THRIVE-ing Momma: Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

I've always loved baking. I can make just about anything from cakes to cookies. But bread? Not so much. I've NEVER been able to make a loaf of bread. I've tried about 15 times

(I'm not kidding)

to make rolls, bread, cinnamon rolls, you name it, & unfortunately it ALWAYS winds up in the trash. My sweet husband always smiles & TRIES to eat it, but then I tell him to just throw it away. Then he lets out a breath of relief & starts spitting it in the garbage. Poor guy.

People have always told me that with bread you have to find a recipe that suits you & your skills. Even with a good recipe you have to adapt it yourself because only YOU can make your PERFECT LOAF OF BREAD.

I know, discouraging for us not-so-good bread makers.

But. . . . . I've FINALLY FOUND IT! MY perfect loaf of bread. I took several bread recipes & mixed & matched things & adapted it to MY skill & I am ACTUALLY making 4 loaves of bread each week. I haven't purchased bread from the store in WEEKS. My kids LOVE my homemade bread & I must admit, I do too. This loaf is specifically for sandwiches as it slices thin PERFECTLY. It makes great toast in the mornings & wonderful sandwiches in the afternoon. I can usually get about 12 pieces from each loaf & have to bake 4 loaves a week to keep up with my growing family of 7. Most people could probably get away with 2 loaves depending on how often you eat bread. (We eat it A LOT.) Plus it has a sweet taste to it from the honey. Enjoy!

Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread:

3 teaspoons Yeast

1 teaspoon THRIVE White Sugar

1/2 cup warm Water

(Mix & sit for 10 minutes until mixture is doubled & foamy)

12 oz. of Evaporated Milk (9 Tablespoons THRIVE Powdered Milk + 1 1/2 cups Water)

1/4 cup melted Butter (1/4 cup THRIVE Butter Powder + 2 Tablespoons Water)

3/4 cup Honey

2 teaspoons THRIVE Iodized Salt

2 1/2 cups THRIVE Whole Wheat Flour

3 cups THRIVE White Flour

Butter

First, mix the yeast, sugar, & warm water & let sit for 10-15 minutes until doubled in size & foamy.

Mix the milk, butter, honey, salt, & wheat flour. Mix in the yeast mixture & let the whole thing rest for 15 minutes in the mixing bowl.

(I love my handy-helpers in the kitchen!)

Add the white flour & mix until a ball forms (because of the stickiness of the honey, I usually add even more flour to the mixture until it forms that good soft ball of dough that you're looking for.) Knead it for 10 minutes. YES, I do this by hand instead of in the mixer because it's therapeutic for me. But you can knead it in your mixer if you prefer that method.

When done kneading you should have a BEAUTIFUL ball of dough that is soft & fluffy.

Place your dough ball in a BUTTERED bowl & turn the ball until it's coated in the butter. Cover with saran wrap or a damp towel & let it rise for at least 1 hour or until it's doubled in size.

Cooking Tip: Let your dough rise in a glass bowl. You can mark the height of the dough by placing a rubber band around the outside of the bowl. With a glass bowl you will be able to see if it has doubled by looking at the height of the rubber band & the height of the dough after an hour.

Punch your dough down (my kids' favorite part) & divide your dough in half. Roll each half like you would roll pizza dough. This is a VERY AIRY bread & you want to really pound out those air bubbles or your bread will have holes throughout it.

(Trust me on this one. . . I know because I was lazy & didn't do this step & my bread was HOLLOW in parts.)

Form into 2 loaves

(wrap your flat dough around into a tube [almost like a burrito] & fold over the sides. Put all seams on the bottom of the pan.)

& put into buttered loaf pans. Spread butter on the tops & let rise another hour in a VERY warm place. [You can do the 2nd rise in your oven at the lowest temperature.]

Put a small glass pan of water in the bottom of your oven. (This adds SO MUCH MOISTURE to your bread.) Bake your bread at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Cover your bread with foil if the crust browns too quickly. Butter your crusts while they're still warm.