Homemade Bread

This weekend I decided to make homemade bread. I used to make homemade bread all of the time before Chris and I got married and the first year we were married but since my job has become more demanding I really haven't done it as much. However, Friday when we were at the grocery store I became so irritated at the price of bread (4-5 dollars a loaf for good bread) that I decided to make my own.

Here is my favorite recipe for homemade bread. It is so easy and delicious.

Old fashioned wheat bread

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2-3 cups whole wheat flour
2 packages of yeast
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups water
1 TB salt

Place all purpose flour and dry yeast into mixer bowl. In sauce pan mix water, sugar, shortening and salt. Heat to 115-120 degrees. Add to flour mixture and mix on medium speed scraping bowl for 30 seconds. Beat on high for three minutes. Slowly add the whole wheat flour until it's too stiff to mix in mixer. Turn out dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 10-12 minutes. Place in greased mixing bowl and cover with bread towel. Let rise until double (about one hour). Punch down dough and divide into two balls. Cover with bread towel and let rest 10 minutes. After ten minutes form into loaves and place into two greased bread pans. Cover again and let rise until double about 30-40 minutes. Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes.

I had forgotten how wonderful baking bread is. I kind of think it's therapeutic. I love the way the dough feels and I get a lot of satisfaction out of kneading my own dough. You can kneed it in your Kitchen Aide with the dough hook but if you have never tried it by hand try it once. The bread is delicious. We have been eating a lot of it with homemade strawberry jam that my Mom made and nice tall glasses of whole milk--yummy!