baking bread!

lucy and i made bread today. or shall i say, lucy got a full, one-on-one tutorial on breadmaking from the comfort of her swing while i did all the hard work. but it really wasn't hard. i'd made it before a few weeks back and tried it again today with similar results. so simple and so delicious. here's the recipe if anyone is interested!

simple honey & whole wheat bread (originally found at allrecipes.com)

ingredients:
3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 .25 ounce packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup honey
5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing finishes loaves

directions:

in a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. let set for 30 minutes, or until mixture becomes big and bubbly.
add in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. stir in 2 cups of whole wheat flour. flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. this may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. cover with a dishtowel. let rise in a warm place until doubled.
punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. cool completely.

instead of kneading the dough by hand, i used my kitchenaid mixer w/ the dough hook attachment. i let it go on low speed for about 2 minutes. i did not have to add any additional flour with this method.

jeremy and i ate a few slices hot out of the oven, then used a few more for our dinner of b-l-t sandwiches (with garden-fresh tomatoes & spring mix from the farmer's market). yummy. later we had more bread for dessert. the result? one loaf down, 2 to go. maybe it's not such a good idea after all... i have pants that i am longing to fit into!

tomorrow i am trekking with friends out to the farmer's market in at the ferry building in san francisco. i won't be buying any bread, that's for sure, but i do look forward to seeing things that aren't available at my local market. i'll take photos, as it's an amazing gathering of merchants & people!