it and you'll be hooked! I haven't bought bread in 6 months! *check!*
Healthier-Did you know most store bought wheat bread still has enriched flour as the ingredient! That means that they take the flour-either white or wheat- strip it of the nutrients during processing and then...whoops I guess we better put a few synthetic chemicals that represent nutrients back in and then we can call it "enriched"!  You don't fool me! *check*
 Cheaper-This recipe makes 4 loaves.  4 loaves of the good natural wheat bread is $4.50 to $5.50/ loaf!  Ahhhh!!  If you buy the big bag of flour from Costco it's about $.06 a cup of flour! so for 4 loaves it's $2.88 for the flour!  *check*

Mmmmmm