Karen's Wheat Bread

(I'm leaving this picture small because it's not so great.  I've had to take my food pictures on the fly lately, since I usually have either hungry kids or a full data card on my camera.  Sorry!)

This is really delicious wheat bread.  I'm not sure I'd say it was your typical wheat bread, though.  It's a little more substantial and less airy than some homemade breads.  This is a good thing - ask my kids.  A woman in our church, Karen H., taught bread making lessons years ago and this is her recipe.  I'll always be thankful for the time she took to teach all of us, because up until that time I'd always been a bit afraid of working with yeast.  After I learned how to make it, I made it quite a few times, but over the years I'd gotten out of the habit of making bread.  But thankfully for us, we live near some great friends of ours who make this bread weekly and would often bring a loaf of it over to us.  My kids would be ecstatic - "It's Z bread, it's Z bread!"  (Their last name starts with a Z).  If slathered with an appropriate amount of butter, they would even choose it over dessert.  Now that's saying a lot.  I finally got the hint and have started making this bread again.  Maybe I can get the kids to name it after our family someday, but probably not.

This is an easy bread to make, especially if you have a KitchenAid or Bosch to do the kneading for you, so give it a try.  It's great for sandwiches or all by itself.

2 1/4 C. hot water (I microwave mine for about 1 1/2 minutes)
1/3 C. powdered milk
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. molasses
1/4 C. honey
1 Tbsp. salt
1/3 C. vegetable oil
1 C. bread flour
2 1/2 C. white flour
2 Tbsp. yeast
3 1/2 C. wheat flour

Mix hot water, powdered milk, sugar, molasses, honey, salt, oil, bread flour and white flour.  Beat for 2 to 3 minutes in a heavy duty mixer (KitchenAid or Bosch). Add yeast about halfway through the mixing time.  Add wheat flour (don't add last 1/2 cup or so if it seems that the dough is too dry).  Knead on a floured surface 50-75 turns, or in your machine for 2-3 minutes.  Put dough into a greased bowl.  Cover and allow to rise until double (about an hour).  Punch down, divide in half, form loaves and place in greased bread pans. Cover and allow to rise until doubled.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Makes 2 loaves.

Source: Modified slightly from Karen H.