Ingredients for 2 Loaves
- 2 cups milk, scalded
- 1/3 cup molasses or 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter (lard, margarine, vegetable fat)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 yeast cake
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 4 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
Preparation
Scald milk and add molasses, shortening and salt, stirring until shortening is melted. Cool to lukewarm. Crumble yeast cake into bowl and slowly add lukewarm water, stirring until yeast cake is dissolved. Combine dissolved yeast and lukewarm milk mixture, and add flour gradually, a small amount at a time, beating thoroughly with rotary egg beater until. mixture is smooth. This beating process is very important to distribute yeast (dough is not kneaded) . An electric mixer may be used if available.
After about 3 cups have been added, remaining flour will have to be stirred into mixture with wooden spoon, as dough will be too stiff to use beater. Stir vigorously until all flour disappears and dough is smooth. Cover bowl with clean towel, and set in warm place ( around 8o° F.) . Let rise until it has doubled its size, about 2 to 21/4 hours.
Again beat thoroughly with wooden spoon about t minute, and turn dough into 2 greased 8×4-inch bread pans, having pans half full. Brush loaves with melted shortening, cover with towel, and let rise again until they have almost doubled in size, about t hour. Bake in moderately hot oven (400° F.) 15 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate ( 375° F.), and bake 45 minutes longer. Bread is done when it shrinks from sides of pan. Remove from oven, turn out on wire tray to cool and spread top and sides with melted butter. Cover with towel during cooling. When cool, wrap in waxed paper, not cloth, to store in tightly covered breadbox or stone jar.
Raisin Bread. Add 2 cups raisins to Whole Wheat Bread recipe after first rising. Beat or stir until raisins are evenly distributed throughout dough, and proceed as in basic recipe.
Whole Wheat Rolls. Follow directions in Whole Wheat Bread recipe up to the point of the end of first rising. Then, instead of turning dough into bread pans, fill greased muffin pans 1/4 full. Drop dough from spoon, as mixture is spongy and not stiff enough to handle. If dough sticks to spoon, use small amount of flour on finger tips to remove dough more easily. Brush with melted shortening, cover and let rise until almost double in bulk. Bake in moderate oven (375° F.) about 20 to 25 minutes. Yield : about 2 dozen.