Homemade Wheat Bread.... Cloudy...warm

Homemade Wheat Bread

 

3 cups warm water

2 T. sugar

2 T. yeast (NOT rapid rise)

1 cup warm milk

3 T. Canola oil

1/4 cup sorghum ( can use molasses or honey if you prefer)

6 cups whole wheat flour (my favorite it Prairie Gold, any wheat flour made from white wheat will work)

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2--2 cups all-purpose white flour

 

Warm water to 110* ( to test without a thermometer ,you should be able to comfortably stand water touched to your little finger or wrist, but it should feel quite warm)

 In very large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine 1 cup of warm water with the sugar and yeast, let sit for five minutes or till yeast is foamy, Add remaining warm water and milk, oil, sorghum and three cups of wheat flour, beat with a large spoon, or dough hook, until all flour is incorporated, add remaining three cups of wheat flour and continue to beat till smooth and elastic, will still be quite soft and sticky, add white flour in half cup increments until you can easily knead the dough by hand with out it sticking to you but it is still very soft,  form into a smooth ball and let raise covered about half and hour or till it has doubled in size.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead with floured hands  a few times, just to smooth out, divide into fourths and shape into a loaf shape, place in well greased loaf pans and cover, raise again about 15-20 minutes till loafs are nicely puffed up. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes till lightly browned.

Remove from oven and immediately take out of pans and cool on a wire rack.

Wonderful warm and buttered right from the oven (one loaf never makes it to the ‘cool’ point!)

 

Delicious with soup as is or toasted or grilled for breakfast!

Second Rise-ready for the oven

To make cinnamon swirl bread. Make recipe exactly as above until you divide into fourths then:

 Gently  roll each fourth out till it is a rectangle  slightly longer than the length of your loaf pan and about half as wide as it is long, sprinkle cinnamon sugar down center , spread out evenly and tightly roll up starting on a long side, then fold each short end under to seal ends and place in loaf pan with seam on the bottom ,  raise and cook as above.

 I use 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 T. cinnamon per loaf.

Sunday Quotes... cloudy... cooler

As Summer Fades

 

See the fading light of summer.

Feel the fleeting breath of warmth.

Hear the gentle tree tops whispering,

The songbirds tune break forth.

 

Oh, burning sun above me,

From whence shine thy rays?

The brilliant light is waning,

And shorter grow the days.

Ye fallen rose of summer,

With petals fading fast,

Are telling me that summer is short,

Alas, 'twill soon be past.

©Jonquiljunction 2016

 

 

Persimmon fruitcake...sunny...hot..humid

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup honey (OR sorghum)
3 eggs
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts
1/2 cup dried fruit of your choice (pineapple tidbits or apricots are really good)
1 cup persimmon pulp
2 T. lemon juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mash persimmons flat with a fork separate one cup pulp from seeds.
Cream honey, butter, and eggs together. add raisins, dried fruit and nuts.
sift dry ingredients into wet, stir just till combined.
Bake in two greased loaf pans at 325* for about an hour, test at 50 minutes, a knife inserted near center should come out clean. Cool five minutes in pan then remove to cooling rack and let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge at least over night, flavor gets better after a couple of days.

Sunday Quotes

Three things you cannot recover in life:
The moment after it's missed
The word after it's said
The time after it's wasted
~Unknown

Ozark Treats... Breezy...warm

Ozark Treats
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coffee
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 rounded Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup black walnuts

Cream together butter and sugar, add coffee and stir till mixed. beat in egg. add dry ingredients and beat till smooth, fold in raisins and nuts (if you don't have black walnuts, English walnuts or pecans can be used)
Pour into a greased 9x9 inch pan and bake at 350* for 30 minutes.
enjoy with coffee or tea on a cold day.

This is my adaptation of a recipe that  originally came from this book:http://www.amazon.com/Take-Hills-A-Chronicle-Ozarks/dp/1432610759
A pretty good read if your interested in the life and stories from the Ozarks. Check out your local library to see if they have it.