Favorite bread recipes?

[Nosmo]

After decades of limiting my cooking skills to defrosting pizza and crock-pot vegetarian chili, I am learning to bake bread.  Actually, I'm currently producing a lot of wheat-based door stops, some of which might make good blocks for supporting the motorcycles when taking the wheels off.

I thought I'd ask the collective here if anyone has good recipes they are fond of for whole wheat and for ryebread?  The internet had been a good resource but it's always better to have something that someone has personally tested and likes.  Thanks in advance.

[Rick Hall]

2 cups warm water.
2 tbs sugar. (1tbs will do, so will 2tbs honey)
1 Tbs salt.
2 'packets' yeast (or 4 tsp yeast in bulk).
2-3 Tbs shortening.
Add above to the mixer, add one cup white flour. Mix on slow as you add whole wheat or cracked wheat flour to make a nice 'sponge' (maybe two cups?). Thicker than pancake dough, but nowhere near bread dough. Cover, let bubble for an hour or two.

Return to the mix-master, add white flour to make a moderate soft dough. Turn out onto a board/counter, hand knead for at least five minutes, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Not too stiff, else it won't rise well.

Let rise til double. Punch down, divide in two, roll to fit two pans. Lightly brush tops w/ shortening/oil, cover w/ plastic, let rise, bake at 350-375. Brush tops with shortening again to make a soft crust. Bag them while still warm, else they dry out REAL fast. At least in CO.

Rye is doable in a similar fashion, with no whole wheat flour 'Cept you add molasses and/or cocoa to the mix? It's been awhile.
Cut recipe above in half, no oil, no whole wheat, for pizza dough. Bake at hot as your oven will go.  Enough for one extra large thick crust.

Work in 75 or above temps, bread does not like 68F. At least in CO, and at 7600'

Rick

[Conrad]

Are you doing it by hand or a bread machine? I've been using a bread machine for years and I've pretty much perfected the best ever cinnamon raisin buttermilk (1/3 whole wheat) bread.

[ZG]

Yum! 
 
My wife makes a kick ass apple cinnamon bread, it's awesome for making french toast, me no like raisins Conrad...

[anycleavers]

This can probably be adapted to whole wheat, just haven't tried it. Very easy to make, mix it up in a bowl, pour in pan and bake, and tasty to boot.

http://www.food.com/recipe/beer-bread-73440

[Ron Dawg]

Tell wife, "We need bread." Bread appears.

[OCK913]

I had to double check and make sure my browser hadnt sent me to rachaelray.com ........... we are sharing bread recipes on a motorcycle forum ..... whodathunkit?

[Nosmo]

Thanks for the ideas.  Man does not live by 15w40 alone, sometimes he just has to eat.

Rick, it never occured to me to make pizza dough.  See, you learn sumpin every day.

Conrad:  I thought about a machine, but good ones are about the same price as a rear tire for the Wee-Strom and my tiny little cabin has no space.  I have talked to a few people who have them and most went back to "hand work".  Glad yours is working for you. 

OCK913:  You gotta know this ain't the weirdest thing that's been discussed on this forum! And you never know, Rachel may need motorcycle advice someday, and Google might lead her here. 

[OCK913]

You gotta know this ain't the weirdest thing that's been discussed on this forum! And you never know, Rachel may need motorcycle advice someday, and Google might lead her here. 

True Enough ...........

[Conrad]

Yum! 
 
My wife makes a kick ass apple cinnamon bread, it's awesome for making french toast, me no like raisins Conrad...

I'm not a huge raisin fan either ZG but when you put em in some bread with that cinnamon, oh yeah. The smell of that bread baking is amazing.

[Conrad]

Thanks for the ideas.  Man does not live by 15w40 alone, sometimes he just has to eat.

Conrad:  I thought about a machine, but good ones are about the same price as a rear tire for the Wee-Strom and my tiny little cabin has no space.  I have talked to a few people who have them and most went back to "hand work".  Glad yours is working for you. 

I used the same one for 13 years before it finally bit the dust. I'm on my second machine now.

[mtn.connie]

Best bread I ever ate! The guy that made it has had the same "starter" going for something like ten years.

http://www.sitkavacations.com/recipesourdough.htm

[Maille Man]

I haven't made this in years, but back when I did a lot of home brewing, I got on a kick where I was only making mead.  Someone told me that I could use the leftover sediment (lees) for baking, as it still had a viable yeast population, and gave me this recipe.  This follows the same steps as for a sourdough, and took about two full days to rise twice, but it was well worth the wait.  Very light blueberry taste (may have been more a smell than a taste of blueberries), and had a light texture.

1 1/4 C (blueberry mead) lees
1/3 C Water
½ C Honey
½ C Butter
1 tsp. Salt, or to taste
5-6 C Bread flour
1 C Coarse-ground whole wheat grits
1 Tbs. Bread yeast (if wine yeast fails to restart)

Mix and knead normally, let rise twice (be prepared to wait), and bake for 30-40 minutes in a 375 F oven.

[Boxer]

I would camp with a guy that made bread with self rising flower, salt, and beer.
He'd mix it up in a Dutch oven then place it in a hole with coals from the fire on
the bottom then put more coals on the lid and cover it all with a little dirt.  Some
time later he'd uncover it and set the oven on level ground and gently remove
the lid with embers still glowing.  Inside was the the best bread I think I've ever
had.  It would be perfectly browned and have the yeasty smell from the beer.
Sorry I can't give the proportions for making it but it'd never be the same anyway
without the Dutch oven and atmosphere of camping.