I love baking bread in the winter. It warms up the house, and makes the house smell amazing! I remember my Mom baking bread as a child, and it was always a special treat that tasted amazing.

A lot of people think that baking bread is hard, but it really isn’t. The only thing you can mess up baking bread is the yeast mixture. You will know right away if your yeast isn’t working because it will not bubble up and rise. I have killed yeast in the past, and I find that you want the water like nice bath water. If you stick your finger in the water and it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for the yeast.

Once you get past making the yeast mixture, time is the next element. You cannot rush good bread (believe me, I have tried). You can always start the dough and let it rise for an hour, and then stick it in the fridge and continue later.

This recipe is for a very basic whole wheat bread. From this basic recipe, you can add different flavors. You can add some cheese and make cheesy bread. Add some Italian herbs or everything bagel seasonings. It’s up to you.

Ingredients:

230g to 255g (About 1 cup) lukewarm water

50g (1/4 cup) vegetable oil

 85g (1/4 cup) honey, molasses, maple syrup, or agave

400g (3 1/2 cups) Whole Wheat Flour

1 packet (about 2 ½ tablespoons) active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons of the water

35g (1/4 cup) Milk

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Let the dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes in the bowl for the whole wheat flour to absorb the water and soften.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. You could also use a bread machine, if you have one, or a stand mixer.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and a towel, and allow the dough to rise in a warm stop until almost doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your house.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8" log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8" x 4" loaf pan (or whatever loaf pan you have), cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size again.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, you may have to tent the loaf with aluminum foil if you find it’s browning too quickly.

Remove the bread from the oven. You can turn the bread out to a cooling rack to cool. Cool completely before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Servings: 16 | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 3 to 3.5 hours