Use-It-Up Whole Wheat Bread (rotation recipe)

This is a great food storage rotation recipe :0)

This great-tasting bread helps me rotate my food storage wheat supply so the wheat (if stored properly) will maintain it's optimum nutrients.  This uses only wheat and yet the loaf is soft, easy to slice, and tastes delicious--like buttery honey.  You shouldn't need any dough enhancer with this recipe as long as your wheat is in good condition (not too old).  As shown, I like to make mini-loaves to share or to make a meal of soup or stew special.  Mellowed cheese and a mini-loaf of bread can turn even canned soup into a gourmet treat.

Use-It-Up Whole Wheat Bread
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
2 c. warm water
1/4 c. honey
2 t. salt
3 T. oil
5-1/2 to 6 c. whole-wheat flour, divided
1 T. butter, melted

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water, (hottest tap water, 105 to 110 degrees).  In a large bowl, combine 2 cups warm water, honey, salt and oil.  Stir in 2 cups of whole-wheat flour, mixing well.  Stir in yeast mixture.  Now the mixture should be the consistency of cake batter.  Add more flour, 1/2 cups at a time, to make a fairly stiff dough.  Don't put too much flour in because you can knead in more, if necessary.  
2. Sprinkle a little flour on a board or clean counter or pastry cloth; knead dough 10 minutes.  
3. Shape dough into a ball.  The dough should be fairly smooth.  
4. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray; place dough in bowl and spray the top of the dough. Let rise 45 minutes or until double in bulk.  This can be done by placing plastic wrap loosely over bowl, and placing in an oven that was briefly heated at 175 degrees, (turn oven off before placing dough inside).  Place a small bowl of water in warmed oven to keep it humid.  After dough has risen, punch down, divide in half and knead a little; let rest 10 minutes.  
5. Shape dough into 2 loaves and place in two 8" x 4" greased loaf pans.  (see below one way to form a loaf of bread).  
6. Split top; drizzle with melted butter.  
7. Cover each loaf with plastic wrap, and let rise in oven with bowl of water until double in bulk, about 30 minutes.  
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes for metal pans, and 325 degrees for glass bread pans (adjust time for smaller loaves).  Cook slightly longer for glass pans.  About half-way through, loaves may need to be vented with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.  Bread should sound hollow when tapped on the top and bottom of the loaf.  Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire racks.  Yield:  2 loaves or 5 mini-loaves.

1.  Mixture is ready to knead.

2.  Knead with the palm of your hand.

3.  Place in a greased bowl.

4.  Spray dough with nonstick spray and cover with plastic (forgot to take the after photo!)

5.  After punching dough down and letting it rest for 10 minutes, split the dough into two or more loaves and form it into a loaf or roll it out as shown.

Then roll it up like a jelly-roll.

Pinch ends under.

Place loaf in a greased pan.

6.  Split the top with a sharp knife and drizzle with melted butter.

7.  With sprayed plastic on top, return to oven and let loaves rise double in size.

8.  Now the loaves are ready to go into a preheated oven.  I put the little loaves on one large cookie sheet so they are easier to take in and out of the oven.  Smaller loaves do not take as long to bake.

Bread for Beginners

I really started getting somewhere with my bread skills after I discovered bread recipes that used an egg in them.  Sometimes they are allowed to rise overnight in the fridge.  This type of dough is so much easier to handle to novice bread makers than dough without the egg.  I am no scientist or expert bread maker so I cannot exactly tell you why this is.  If you know, please comment on this.  But once I began using these types of recipes, I was able to concentrate on using as little flour as possible,thereby making some light and fluffy rolls.  Over the years, I have tested many recipes and settled on this one because it is fast, easy and incorporates wheat.  I have included this recipe on my Preparedness: Wheat Page because recipes with wheat will help rotate wheat in the food storage pantry.  Here is the recipe.  Instructions with photos follow.
Make-Ahead Whole Wheat Crescent Rolls 1 c. warm milk 1/4 c. sugar 1 t. salt 1/4 c. shortening 1 pkg. active dry yeast (1 T.) 1/4 c. warm water (105 - 115 degrees or lukewarm) 1 egg  2 c. whole wheat flour 1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour melted butter (optional) Scald milk; stir in sugar, salt, and shortening.  Cool mixture to lukewarm.  Sprinkle yeast in warm water; stir until yeast is dissolved.  Add milk mixture, egg, and whole wheat flour, beating until smooth.  Add all-purpose flour to make a soft dough.  Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.  Punch dough down; turn out on a lightly floured board.  Roll half of dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into 12 wedges, and brush with melted butter.  Roll each wedge tightly, beginning at the wide end.  Seal points.  Place on greased baking sheets with point underneath; curve into crescent shape.  Repeat with remaining half of dough.  Cover and let rise until double in size.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Yield:  24 rolls.

Scald Milk, stir in next three ingredients.

Sprinkle yeast in warm water and stir until dissolved.

Milk mixture should be cooled to lukewarm before combining with yeast mixture.  Add wheat flour by spooning one tablespoon at a time into measuring cup.

Scrape off the excess flour with the blunt end of a table knife.

Tip:  Grind a few cans of food storage wheat at a time and double bag in freezer bags.  Keep ground wheat in freezer until needed.  I keep a container in my fridge for daily use.  The freezer bags take up little space in my freezer and keeps the wheat fresh.

Mix egg, milk mixture and wheat until it looks like cake batter.

I change to a dough hook when it is time to add the all-purpose flour.  Be sure to measure all-purpose flour the same as the wheat flour (spooning into measuring cup).  When all-purpose flour has been mixed in, the dough will be easy to scoop up with hands and place in a large GREASED mixing bowl.

I spray the bowl lightly and then the top of my dough.

Preheat oven for a few minutes on the lowest temperature for your oven (mine goes down to 170 degrees).  You just want a warm oven, not hot.  Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and place on the top rack (which is lowered).  I place a small bowl of warm water on the lowest shelf to keep the oven humid.  Close the oven door.  Be sure to set your timer.

After rising, take bowl out of oven, 

Gently punch dough down with fists,

Take the lump of dough and divide it into two balls.

Place one of the lumps on a lightly floured surface.

Flatten this out some with hands.

Roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin, according to recipe.

Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 6 slices. 

Cut each of the six slices to make twelve slices total.

Brush the slices with melted butter, if you prefer; roll each slice.

Place the crescent rolls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, points down.

Spray one side of plastic wrap and place over rolls.

Place back in the oven with the bowl of water (no need to reheat oven if the door was left shut).

Let them rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).  Remove plastic wrap and turn oven onto 375 degrees.

Bake according to recipe.  Cool slightly and remove from pans and place on cooling racks.  Enjoy!