Mom's Bread, aka: Aunt Lu's Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

Aunt Lu's Whole Wheat Bread Recipe -makes 2 large loaves or 3 small loaves

2 and  3/4 cup water               1/2 stick butter(1/4 c)

1 T salt                                    1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c molasses                         1/4 c honey

5-6  cups white flour         2 cups whole wheat flour        2 packages yeast 

**Ruby's note: start in the morning; it takes a while for completion.

1.  Combine   water, butter, salt, brown sugar, molasses, and honey in saucepan and heat on stove until pleasantly warm - usually butter is melted.  (115-120 degrees)   If it is too hot to leave your finger in the water, it is too hot.  I use a thermometer if in doubt.

2.  While this is heating combine 3 and 1/2 cups of white flour with 2 packages of yeast in a large bowl, mixing it with electric mixer to disperse.  (Use regular, not quick rise-yeast.)

3.  When heated,  pour liquids into the flour & yeast and beat in  very well with electric mixer...it says 2 minutes, but I do not do it that long.  

4.. Add whole wheat flour (And Briess Dough enhancer if you have.)  and beat.  Then add rest of flour a little at a time until you can no longer do with your mixer.  At that point pour dough onto a floured surface and knead the rest in...enough to make a good dough that forms a ball..

5.  Using the same bowl as you mixed in, grease the bowl well and put ball of dough in to rise.  Flip over so all bread is butter.  Cover with a cloth napkin or dishtowel and put in warm place until it doubles in size which could take 1-3 hours.  Sunny windows are nice for this.

6.  When doubled, punch into the dough and it will fall.  Then pour dough back on to floured surface and divide into the separate loaves with a knife.  Cover up with towel and let set for 20 minutes.  During this time, grease your bread pans very well.

7.  At end of 20 minutes. shape each loaf and put in pans.  Set in warm area and cover until bread rises tot he size you desire.  This could take 1-2 hours or whenever it rises to your loaf size.

8.  Preheat oven to 365 degrees.  Bake 25 minutes and then change direction in oven.  Bake another 10-15 minutes and then check for brown color and knock on loaf.  It should sound kind of hollow if done.  I am always guessing at this.  You can go more by the golden brown color of the loaves.  

10.  When done, pop out loaves and set upright on cooling racks.  Take a butter wrapper or a stick of butter and go over top of loaf.  Leave until thoroughly cooled.  then bag.  You know how I do this.  I often let set one day and then slice for freezing.  Double bag for that.  

Good luck!!!!! (I hope these are what you ordered!!!!!)

Love,

Mother