Best Bread Ever - Day 13

Betty is a Bread Making Queen, as you know. We've shared a few favorites with her fans (yes, you) over the last 2 weeks, but today you are in for a real treat: Basic Everyday Honey Wheat Bread.

This bread has a five fabulous attributes:

• EASY, a great recipe for beginners
• Healthy, but still tasty (it's only 1/3 wheat)
• Cheap! About $1.25 per loaf..yes, I nerdily figured this out.
  
• Lasts for a full 5 days if hidden carefully
• Freezes well
  

Most homemade sandwich breads only last about 3 days (no preservatives). Now, if you have 2 or more people in your house and you make homemade bread, it usually has only a 4 hour shelf-life due to the delicious smell and taste. However, if you make bread every week and whip out 2 or more loaves, you can put out one loaf and freeze the others. With 5 kids and a husband, I usually make 3-4 loaves of this bread each week. If it's not being used quickly, I freeze it. The wonderful thing about this bread is that it stays fresh 5 days. If I had to guess, it's the sheer simplicity of ingredients, and the fact that it does not use eggs, milk or butter. Trust me, you're in for a treat.

If I had to give one piece of bread making advice it would be this: Get your yeast at Sam's Warehouse or Costco. It comes in a big bag for about $4, and you can freeze the yeast and use it straight from the freezer anytime you want. For some reason my bread rises so much better with this yeast than when I use the yeast packets from the grocery store.

• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour (less or more if your bread needs it)
  

1. Proof the yeast. Just proof it in your warmed up KitchenAid bowl. Add honey, and put your mixer speed on stir. Mix in whole wheat flour, salt, and vegetable oil. Turn up your speed to 2. Work all-purpose flour in gradually. Once dough seems well blended, allow your mixer to knead it for about 2-3 minutes. When dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a well oiled bowl. Turn it several times in the bowl to coat the surface of the dough, and cover with a damp cloth (I just spray the bowl with Pam, and then spray the top of the loaf with a little more). Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Usually I turn on the oven for a minute, turn it off, and let the dough rise in the oven, covered with a slightly damp cloth.
   
2. Punch down the dough. Shape into two loaves, and place into two well greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise until dough is 1 to 1 1/2 inches above pans.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Remove bread from pans within first 4 minutes of coming out of the oven, or else your crust will get very soggy.
   
5. Brush top of loaf with a little butter for a nice shiny, pretty look.
   

You are supposed to wait until fully cool to cut, but where's the fun in that? Give it a few minutes and then slice a piece for "taste testing" purposes. Mmmmmmmmm...lovely.