Daily Bread

Things are beginning to get back to normal here after Friday's snowstorm. For all intents and purposes, we're dug out, but as the roads are still really bad, there's nowhere to go and nothing to do. And I'm fine with that. We spent the day yesterday hunkered down in comfy clothes playing snowy day games. The kids played tent most of the afternoon, using some old bed pillows and a big blanket...gotta love those imaginative games!

I spent the day cooking. For lunch, I made up a stir-fry with a bit of chicken, veggies and some leftover rice and it went over in a big way. Mara ate all the mushrooms and carrots, but Isaac's tummy was still a little tender so he didn't eat much. Jeff ate it all. I also made a loaf of bread to go with dinner; Italian sausages, home-canned green beans seasoned with a little bacon and onion, and Not-Your-Momma's Sweet Taters. The bread is a very simple, sweet wheat loaf, made with just enough white flour to give it a smooth texture. It's fairly low in fat, but has a sweet, dense flavor and texture that makes it delicious, both fresh and days old as toast. I promised this to a friend a couple days ago, but life happened and I never got around to it....so here ya go, Friend. (You know who you are!)

Before I post the recipe, just a quick note regarding dough enhancers. They are so worth it, but if you don't have any on hand, you can make do without it. The dough enhancer makes the bread lighter and more like what you buy from the grocery store. It also helps the wheat dough to rise more quickly and retain moisture. If you don't use dough enhancer, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of corn starch and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice which are 2 of the main ingredients in most commercial dough enhancers. It's not quite as good, but close.

Wheat Bread

1 c. warm water
2-4 T honey (I like sweeter bread!)
2 1/4 t. yeast
2T melted butter
1/4 c powdered milk
1 t salt
1 T dough enhancer (or 2T corn starch + 1 t lemon juice)
3 c flour (I use 2.5 c wheat + .5 c white flour)

In a large bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients and allow the yeast to proof til foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix til thoroughly combined. Knead for 6-10 minutes til no longer sticky, then place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and place in a warm spot to rise- about 1-2 hours.

Deflate the dough, knead 2 or 3 times and form into a loaf. Place in a greased loaf pan, cover with a towel and place in a warm spot.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, placing a metal bowl of water in the bottom of the oven to create steam. When the dough has crested 1 inch over the top of the loaf pan, place the bread in the oven and bake 15 minutes. Remove the pan and carefully cover with foil. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, til the bread is brown and sounds hollow or til a digital thermometer inserted into the bread reads 190 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the bread out onto a cooling rack and brush with additional melted butter.