Wheat Bread in a Bread Machine

Big Chubb likes to have bread on Sundays with our dinner, so I told him he could make this recipe if he insisted on having bread.

The Bread Machine Digest’s Wheat Bread

See more in Loaf Recipes, Whole Wheat Recipes

Recipe By     :Robert Barnett, The Bread Machine Digest - http://www.breadmachinedigest.com
Serving Size  : 12    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Bread Machine                   Bread Machine Digest Originals
Bread Machine Digest Recipes    Grain Breads
Wheat Breads                    Whole Grain Breads

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
1 1/8           cups  water
1 1/2    tablespoons  butter
1 1/2           cups  bread flour
1 1/2           cups  whole wheat flour
2        tablespoons  sugar
1           teaspoon  salt
1 1/2    tablespoons  dry milk
2 1/2      teaspoons  yeast

Place all ingredients except for the ingredients in the “Add at Beep” area
(if applicable for this recipe) in to your machines fully assembled pan.
Select the “Basic” or “White” cycle and press start.
10 minutes after your machine has started kneading the dough open the lid
and check the consistency of the dough. The dough should be tacky to the
touch like the sticky part of a Post-It Note™. If the bread is too dry add
1 tbsp. of water at a time allowing a minute or two of kneading then check
it again. If needed add another tablespoon of liquid. Repeat this until the
dough reaches the proper consistency. If the dough is too dry apply
the above steps but using flour instead of liquid.
Note: Just because you had to make this adjustment doesn’t mean there is
something wrong with the recipe or your machine. The weather plays an
important part on bread making, and adjustments you make one time may not
be the same adjustments you make next time. This is why it is important to
check the dough consistency.
Once you have checked and if needed adjusted the dough close the lid of
your machine allow the cycle to continue.

Add at Beep Ingredients

If this recipe has an “Add at Beep” section these ingredients need to be
added at your machines add ingredients beep signal (an option on most
bread machines) or during the last 10 minutes of the kneading part of the
cycle. The reason you don’t add them at the beginning is to prevent them
from being broken down in to tiny bits or mashed in to a paste.

The Bread is Done

Once your bread is completed allow it to sit in your machines pan for 10
minutes (no longer or it can get soggy). Then remove it to a wire rack to
cool. The reason for letting it sit for 10 minutes is to soften the crust
making it easier to get out of the pan. Allow the bread to cool at least
20 minutes before cutting it.

Paddle Removal

If you want to prevent the large holes that one gets from the paddle(s)
in your machine simply waiting until the final rise of the cycle has
started, remove the dough from the pan, remove the kneading paddle(s) and
then spray the post(s) with pan spray. Shape the dough and place it bake
in the pan, seam side down and allow the machine to finish. This will give
you a loaf with very small hole(s) in the bottom.

Dough Cycle Preparation:

Any loaf bread recipe can be made on the dough cycle for dinner rolls,
hamburger buns, sub rolls, baguettes and more. Simply follow the
directions above except instead of selecting the basic or white cycle
select the manual or dough cycle. When the machine beeps indicating the
dough is finished remove it to a floured work surface and shape in any
manner you choose. For ideas on shaping bread take a look at “Shaping
Bread Dough” in the Library section of this site. When it comes time to
bake the shaped bread generally you bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for
30 to 40 minutes. The bread can also be checked for doneness by using an
instant read thermometer and checking the interior. The bread is done when
it is 200 degrees Fahrenheit inside (for wet dough’s 210 to 215 is
better). For more information on baking bread in your oven take a look at
“Oven Baking: The How’s and Why’s” in the Library section of this site.

HearthKit Baking:

If you want to make this bread in your HearthKit simply make it on the
manual or dough cycle. When the dough is finished remove it to a lightly
floured surface, shape and then place it in a lightly greased loaf pan
(make sure to use one large enough for a 1-1/2 pound recipe). Cover the
dough and pan with a damp towel and allow it to rise until doubled.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the HearthKit in place 15
minutes before you plan to bake the bread. Uncover the pan of dough, apply
any crust enhancements you wish to it and then place in the preheated oven
in the middle of the HearthKit. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the
bread is golden brown, you can also check it with an instant read
thermometer the dough is done when it is at 200 degrees Fahrenheit
internally (for wet dough’s 210 to 215 is better). When the bread is done
remove it from the oven, remove the loaf of bread from the pan and place
it on a wire rack to cool. Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.
You can also do free form loaves. Instead of putting the dough in a load
pan, shape it in to a round and place it on a lightly greased sheet of
parchment paper. After the oven has been preheated slide the dough
parchment and all in to the center of the HearthKit and bake for 30 to 40
minutes or until the bread is golden brown, you can also check it with an
instant read thermometer the dough is done when it is at 200 degrees
Fahrenheit internally (for wet dough’s 210 to 215 is better).
For rolls, etc. follow the directions in the “Dough Cycle Preparation”
section above except bake them on lightly greased parchment paper in the
middle of the preheated HearthKit. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the
bread is golden brown, you can also check it with an instant read
thermometer the dough is done when it is at 200 degrees Fahrenheit
internally (for wet dough’s 210 to 215 is better).

---

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 141 Calories; 2g Fat (14.4%
calories from fat); 5g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 5mg
Cholesterol; 198mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0
Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

If you read through all of that congrats! This bread didn't turn out very good. It only rose about half the amount it probably should have. However, when Big Chubb fed it to the birds and squirrels they didn't seem to mind.

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Since Ben is getting things for High Adventure and taking Russell with him, I decided I could use Meghan's nap time to put up some recipes.

I made this for Valentine's Day this year.

Ingredients
For Cake:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
7 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

For Glaze:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

For Garnish:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
Confectioner's sugar for dusting


1. For cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9 inch springform pan. Line bottom with waxed paper or parchment; grease paper.
2. In a small bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Melt chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water; stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3 In a large bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat eggs for 2 minutes. Beat in sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in chocolate and flour mixtures. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Remove cake from pan; peel off paper. Cool.
5. For Glaze: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt chocolate with cream over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Set aside for 15 minutes. Pour over cake. Transfer to a serving plate.
6. For garnish: Melt chocolate in top of a double boiler. Spread thinly on a baking sheet. Let stand until chocolate is nearly firm and reaches room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes. Using a spatula knife, scrape chocolate into loose thick curls. Let harden completely.
7. Using toothpicks to lift, arrange curls on cake. Garnish with raspberries. Place confectioners' sugar in a strainer, tap to top, dusting lightly.

This was a big disappointment. It was expensive (2 pounds of chocolate, cream and raspberries out of season!) and involved way to much effort. And, it didn't turn out anything like the picture. The cake was really dry and crumbly.

Big Chubb ended up soaking it in milk and then eating it. If you feel like spending a bunch of money and trying it go for it.

Cheeseburger Kabobs

So...is everyone else done with the Cupboard Project? If so, I will stop posting.

I didn't have a meal planned for tonight, and I wanted something with meat. I found this one and it fit the bill. I used a pound of ground beef I got free, and happily it was 85% lean instead of the fatty 73% I normally buy. Well, I normally buy ground turkey, but when I happen to buy meat, I go cheap.

Cheeseburger Kabobs

1 pound ground beef
3/4 c grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c fine bread crumbs
2 T French's Prepared Mustard
2 T catsup
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 t French's Onion Salt
Green pepper pieces, onion and cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes

Combine beef, cheese, bread crumbs, mustard, catsup, egg, and onion salt; shape into 1 1/2-inch balls. Alternate meatballs on skewers with green pepper, onion, and cucumber. Brush grill with oil to prevent sticking. (Or place heavy duty foil on grill and pierce with a fork so drippings can drain.) Grill kabobs 3 to 4 minutes each side. Garnish with cherry tomatoes. 6 servings.

The taste really was somewhat like cheeseburgers. All they needed was a pickle and bread to complete the taste. Brian thought they were bland, so he added salt and ketchup. I thought they were salty enough as is. While the taste passed, the presentation was a fail. Most of the meatballs fell apart and came of the skewer. I'm glad I didn't try to grill mine--they would have all fallen through. I broiled them, and while it made them fattier, at least I didn't lose all the meat.

One plus was that O liked the stick idea and had a small bite of the meat on the stick. Seeing as I can't even remember the last time he ate ground beef, I'll call that a win.

Sourdough Flapjacks

Another use of my sourdough starter. My starter is doing quite well, now. I don't understand why you people think it's gross. What do you think cultivated yeast is?

The recipe is typed on a very faded paper, so I had to guess some of the measurements.

Sourdough Flapjacks
1(?) c starter
1c flour
1 egg
2 T cooking oil
1/2 c dry milk
1(?) t salt
1(?) t soda
2 T sugar
1/2-1 c water

1. Mix flour, dry milk, egg, water, starter, cooking oil in mixing bowl.
2. Blend in salt, soda, and sugar. Let mixture bubble and foam for a minute or two, then drop by spoonfuls onto hot griddle.


I liked the taste of the sourdough in the pancakes, but I put in too much soda (after further inspection, I think it might be a 1, but I thought it said 2 when I was mixing), and it made them a little tough and funny tasting. Brian said he prefers our regular pancakes, but I want to give these another chance.

Sourdough White Bread

I have dipped my toes in the sourdough world. I didn't realize it was such a huge thing, and I didn't realize that sourdough starters needed to be babysat. I have a CP recipe for sourdough starter that I didn't use. It isn't "real" sourdough because it calls for yeast in the starter According to my internet recipe, real sourdough starter is leavened with wild yeast and bacteria from the water, flour, container, and air, and that is what you are trying to cultivate by babying your starter.

The CP recipe is as follows:

This is my sourdough storage method. Right now it
 needs to be fed and the liquid stirred back in.

2 c warm water
2 c flour
1 t yeast

Combine in a glass plastic or crockery container. Let stand for several days. The starter improves with age. *****If starter is stored in the fridge remove it the day before you are going to bake. Add warm water and flour and let it work until your starter is bubbly.

I wanted to try the method with no added yeast. My first attempt was something like 1/2 c flour and 1/4 c water. It failed because I used whole wheat flour, and there wasn't even enough water to wet all the flour. I tried again and followed different measurements from a recipe on Allrecipes. I mixed the flour and water and then let it sit, stirring two times a day. It was a big failure. I obviously was growing the wrong kind of bacteria; my starter smelled like a mixture of Parmesan cheese and vomit. Even C was walking around the kitchen asking what smelled so bad.

I tried again, this time after reading a blog dedicated to sourdough. I used 50 g water and 50 g flour. I started with ww, then followed the blogger's advice to use white instead to make it easier. Everyday I measured out 50 g of the starter and discarded the rest, then added 50 g water and 50 g white flour. Success! I did this for a week (the last couple days I didn't discard any starter) before using it in the recipe below. My starter never got to the point where it overflowed the container. It did bubble up an inch or so on the jar, but that's the most active it has been. I started feeding it whole wheat flour now to see how it changes the sourdough taste.

This isn't real sourdough bread because it has added yeast in it. I thought that was a good idea for my new starter since it isn't robust enough to leaven a bread.

Sourdough White Bread

2 c sourdough starter
2 t salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/3 c dry milk
3 t honey
1 c warm water
2 T oil or margarine
4-5 white flour

1. Combine 1 1/2 c flour, all dry ingredients and mix well.
2. Add oil, honey, and water. Mix 2 minutes on medium speed on electric mixer.
3. Add sourdough starter and 1/2 c flour. Mix two minutes on medium speed.
4. Work in additional flour until a soft dough is formed.
5. Knead on pastry cloth or board for 8-10 minutes.
6. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour).
7. Punch down, turn over, and let rise again (about 30 minutes).
8. Punch down the dough as divide into two pieces.
9. Shape into loaves placing them in a 9x5x3'' greased pan or a cake pan.
10. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes.
11. Cool on wire rack.

It was good bread, not as exciting as I imagined. The sourdough taste was very mild. It has been so long since I've made all white bread, that it was almost like cake. 40-45 minutes at 400 is way to long for 2 rather small loaves. They barely got to 30 minutes before I pulled them because they were too brown.

This was the most basic of the sourdough recipe in this little set. I'm looking forward to some of the other things, like sourdough pancakes and doughnuts.

Pumpkin Bread (or muffins or cake)

I'm on a roll. I've always been a fan of sweet bread. I made these in muffin form to try and entice Owen to eat something. The recipe was one of the Mount Vernon Ward recipes given to Mom; this one is from Rhoda.

Pumpkin Bread
1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
3/4 c canned pumpkin
1 3/4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves
3/4 c pecans

Cream butter, sugar and egg. Add pumpkin and mix. Set aside. In another bowl, sift dry ingredients. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Beat till well blended. Add pecans if desired. Grease 15''x10''x1'' pan. Bake 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Frosting
6 T margarine
3 oz cream cheese
1 t vanilla
1 t milk
2 c powdered sugar

Cream together.

Since I put mine a muffin tin, I didn't realize it said to cook it in a jelly roll pan. No wonder it was so good--it is basically cake. They really were delicious. Owen ate most of one, which is pretty good for him. I ate many. I didn't make the frosting, but I'm sure it would have been delicious. I made it full fat for Owen's weight-gain benefit ( also probably my weight gain side-effect), but this recipe would probably be a good candidate for an applesauce substitution. I did use whole wheat flour, which is maybe why they didn't seem super cakey. Nonetheless, they were really good.

Casserole Herb Bread

I took a break while we moved. Last night I needed a bread to go with the lentil spinach soup, and this one seemed pretty easy.

Place in this order in bowl:

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 3/4 c flour
2 T sugar
2 T shortening
1 t salt
1 t parsley flakes
1/2 t marjoram
1/2 t oregano
1/4 t garlic powder
2 eggs
3/4 c milk

Beat at medium speed for three minutes. Turn into well greased 2-quart casserole or bundt pan. Cover; let rise 30 minutes, or until light. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from casserole immediately.

I don't have a classic casserole, so I used a bundt pan. The bread was fine. It tasted good and was easy, but it wasn't spectacular. I might make it again when I need something that doesn't require much effort. It would be really good with a bunch of Parmesan cheese mixed in.