This is my standard, everyday-use, loaf bread. The type of bread that is perfect for everything from crunchy morning toast to a fluffy PB&J lunch sandwich. I use a combination of both whole wheat and white flour in this bread to add substance (fiber and protein) while retaining a light texture. I further enrich this bread through the use of both eggs and milk providing the beard with a little bit more protein, and a moister interior when baked.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm Milk
- 2 beaten Eggs
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 3 tsp Yeast
- 2 tsp Vital Wheat Gluten (not necessary, but I had some on hand, and wanted to experiment)
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 – 2 cups Flour (I suggest using bread flour if you are not using the vital wheat gluten)
- Egg Wash (1 egg + 1 tsp water beaten together)
- roasted Pumpkin Seeds for sprinkling (optional)
Directions:
- Combine the milk, eggs, honey, yeast, wheat gluten, and 1 cup whole wheat flour together.
- Stir it for a couple of minutes before setting it aside.
- Allow the sponge to develop for 10-15 minutes. The yeast should cause the sponge to froth and bubble up.
- Stir in the salt and 1/2 cup of flour.
- Keep on adding the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Once you have added at least 1 cup of regular flour, you can alternate between that and whole wheat. Aim for a 50/50 combination. The flour in 1 loaf of this bread usually averages out at 3 cups – 1 1/2 cups regular and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat, but make sure to have some extra flour on hand for dusting and kneading.
- Knead the dough until it bounces back at you, that should take about 10 minutes.
- Place the dough in a greased container, and let it rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
- Form your dough into a loaf, and place it in a greased loaf pan for its second rise, another hour.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F (~190 C).
- Brush your bread with the egg wash, and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
- Bake for 50 – 60 minutes.
The Ephemeral Bee 