Wheat Bread

One of the best sensory memories I have is of walking in the house to smell the warm, yeasty scent of homemade wheat bread baking in the oven. My mom made it often and we would eat it straight from the oven, slathered in butter or homemade jam.

Some of my favorite moments with my mom occurred in the kitchen.

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. My mom was amazing. I wish I was half the woman she was/is.

This is her recipe. No changes. Amazing like her.

Wheat Bread

1 cup milk, scalded (instructions on how to scald, below)
2 t salt
2 T honey
3 T vegetable oil
1 T yeast
1 1/2 c white flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a 2 qt sauce pan, add the milk and over medium low heat, bring the milk up to the point of small bubbles forming on the edges of the pan. DO NOT BOIL. This is scalding the milk. Once small bubbles form on the edges, remove from heat and add to the mixing bowl using the bread hook attachment on the stand mixer. Add salt, honey and oil to the milk. Mix until milk returns to lukewarm, around 100 degrees (like bathwater). Add yeast, mix for 30 seconds then turn mixer off, allowing yeast to activate and bloom for 10 minutes. Add the flours slowly, mixing the entire time on low speed. Once all flour is incorporated, let the mixer run on low, kneading the dough, for 5 minutes. Remove mixing bowl from stand mixer, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set in a warm area to rise. I set the dough on the stove top of the preheating oven to rise. Allow dough to rise at least an hour or doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. Let dough rise again, covered with a clean cloth in a warm area, for another 30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Once baked, remove from oven and then turn loaf out onto a cooling rack.  Yields one large loaf or two smaller loaves.