Basic Hearty Wheat Bread Recipe

This is the recipe I followed to make the bread in the previous post. I'll post the recipe as is, and then put my variations in a different color.... If you have a favorite bread recipe, please post on your blog-I'd love to try it!

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 packages instant active dry yeast (equiv to 4.5 teaspoons)
1/4 cup brown sugar (can use 1/4 C honey)
1 Tbsp salt
( can add in ½ C wheat germ & 1/2 C Rolled Oats) or (1/4 C wheat germ, 1/4 C Oat Bran, 1/2 C rolled Oats- this is what I did)

1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, beaten

1. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off.
2. Combine flour, germ, oat bran, oats, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixer bowl; blend. (I Activated my yeast first with some of the water and sugar above. Heat water to 105-115 degrees. Hold off on adding yeast just yet)
3. In a saucepan, heat the (rest of) water, milk and oil together until very warm (120 to 130 degrees F). (I only let mine get to about 115 to 120- if it gets too hot you can kill your yeast)
4. Add eggs and heated mixture to flour mixture. (I added the heated mixture to the dry ingredients first, mixed, add in the activated yeast, blend, then added blended in the egg)

MIXING
1. Blend at low speed until moistened. (if you use Kitchen Aid, use wire whisk for this part)
2. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.
3. With a wooden spoon, (I used Kitchen Aid witih Dough Hook) stir in an additional 3 cups of Wheat flour to form a sticky dough.
4. In bowl or on a floured board, gradually knead in ¼ to ¾ C more white flour, kneading or working in with hands until dough is smooth, pliable and no longer sticky (about 5 minutes).

RISING
1. Place dough in a greased bowl; cover with a cloth or loose fit lid.
2. Let rise in a warm place until light and double in size, about 1 hour.

SHAPING AND BAKING
1. Punch down dough to remove air bubbles; divide dough into two parts.
2. Form dough into desired shapes; place in greased pans according to Shaping and Baking directions (follows). (I used expert village you tube video on making wheat bread to do the punch down/shaping of my bread)
3. Cover, let rise in a warm place until light and doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F according to shape until loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped. If loaf becomes too brown, cover with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes of baking. (Baking for about 15 mins, then cover and bake 10 mins more)
5. Immediately remove from pans; cool.

OK... So GOOD LUCK! Seems like bread making is not so straight forward, and everyone has their "own thing"....

and p.s. IT'S SNOWING TODAY!!!!