HONEY OATMEAL WHEAT BREAD

~ The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals, compiled by Phyllis Pellman Good and Louise Stoltzfus

3 c. boiling water
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
3 pkg. yeast
3/4 c. warm water
1/2 c. honey or brown sugar
1/3 c. canola oil
2 t. salt
3-4 c. whole wheat flour
4-5 c. unbleached white flour

Pour boiling water over oats in a large mixing bowl. Let cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand until foamy. Mix with oat mixture.

Add the honey, oil, and salt one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flours gradually, mixing well after each addition, until soft dough forms. Knead 5-10 minutes, then place in greased bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let rise until doubled. Punch down and shape into three loaves, then let rise another 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes after second rise. Cool on rack.

Makes three loaves.

Notes: I've made this bread as hand-formed loaves and in loaf pans. Both ways work well.

CRACKED WHEAT & HONEY BREAD

~ The Modern Day Pioneer: Simple Living in the 21st Century, written by Charlotte Denholtz

1 1/2 c. boiling water
1/2 c. cracked wheat
1 1/3 c. warm milk
1/4 c. honey, divided
1 3/4 t. yeast
1/4 c. unsalted butter
1 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 t. kosher salt
3-4 c. bread or all-purpose flour

Combine water and cracked wheat in a medium bowl. Set aside for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally until the cracked wheat has absorbed the water and softened.

In a large bowl, combine milk, 1 tablespoon honey, and yeast. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Add remaining honey, butter, and whole wheat flour to milk mixture, stirring to combine. Drain excess water from cracked wheat, then add to flour mixture, along with salt and enough bread flour to create a firm dough. Add flour only when needed to reduce stickiness.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes. Return to bowl, dust the top with flour, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Coat two 9 x 5" loaf pans with cooking spray. Turn dough onto a floured surface and divide into two equal portions, shaping each into an oblong loaf. Place into prepared pans with seam sides down, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside for 30 minutes, or until dough rises above the pan.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dust risen loaves with whole wheat flour and bake 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow sounding. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

Makes two loaves.

Notes: I've used both bread and all-purpose flour for this recipe and both work perfectly. This bread is great for toasting and dunking in soups, slicing as sandwich bread, or eating plain.

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SIMPLE BREAD

~ The Simple Homemaker

2 t. yeast 

2 c. warm water 
2 t. salt
5-7 c. flour

Stir the yeast into the water and set aside. Mix the salt with three cups of flour. Combine the flour and water mixtures. Add flour in small amounts until the dough holds together and isn't wet.  

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead, adding more flour as needed. Knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Shape into two or three Italian-shaped loaves or several mini loaves and place on lightly greased pan with seam side down OR shape into two shorter loaves and place in loaf pans for a standard loaf shape.

Grease the top of the loaves with olive oil or butter and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, 30-60 minutes.  

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Make diagonal slashes across loaves, if desired. Place loaves in oven and bake for 12-20 minutes, depending on the size of your loaves and whether or not they are in pans, until the loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped.  

Notes: This is just plain ol' white bread, but it's very easy to make and The Simple Homemaker says it's pretty fail-proof. We've used this recipe for three little Ws to learn to bake yeast bread. 

Photo notes: The loaves in this picture were baked by Devon on 1/18/15. 

AMAZING NO-KNEAD BREAD

~ Frugal Living NW

6 c. bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 t. instant or active-dry yeast
2 1/2 t. salt
2 2/3 c. cool water

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated; the dough should be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest 12-18 hours on the counter at room temperature. When surface of the risen dough has darkened slightly, smells yeasty, and is dotted with bubbles, it is ready.

Lightly flour your hands and a work surface. Place dough on work surface and sprinkle with more flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice and, using floured fingers, tuck the dough underneath to form a rough ball.

Generously dust a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with enough flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran to prevent the dough from sticking to the towel as it rises; place dough seam side down on the towel and dust with more flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran. Cover with the edges or a second cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

After about 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, in the oven as it heats. When the dough has fully risen, carefully remove pot from oven. Remove top towel from dough and slide your hand under the bottom towel; flip the dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough looks unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, until the crust is a deep chestnut brown. The internal temperature of the bread should be around 200 degrees. You can check this with a meat thermometer, if desired.

Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes: I am a bread failure.  Serious failure.  However, I've successfully made this bread multiple times and it's wonderful! I've made it as directed and also with parmesan and fresh rosemary mixed in.