Honey Whole Wheat Bread

This is my favorite recipe for wheat bread.  My dad found out about a year ago that he has diabetes.  This meant a huge change in his diet.  He was a white bread eater, he does not care for wheat bread.  So I decided to take a recipe I had been using to make bread for my own family, which I used half wheat and half white flour, and change it to all wheat for him.  He loves it!
I want my wheat bread to keep all the nutrients, so here is what I do.  I buy the hard white wheat, then I grind it myself with my Le-Equip NutriMill, and keep it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.

So here's the recipe:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup shortening
3 tsp salt
4 1/2 tsp quick active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups very warm water
3 to 4 cups all purpose flour ( or this is where you can change the recipe to make it all wheat by putting 3 to 4 cups wheat flour instead, and it's still just as yummy!)
Butter or margarine, melted, if desired

In a large bowl, beat whole wheat flour, honey shortening, salt and yeast with electric mix until well mixed.  Add warm water, and beat on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 1 minute.  Stir in enough remaining flour 1 cup at a time to until dough is easy to handle.

Now you can either knead dough on a floured surface by hand until dough is smooth and springy, or I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook to knead it until it's smooth and springy.  Grease a large bowl with shortening.  Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place about an hour or until it has doubled in side.

Grease bottom and sides of two 8x 4 inch or 9 x 5 inch loaf pans with shortening.

Gently push fist into dough to deflate.  Divide the dough in half.  Flatten each half with a rolling pin into rectangles on a lightly floured, or greased surface.  Roll dough up tightly, beginning at the short side of the rectangle.  Pinch edge of roll to seal.  Pinch each end of roll to seal, then fold ends under loaf.  Place seam side down in pan.  Brush loaves lightly with butter.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 35-50 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

Move oven rack to lough position so the tops of pans will be in center of over.  heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.  Remove from pans to wire rack.  Brush loves with butter; cool and enjoy!

Mom's Sweet Special Occasion Rolls

Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup milk, lightly scalded
2 pkg dry active yeast
1 cup softened butter 
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Melted butter in a bowl

Once the milk has been scalded, let cool some so it won't kill the yeast.  Combine the still warm milk with the yeast for approximately 5 minutes or until foamy.  Stir in softened butter, eggs, salt and sugar.  Add the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing in between cups, until the dough is not sticky.  Shape into a round ball and place dough in a large greased bowl and cover with a towel to rise.  Once double in size, punch down.  Let rise again and punch down two more times.  The 3rd time you punch down, take dough out of bowl and place on a flat, lightly floured surface.  Roll out with a rolling pin until approximately an inch thick and shaped into a square or rectangle.  Cut into 2 1/2 inch or 3 inch squares.  Dip half of one square into the melted butter.  Then fold in half so the buttered half is on bottom, and place onto a cookie sheet.  Continue in this manner for all of the squares.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.  When you take them out of the oven, brush the tops with melted butter.  Serve warm.

These are some of my husband's most favorite rolls, but because of the time involved with the dough raising and because of the amount of butter used... we only fix them for special occasions!  This is a recipe that was passed down to us from my husband's grandmother.

Gingerbread Loaf

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup unsulfured molasses
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon then set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy - on medium speed. Beat in the egg and continue beating until combined. In another small bowl combine the molasses and milk. Remove the butter mixture from the mixer. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures to the butter mixture. Fold the batter together with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until done. Let cool. Remove bread from the pan and wrap for a later date or serve hot!

Zesty Sausage Bundt

Recipe comes from http://www.rhodesbread.com and I love it served with scrambled eggs for breakfast! :)

18 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained

Flatten each roll into a 4-inch circle. Place butter in a shallow bowl. Combine herbs and cheese and place in another bowl. Dip 6 dough circle in butter and then in cheese mixture. Arrange circles evenly in a large sprayed bundt pan to cover the bottom. Circles will overlap. Sprinkle half the cooked sausage over dough. Repeat with 6 more circles and the remaining sausage. Dip last 6 circles in butter and then in cheese mixture and arrange on top to cover sausage. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes. Cover with foil last 10 minutes of baking. Remove from oven and immediately invert onto serving platter.

Zucchini Bread

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs, beaten
2 large zucchini with skins, grated

Mix all ingredients together. Pour mixture into a greased and lightly floured bread pan. Bake for an hour and 325 degrees. Serve.

Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
2 Tbs shortening
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup mashed ripe banana
3 cups flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, shortening, and egg together. Add milk and bananas. Blend flour, baking powder, and salt and add to mixture. Add nuts and pour into greased loaf pan. Bake 60 minutes. Serve.