Country Wheat Bread

Few things smell quite as good as homemade bread baking in the oven.

Coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon come to mind, but that’s another post for another day.

Homemade bread baking just smells so dang good. If you’ve never made yeast bread, it’s almost worth it just to get that wonderful smell in your kitchen. Believe me. It’s awesome.

Oh yeah, the bread tastes really good too.

This is a basic country bread. It has a good crumb, it’s not dry, and it makes good sandwich bread.

I use a mixture of bread flour and white whole wheat flour. The addition of bread flour helps it to rise better than if it were 100% whole wheat flour. Feel free to use whatever ratio of bread flour and whole wheat flour you want.

Country Wheat Bread

(makes 2 loaves)

• 1 c. warm water
• 1 c. buttermilk (room temperature)
• 1/4 c. melted butter (or oil)
• 1/4. c. sucanat or sugar
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 3 – 3 1/2  c. bread flour
• 2 – 3 c. white whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 4 tsp. dry yeast

1. In a large bowl, combine the water, buttermilk, and butter.
2. Add the sugar and salt, and mix.
3. Add 1 cup of bread flour and 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour, and mix until smooth. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the yeast and mix. Allow mixture to sit, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
4. Continue to add flour, 1/2 c. at a time, until it becomes hard to mix. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead, continuing to add flour as needed, for about 8 minutes, or until dough becomes smooth and elastic.
5. Place dough in a large bowl sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover bowl, and put in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until dough doubles in size.
6. Punch down dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough in half and shape into 2 rectangles. Roll up the dough like a jelly roll, lightly pressing with each rotation of the dough to get out any air bubbles. Pinch the seams closed and place in two sprayed (or greased) 5 x 9 in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until double in size ( 45 min – 1 hr).
7. Preheat oven to 375° F. Uncover and bake bread for 30 – 35 min, or until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. [Note: If bread starts to brown on top too quickly, cover with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.]