Foodie Friday - Super Duper Soft Whole Wheat Bread

Ok, y'all, so I've been making homemade bread in lieu of storebought for several months now, right?

And while the kids and the hubs loved it with dinner, they've proven not to be so fond of it for their lunch sandwiches.

Too dense, too chewy, too whatever.  Every recipe it was something else.

Until this one.  

It is seriously like Orowheat (my favoritest bread from the store) has taken residence in my kitchen!

Today I sent Seth off to work with PB&J on this bread.  He devoured it.  For breakfast....  As we texted, it became clear that he was in love with this bread more than I am.  I told him I could bring him another sandwich, and he was all YES!!!! PLEEEEEEAAAAASE!!!!  

That's success in my book.

Now, because I was leery about the potential, I halved the original recipe (which made for some weird measurements - I subbed a tsp for anything that said 1/4 TBS because that is one spoon I don't have!), and added a couple things for a trial run.

Dear readers, you HAVE to try this.  (Barring any gluten-free-ers, as it actually calls for gluten) It is THAT good.

Without further ado, my edited rendition:

3 1/2 C whole wheat flour (I especially like Hodgson Mill, but more often than not it is just plain Kroger brand)

1/3 C gluten

1 Tbs + 1 tsp yeast (great link about different yeasts here)

2 1/2 C hot water (120 degrees F)

1 Tbs salt

1/3 C oil

1/3 C honey

1 1/2Tbs lemon juice

3 Tbs milk

2 1/2 C additional flour (original recipe calls for more WW, but I used white bread flour)

Preheat oven to 350.  Add first 3 ingredients, mix.  Mix in water (I used my standing mixer with kneading hooks) and mix 1 minute, make sure everything is well incorporated.  Let dough rest 10 minutes.  Meanwhile add salt, oil, honey, lemon juice and milk in small bowl.  Add to dough and beat 1 minute, again incorporating the mixtures well.  Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix 6-10 minutes.

Cover, and let rise in warm area for 1 hr.  Rise may not be the typical "til doubled," but that is ok.  Divide dough in half and place into 2 oiled loaf pans.  Cover, let rise until dough reaches tops of pans.  

Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes.  (Make sure rack is in the middle, because the bread rises a bunch in the oven!)

Remove, brush tops with melted butter, and remove loaves from the pans (or else you will have soggy loaves).  Let cool on wire racks.

Enjoy!

(I will have pictures up this afternoon/evening as I am baking some more up right now!)

Glistening after their butter bath, these loaves didn't rise in the oven as much as the first batch, but they are still soft and yummy!

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