bread recipe

A few weeks ago, I started baking our bread at home. Mostly because I wanted to because I'm home now and have more naptimes to get things done ;)

Also, I started reading "The Maker's Diet". Oh. My. Word. It is so interesting and has really made me think about what I am feeding my family.

That is a whole different blog post (or several posts!)...

I have tried a few different bread recipes, but they either don't make enough, are too dry, too dense....just not yummy enough.

I remembered this recipe I had written down a while ago from a friend's blog (I can't find the original post to link up to).

I made it today.

Perfection.

The bread is SO moist.

It made 3 of these loaves, so I froze 2.

YUM.

So here it is...

{I put my comments in bold}

Basic Bread Recipe:

1 1/2 cups very hot water
1 cup cold almond milk (can use organic whole cow's milk)
3 eggs (optional) {I did use the eggs and it was perfect}1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1 T sea salt
6 - 7 1/4 cups freshly-milled flour {I don't have a grain mill, so I mixed whole wheat bread flour with whole wheat flour and it turned out just fine}4 1/2 tsp. instant yeast {I used a little bit more}
Combine water, milk, eggs, oil, honey, and salt. (Temperature should be just right for yeast.) Mix in yeast. Add flour to make a soft dough. Knead by hand or with mixer's dough hook until smooth and elastic (about 8 - 10 minutes). Shape into loaves and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on top with fingernail. Makes 2 - 3 loaves.

This recipe does turn out quite sticky, so I don't know how it works if you have to knead by hand...I  used the dough hook on my Kitchenaid (greatest thing EVER) and let it go for 10 minutes.

SO easy, people...and so delicious. You won't be disappointed. :)

p.s....see my awesome Le Creuset kettle??? I found it in the thrift store. In the box. New. For $10. Eek!