My Bread Recipe

I have been making wheat bread in my Bosch for about 4 years. I love the recipe the I have and have tried others...always returning to this recipe. I got it from my friend Gina from Utah. It is really delicious and stays fresh for a long time. It makes 5 loaves and usually my family eats 2 as soon as it is done. I grind the wheat fresh in my wheat grinder and I use white wheat. I have used whole wheat flour from the store and it works just as well. Try it!

Whole Wheat Bread

Put 5 c. warm water in the Bosch. Add 3 T. SAF yeast and 1/3 c. molasses and 1/3 c. honey and mix it up. (You can use all honey or all molasses, if you prefer). Let is sit for 5 minutes to get the yeast going.

Add 5 c. wheat flour, 2/3 c. oil, and 1 1/2 c. rolled oats(old-fashioned). Mix well and let this mixture "sponge" for about 20-25 minutes. That means let is rise in the bowl of the mixer. It makes the bread lighter.

After it has "sponged" Add 1 T. salt and 2 T. Dough enhancer. Mix.

Begin adding wheat flour and bread flour 1 cup at a time...stopping between additions until the dough cleans the side of the bowl. It is usually 1/3 bread flour to 2/3 wheat flour.

You can make this 100% whole wheat if you prefer...we like it a little bit lighter.

Knead in the Bosch for about 8-10 minutes. Turn out the dough and divide into 5 loaves;
each weighing (yes, I weigh the loaves) about 22.5 ounces.

Shape them and put them in the greased pans, cover with plastic wrap and turn on the oven to 350 degrees. Let them rise until double; about 30 minutes and bake for 30 minutes.

So good and so good for you!

You can make hamburger buns, rolls, cinnamon rolls, whatever, with this basic dough!

You can also mix 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour.  It's a good way to transition your family into eating 100% whole wheat if that is your goal.  

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I told you I would post the recipe for my chocolate chip cookies and so I shall! I decided to try the Eagle Mills flour and the cookies are the perfect test! You can tell if the flour is different with your favorite cookie recipe! Well! I LOVE THIS FLOUR! It works just like all-purpose flour but has the added benefit of the white whole wheat! The consistency of the dough was perfect. I was concerned because with whole wheat, sometimes you need to add extra liquid. Not so with this flour! It is a dream! So final product tasting....YUMMM! Just like the "normal" ones.

What a great way to get the "healthy" into your family's diet! I am sold!

I will be going to Costco today to stock up with more...it is $6.55 for 2-10 pound packages and they are going to keep stocking it. (Yes....I checked)

The other thing that I love is from Bob's Red Mill. It is Old Fashioned "Yellow D" Brown Sugar. It is a boiled dark brown sugar with an extra rich molasses flavor and small uniform crystals.

The small crytals are great...it creams perfectly without the gritty texture you get from some brown sugars. The taste is delicious. Very molasses-y without being way to strong. I use it in all my recipes that call for brown sugar.

I have also changed from using Crisco to Spectrum Non-Hydrogenated Shortening. WHY? Well...I have been doing some research about "good" fats and oils and learned how they process and hydrogenate fats and oils like canola, vegetable shortening. It is all a chemical process that I don't really want to have to deal with. For example, canola oil is pretty much poisonous until they refine it, bleach it and deodorize it...all chemically done. No thanks! The Spectrum shortening is better for your body because it is non-hydrogenated, has zero trans-fat and is made from Palm oil, which is naturally cholesterol free and a good source of monosaturated fat. It is vegan, kosher, gluten free and has less saturated fat than butter....and it doesn't go rancid like regular shortening. Oh, and did I tell you it's organic. It costs more but to me it's totally worth the price. You use it just like regular shortening!

Here is MY cookie recipe.

Shelley's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. shortening

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

2 1/4 c. flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 pkg. chocolate chips-whatever kind you like..I use Ghirardelli.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the shortening and sugars till smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix up until it is fluffy. Scrape the sides down to make sure the whole mixture is smooth.

Mix the dry ingredients together and combine with the creamed mixture till smooth. Add the chocolate chips. Bake for 9-11 minutes depending on the size cookies. I used my smallest cookie scoop and did 9 minutes. My bigger scoop takes about 12 minutes.