I mentioned in the previous post that one of the biggest things for me with bread is how good it is after it's cooled off. And in the following couple of days how it holds up.
I have also been raised on wheat bread and prefer it so white bread has always tasted a little bland to me. This bread is actually very delicious, very flavorful AND it tasted great the next day. It definately gets 5 stars.
The following directions are to make it by hand, (with some help from the dough hook attachments that came with my hand mixer) you can always use an electric mixer if you have one.
3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon/1 package yeast (I used active dry)
pinch of sugar for the yeast
1 1/2 cups milk (105-115 F)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon salt
6 to 6 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose or bread flour ( I use a mixture of the two)
1. In a small bowl sprinkle yeast and sugar over 1/4 a cup of the water. Let sit until foamy, about ten minutes.
2. In a large bowl combine the remaining water, milk, butter, honey, salt and one cup of the flour. Beat until creamy, about 3 minutes by hand or one minute with mixer. Add the yeast, then add the remaining flour about 1/2 a cup at a time. You can use the hand mixer until it gets to stiff, then use a wooden/plastic spoon. You may use more or less then what flour it calls for. The dough should be slightly stiff.
3. Knead for a minimum of 10 minutes, if the dough gets sticky add a tablespoon of flour at a time as needed.
4. Place dough in a greased container. Cover with plastic wrap and raise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
5. Divide dough into two pieces, shape into logs. Place in two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Bake at 375 F for 40-45 minutes. The Bread will be done when you tap it and hear a hollow sound. Immediately remove from pans, otherwise the bread gets soggy on the bottom. Place on wire racks for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
There's nothing like a good friend to bake with!
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