EASY PEASY Whole Wheat Bread

I'm not a baker.  I love to cook, but baking (especially bread) is so daunting to me...not to mention I lack the patience to let breads rise, beat them down, roll them out, rise some more...and let five hours go by before you ever get to put it in the oven.  Maybe that's why this recipe looked so appealing to me--it's quick to mix, you only let it rise for half an hour or so, and it bakes in just as much time.  Not too shabby!

I'm not saying this is the best bread ever.  It's not.  Especially if you don't like crusty bread--the crust on top is extra crusty, and I ended up giving most of it to my dog.  But the rest of it is still pretty dang good.  :)  And healthy.  AND EASY.  If you're in a pinch (or too lazy to make complicated bread, like me), want something that is still tasty and hearty and dense and healthy, are looking for something to do with all that whole wheat flour sitting in your pantry, and want the accomplished feeling of having made your own loaf of bread, then this is THE recipe for you!  Best of all, when it's cooled it slices REALLY well, so you can make heart-healthy sandwiches with it.  In fact, it's kind of amazing for sandwiches; also: honey butter.

EASY PEASY Whole Wheat Bread

This picture doesn't do justice to how well it slices...mostly because I cut it in half warm, cut a chunk out to taste test, and THEN let it cool before slicing the rest of the way.  Also, it doesn't show you how good it SMELLED!  :)

Ingredients:

4 tsp. yeast (about two tiny pkgs)
3 tsp. honey
2 tsp. molasses
2 2/3 c. warm water
5 c. wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. wheat germ (or other mix-ins...I think sunflower seeds would be AMAZING! I may have to try that.)
1 Tbsp oats (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the honey with 2/3 c. warm water.  Sprinkle in yeast, and set aside 10 minutes.  (This is when I did all the measuring for the rest of the recipe.)
3. Mix the molasses with 2/3 c. warm water, and combine with yeast mixture.
4. Measure wheat flour into a large bowl.  Add water/honey/molasses/yeast mixture and stir (as best you can...will be dry).
5. Add remaining 1 1/3 c. warm water, salt, and wheat germ and/or mix-ins.  Dough will be very sticky.
6. Pour into greased loaf pan, smooth top with wet spatula, and sprinkle on oats (if desired).
7. Allow to rise to top of pan (30-45 minutes)

***Side note!  I only have an 8" loaf pan, and I learned the hard way that that is TOO SMALL!  You need at least a 9" pan, and I would venture to say even a 10" pan is best.  The reason is this: the dough barely fills an 8" pan, so when you let it rise, it spills out all over the countertop!  If you only have a small pan like me, then save yourself a little trouble and cut out about a fourth of the dough (freeze it or save it for hamburger buns or something).  Learn from my mistake!***

8. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes (30 was perfect for me).  Cool 10 minutes, remove loaf from pan, and cool completely before cutting.
9. Enjoy!

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