Nothing beats the aroma of fresh homemade bread!  I believe it is my favorite way to rotate the wheat we store in vast amounts.  The web is full of great sites for breadmaking enthusiasts, with tips from professional bakers and experienced homemakers.  I love to peruse the varied bread recipes and techniques found on these sites.  Here are a few I recommend:

www.thefreshloaf.com : I just printed off a recipe from this site for Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Bread (above) that looks divine.

www.artisanbreadinfive.com : For both recipes and techniques, this site is fantastic!

www.bread-making.org : This site has nice info and the only recipe I’ve seen for pumpkin bread in a bread machine.

www.baking911.com : Great information for every cook, but especially if spending time in the kitchen is new to you.  There is a nice, detailed section on breadmaking 101.

Take a breadmaking class from home!

Whether you are new to breadmaking or a seasoned baker,  you can learn from home at www.pantrysecrets.net.  Two women from Pleasant Grove, Utah started out offering breadmaking classes from their homes and now offer their class and recipes on DVD (as well as from their homes if you’re in the area.  Classes are $20 per person and you need to sign up for your class.).  What’s neat about their method is that the dough can be used for 50 different recipes, from standard loaves to Chicken Broccoli Braid and they boast that the bread can be made in an hour.  The DVD is available here for $17.99 and here for $19.99 to purchase.

Dough Enhancer or Dough Conditioner
This product improves the rise, taste, texture, color, crumb and shelf-life of whole grain breads. It contributes softness and lightness to breads.

How to make your own dough enhancer:

It’s best to use all three of these enhancers when making whole wheat bread.

Gluten: Use 1/2 Tbsp. – 1 Tbsp. per cup of flour (this means before you measure a cup of flour, place the measured gluten in the bottom of your cup and then measure the flour as usual).  Gluten holds the air bubbles.  It is a non-animal form of protein.

White Vinegar: Use the same amount of vinegar as the amount of yeast called for in the recipe (i.e., 1 tsp. yeast = 1 tsp. vinegar).  Acid strengthens the bubbles.

Potato Flakes:  Use 1/8 – 1/4 cup per loaf of bread you are making.  Experiment to see what works best in your recipe.  Do not substitute potato pearls for the flakes.  They don’t dissolve as easily and add artificial flavoring to your breads.  The starch in the potatoes adds an extra casing around the bubbles.  The bran in the wheat is coarse and can pop or rupture the bubbles, so this helps maintain the fluffy texture of the bread.

Vital Wheat Gluten

Vital wheat gluten occurs naturally in all wheat and whieat derived white flours.  Some white flours have more or less than others.  In a dry form, it is used to give the yeast a boost because it contains a high amount of gluten forming proteins.  Vital wheat gluten only does one thing.  It helps improve the rise and texture of the bread. Use it in your heavier breads that rise slowly, such as whole grains, rye, or ones loaded with sugar, dried fruit and nuts.  Generally, if you are using white bread flour you don’t need to add any gluten.  However, all-purpose or whole-grain flours need vital wheat gluten. 

Use 1 tsp. per cup of all-purpose or 1 1/2 – 3 tsp. for every cup of whole grain or rye flours.  Or 1 Tbsp. for each loaf of bread.

I altered my favorite whole wheat bread recipe to make it more like a “harvest bread” with apples and pecans, and then added a brown sugar topping.  Great Harvest makes a yummy Apple Crumble Bread, but it is only available on Thursdays at my local store, so I had to find a way to appease my cravings.  This bread makes your house smell fabulous and is delicious toasted, plus it uses dried apples from storage.  You can leave off the topping and it is totally healthy.  It is a really simple recipe, but I’ve tried to include plenty of details for anyone new to breadmaking.   I’m posting my basic whole wheat bread recipe first and then the alterations.  This makes a nice big batch with enough to share a couple of loaves with neighbors and freeze some for later.  My neighbors love breadmaking day!

DELICIOUS WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

2/3 c. oil (I use grapeseed or canola)

2/3 c. honey

2 tbsp. SAF instant yeast (you can use regular RED STAR yeast, just proof in water first)

2 tbsp. vital gluten powder

2 tbsp. dough enhancer

2 tbsp. salt

6 c. warm water

whole wheat flour

In a mixer, with dough hook attached, place SAF instant yeast, vital gluten, dough enhancer and 4 cups whole wheat flour.  Pour in warm water and blend gently.  Then add honey, oil and salt.  Continue adding flour and blending until dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  When the sides of the bowl stay clean, set a timer for 10 minutes and allow the mixer to knead the dough.  This develops the gluten and negates the need to raise the dough so many times for a light bread.  After 10 minutes, remove dough from bowl and divide into 7 or 8 smooth loaf shapes and place in greased 1-lb. loaf pans (I use Vegalene).   Let bread rise until double (about 30 minutes).  When dough has completed rising, place in a preheated 350 degree oven (or 325 degree convection) and cook for 35 minutes (until golden brown).  When done, remove from oven, take bread out of pans and cool on a cooling rack.  When bread has completely cooled, place into bread bags for storage.  This recipe is really versatile.  I usually add 2-4 Tbsp. potato flakes to make it even more tender and to rotate my potato flakes.  You can use it for cinnamon pull-aparts, pizza crust, hamburger buns, etc. but I like it best just for bread.  

KIM’S APPLE PECAN BREAD ALTERATIONS

After mixing in the initial 4 cups of flour, stir in the following:

4 cups dehydrated apple slices (break into smaller pieces and rehydrate with 2 cups hot water for 15 minutes.  Drain excess water.)

2 cups chopped pecans

2 Tbsp. apple pie spice or cinnamon

Continue to add flour as in the recipe above.  The dough is a little bit stickier with the apples but avoid the temptation to add too much flour.  If the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl and you can handle the dough to mold it into loaves, you’ve added enough flour.

After you’ve placed the dough into the pans, you can mix up this crumbly topping and spread on top before baking.

BROWN SUGAR TOPPING

8 Tbsp. white flour

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

5 – 6 Tbsp.  butter, melted

Raise until it is peaked nicely above the edge of the pan, then bake as directed above.

My next fun recipe is for a Cinnamon Chip Bread made healthier with part whole wheat flour and liquid eggs.  You can make it as unhealthy as you’d like, but my family devoured it with the lower-fat alterations.  Again, it makes the kitchen smell heavenly.

Almost too delicious to be healthy.

HEAVENLY CINNAMON CHIP BREAD

3 Tbsp. SAF instant yeast

1/2 C. sugar

1 c. liquid eggs, like Egg Beaters [Or, 4 whole eggs; or, 1/4 c. dehydrated egg powder + 1/2 c. water]

3 3/4 c. warm water

4 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. canola oil (or grapeseed)

2 1/2 c. cinnamon chips

10-12 cups flour (I used about 4 cups hard white wheat flour and 6 cups all-purpose white flour)

In mixing bowl, combine 4 cups flour, yeast, and sugar.  Add water, eggs, and oil.  Beat well until combined.  Stir in salt, cinnamon drops, and more flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.  Knead with mixer for about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.  Shape dough into 4 loaves, and let rise again until doubled (about an hour) in pans.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.