I'm really determined to start making my own bread. As is we only eat fresh bread both for taste reasons and because I hate all those preservatives they put in them. But that's not cheap and I'd love to have some bread nice and warm right out of the oven.

I was thinking of trying this recipe: germanfood.about.com/od/bread/r/wurzelbrot.htm but using only whole wheat flour and whole wheat malt flour. I really love that type of bread but I'm not sure how good it will be. But does anybody else have some good recipes to share? I'd love to try them! Please nothing too complicated because I'm new to this whole thing.

This is my favorite bread:

1 envelope of yeast
1/4 Cup of lukewarm water
1/4 Cup of liquid honey (honey with a bit of water)
1 1/4 Cups of hot water
1 scant Tbsp. salt
3 cups of whole wheat flour
3/4 Cup wheat germ
1/4 Cup of olive oil

Put yeast, lukewarm water and honey in a bowl and let it become frothy.

Mix hot water with salt and let it cool to lukewarm

Combine this with the yeast mixture and add to the flour and wheat germ

Mix this very well, while pouring the olive oil over the mixture. Add more water if needed to make it malleable. Beat this hard (I use wooden spoon) in a kneading motion in a bowl.

Put the bowl in a pan of hot water and let the dough rise.

Beat it down and put the dough in an oiled pan (regulation bread size) and let it rise again.

Turn the oven to 425F for 10 minutes before you put the bread in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the heat to 350F and bake for 25 minutes more.

Placing a pan of water in the oven below the rack with the bread on it will give a nice crust.

This is from "Our Daily Bread" by Stella Standard, 1970.


ENJOY!

I make whole wheat bread a lot. I use a basic recipe, then adjust it for different purposes. I often make it in a bread maker, but occasionally mix by hand and bake in the oven or make rolls, pizza dough, hamburger buns, etc.

Whole Wheat Bread

1 egg + enough warm water to make a scant 1 1/2 cups
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup honey or other sweetener
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbs yeast

That's the order I put it in the breadmaker. To make by hand, mix together the egg, water, honey and yeast, and let it sit until it starts to foam up. Then add the flour and salt. Knead the dough. Let it rise until double. Push it down. Form in a pan. Let it rise again. Bake at 325 for about 40 minutes.

Or you can form it into rolls and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. For dinner rolls, substitute 1/4 cup melted butter for 1/4 cup of the water. For hamburger buns, brush the tops of formed (flattened) rolls with egg whites and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

The egg is important for whole wheat bread because without it, it won't rise very much. If you don't want to use an egg, the bread will still rise if you substitute 1 1/2 cup unbleached white flour in place of the same amount of the whole wheat flour.

Hi all, sorry for jumping in on an old thread, but for those of you that regularly make your own bread, how long does it keep for? Do rolls last a bit longer because they are sort of 'self-contained', as it were? I find the outside bit of fresh bread that has been sliced goes really hard almost immediately if left out.

I'd love to make more of my own bread. If I made a big batch of rolls perhaps it would be best to store them in the freezer until I need them, then whip one out the night before? What do you guys do?

Thanks a bunch!

I make all my own bread -- French-style loaves, white, whole wheat and sourdough. If not frozen, I find the bread goes pretty fast (that's what all those preservatives are for!), except for the sourdough. That will last about a week. I generally slice it up into servings that will last for 2 days and freeze.

I don't eat much bread these days, so this is the only thing that works for me.

Happy bread-baking!

I put my bread in a gallon storage bag or used bread sack. When I use honey, it stays fresh for a few days, longer if I don't slice it. When made with sugar, it is stale the next day, moldy the day after.

Thanks for your help guys!

I have made various types of bread befor but since i tried this one i have not explored any further. Try it..........
Ingredients

3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup honey
5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.....
this is a great dish.