My bread recipe

Since a few asked for the bread recipe, I brought it over from my recipe blog to show you here.

The loaf is made with my tried and true bread machine recipe that I let go through the dough cycle and then shape by hand and bake in the oven. This loaf was shaped free form instead of being placed in a loaf pan.

Part of the beauty is in the techniques I've learned through the years.  I use a serrated knife to make a few slashes on the top of the dough before popping it in the oven whether it is baked free form or in a loaf.  Just barely making a few horizontal cuts as I don't want the dough to collapse.

Then, as soon as I take the bread from the oven, I rub a small piece of butter all over the loaf.  Although brushing a little melted butter works great and does not burn your hands.  ;)

This loaf was made with half freshly ground whole wheat flour and half All Purpose Unbleached and Unbromated King Arthur flour.

Whole Wheat Honey Bread (also cinnamon rolls)

• 1 Cup and 2 T. water or milk (just slightly above the 1 C. line)
• 4 Cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Cups honey (three tablespoons is what I use)
• 2 T. shortening (olive oil, canola oil, softened butter, etc.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place water, salt, honey and shortening in machine pan. Add flour and then sprinkle the yeast on top.

Put on dough cycle, will take 1 ½ hours until finished.  Always check after a couple minutes to see if you need to add just a little water or flour to form a ball (as opposed to a glob of dough).

Take out of bread machine, mold into a loaf, put in greased loaf pan. Let rise until slightly over the top of the loaf pan, slash a few times on top. Bake 30-35 min. at 350 degrees.

If making cinnamon rolls: Roll out into a rectangle, butter the dough (except about an inch at the bottom so it seals well), sprinkle with cinnamon, sprinkle with brown sugar, pat the sugar into the dough, roll up, cut into about one inch slices. Place slices in two 9" cake pans (or whatever you have, I've also put them all in a 9 x 13 dish) and let rise about 30 min..longer in cold weather.

Place into preheated 350 degree oven and bake about twelve minutes or until golden on top. Let cool a bit and frost with frosting: 1/4th cup (one-half of a stick) butter-room temp mixed with 3 cups confectioners sugar. Add just enough milk until you get the consistency you like (I like mine thinner than I'd use to frost a cake but not so thin it becomes a glaze).

Remember when baking everything should be room temperature unless otherwise specified (for instance, when cold butter needs to be cut in for pie crust).   

If needed, I warm my water or milk in the microwave about 45 seconds.  

Also,  you can bring cold eggs to room temperature by placing them in a bowl and covering with hot tap water for about 20 min.