In case you haven't noticed, there has been a lot of knitting and baking in these parts. These are two of the many reasons I love fall. Besides cookies, cakes, pies and key lime bars (which Avery made this morning and we ate for lunch), we also bake bread. Most bread making aficionados would scoff at my technique, but I LOVE MY BREAD MACHINE. Put the ingredients in, push a button, move on to other tasks, and then BEEP, the bread is done. Although the machine does the kneading and baking, I still can claim the bread is homemade from scratch. I've tried many recipes, but this one is my favorite by far. I make one loaf a week - we eat half right away and freeze half to use later in the week.
Cracked Wheat Bread (2 pound loaf)1 2/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
2 cups All-purpose flour
2 cups Whole wheat flour
1 cup Cracked Wheat
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar (or honey)
2 tsp. bread machine yeast
Directions: Place all ingredients in the pan in order of recipe. Place pan in machine and select for large whole wheat loaf (select "rapid" if you have the option for a less dense bread) . Press start. Eat bread when you hear the beep. (Recipe inspired by Oster recipe book).
We love this bread toasted, grilled with cheese ("girl cheese sandwiches" as Aidan calls them), smothered with peanut butter and jelly, or hot from the bread machine with lots of butter and honey. It would be excellent with homegrown tomatoes, dijon mustard and organic cheese (wink). In fact, if you are reading this post while sipping tea, and you grow delicious tomatoes, and you lent me the yellow bowl seen above, you may want to check your front porch Tuesday morning. I have a feeling you may find a loaf of bread. Enjoy.
looks yummy! We make bread in the summer because we can let it rise on the back porch. Heck, if I put it in the sun, I could probably bake it on the back porch.!
ReplyDeleteI'm inspired. Maybe I should ask for a bread machine for Christmas :) Shucks! I wish that was my yellow bowl...
ReplyDeleteBTW, I LOVE your new banner!!
ReplyDeleteAw Molly, you are too dang sweet. What time shall I put the tea kettle on?
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing aficionado-esk about my usual choice to ignore the b. machine gathering dust on my counter. It's all about gluttony for me. I can't double the recipe in the bread machine! You've inspired me though... today, it is the machine for me!
ReplyDeleteIf I can convince myself (and you) that the yellow bowl is mine, will you bring me some bread??? My machine broke, and I thought I'd just make bread without, but I haven't, much. I need a new machine, I think.
ReplyDeleteOh my golly Molly!!! The bread was soooooooo yummy! Thank you tons! I'm off to the health food store for cracked wheat now... =-)
ReplyDeletelol, i didn't bother reading the recipe (b/c i don't do scratch bread, lol) but wanted to say i LOVE the pictures. that plate is so pretty :)
ReplyDeleteI like my bread machine, but I also like the act of just making the bread, kneading the dough, feeling the texture of the bread, watching it rise. I used my machine for a long time, but when I branched out to other "breads" and wanted loaves shaped differently or rolls or pita, I started doing it by hand.
ReplyDeleteI agree, though, the bread machine is one of the greatest inventions for the time-pinched baker ;).