Grandma Green's Whole Wheat Bread - Edition 2

So there seems to be more than one bread recipe out there. As most of us know, Grandma does not cook from a recipe, she cooks from memory so when she gives you her method for making bread, it can change from month to month. But it is well worth the chase, since her bread is MOUTH-WATERING good. No exaggeration. This is the recipe my sister Rachel got from Grandma, with a few additions that Rachel added herself (in blue).

                                          Grandma Green's Whole Wheat Bread - Edition 2

•  6 Cups water
•  Approximately 13 Cups flour
•  2/3 Cups honey or sugar                                        
•  2/3 Cup oil
•  4 tsp salt                                                                  
•  3 pkg yeast

1. Get water warm out of tap and place in large stock pot. Add honey, salt and yeast. Stir till yeast is dissolved. 

2. Add 5 Cups of flour. Rachel recommended Gold Medal White Whole Wheat Flour. Cover and let sit for half hour. 

3. Add oil. Gradually add remaining flour. Stir. Dump dough out on floured cookie sheet and knead approximately 10 minutes. Rachel said she never make it that long. 

4. Place back in stock pot and let rise until doubled. Before covering with towel, moisten top of dough with water. 

5. Punch dough down then let it rise again. Same thing with the water. 

6. Divide dough into 3 equal parts and place in generously greased loaf pans. Let rise 5 minutes. 

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. While oven is pre-heating, add a pan of water to keep the air inside of the oven moist, then remove when you add the loaf pans. Slightly moisten the top of the loaves before baking and make sure to score the top before baking as well. 

I made a batch today and they are golden and hot and yummy and my house smells amazing. 

  

First attempt

I made two loaves of Grandma Green's bread this afternoon. I have always, for some strange reason, feared baking bread. It has loomed over me as this unattainable goal, only to be achieved by truly accomplished cooks.

 

Not so.

 

I have proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that even us amateur cooks can bake the perfect loaf of bread. I didn't start the dough till after we came home from picking Lillie up at school. And we were snacking on it for supper by 5:30.

 

It was a breeze.

 I started the dough rising and went to begin (admittedly late) the day's school work with Ian.

While he was coloring the letter of the week, I punched it down to rise again.

While he was making a vine out of a craft stick, construction paper and twine, I put it in the pans.

While he was coloring the illustration of the nursery rhyme for the week, I put it in the oven.

 

By the time school was finished, I was pulling out two golden brown, crispy, fragrant loaves.

My house smells amazing. Just the way Grandma's house smelled every time we would come over for family gatherings.

 

I made a half recipe, using only 3 cups water, 4 cups flour, half the oil, salt and sugar and 2 packages yeast. Next time, I might add more sugar back, since they are not very sweet at all. But Grandma was right. You can't ruin bread. All I had to do was add some butter and honey, and viola! Yummy city.

 

( I will post a picture here as soon as I can. Hold tight)

 

The 3 kiddos and I ate almost a whole loaf ourselves.

The result of this all being that, in good conscience, I feel that I have to start making my own bread. This recipe is too easy and too healthy to not at least try.

It is also very cost effective. I figured it up. It's about a $1.25 a loaf.

 

 

That's correct. You heard me right. A dollar and twenty-five cent a loaf! At the rate we go thru bread, I could save a small fortune. I also thinking about doing some variations. Grandma suggested cinnamon/sugar bread, adding herbs, or possibly maple flavoring or raisins. I am going to mess around and see what works. I'll let you know how it comes out!

 

 

A slice of the past

My Grandmother is a wonderful cook. She grew up during the Great Depression and she can make food out of nothing...literally. One of the things she makes best is whole wheat bread from scratch. I called her today and had her give me her recipe. This is how she gave it to me.

GRANDMA GREEN'S WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

 

 



Take 6 Cups warm water. Not hot, just baby bathtub warm. Add 2 or 3 packages of yeast. I use Hodgsons Mill yeast. You can get it for 33cents a package. (she is nothing if not frugal)

Stir gently till the yeast is dissolved and add 1/2 Cup oil.

 

Add 1/3 Cup or so of sugar, 2 t salt, and 6 or 7 cups of whole wheat flour. You'll know how much flour too add by sight. Just add flour till you can't stir it with a spoon. Also, I use honey instead of sugar.

(Grandma was health food conscience before it was cool.)

 

Dump dough out on a floured pan and knead till smooth. Put in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise till doubled in size. Punch down and let rise again.

 

Knead again then divide into 4 balls. Put each ball into a greased loaf pan, cover and let rise again till doubled in size. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes till brown on top.

 

Most importantly, if you think you messed it up, DON'T THROW IT OUT! Just butter it up and toast it. You can always use it somehow. About the only way to ruin bread is to add too much salt.