The Day I spent baking: Whole Wheat Bread & Apple Pie

Yesterday, my husband informed me that we were out of bread.  That meant today's schedule was pretty much decided for me.  He's also been begging and pleading asking me to make him an apple pie for about 2 weeks.  Well we didn't have our pie pan back until Tuesday.  Yesterday I ran out of time to make it so today it is!

So after having a quiet time this morning, eating some breakfast and catching up on a few blogs, I started to work on the bread.  Our recipe makes 2 loaves at a time.  So today I made 2 loaves of whole wheat bread and 2 loaves of half whole wheat/half white flour bread.  Hubby prefers the former and I prefer the latter.  We cut each loaf in half and freeze what we can't eat right away. 

So today was interesting as I tried to take photos as I was baking.  I didn't get pictures of everything because well, my hands were sticky/covered in flour/gross sometimes. :) 

Here we go: 

Operation Whole Wheat Bread

And here's the actual recipe (since I didn't get everything photographed):

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

2 3/4 cup hot water

1/3 c olive oil

1/3 c honey

2 tbs molasses

1 tbs salt

up to 7.5 cups 100% whole wheat flour

2 tbs dry active yeast

1. Place the first five ingredients in a huge bowl and mix.

2. Add 2 cups of flour (to cool water and end up with a warm dough).  Mix.  Add 2 tbs yeast. Mix again.

3. Add 2 cups of flour and mix.  Add 2 more cups of flour and mix.

4. Mix until consistency is somewhat even.  

5. Continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a tie until dough quits sticking to the side of the bowl.  (Should be tacky to the touch). I usually add 6 cups total.

6. Don't over mix or bread will be tough.

7. Leave in bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray.  Let it rise 30-45 min. Dough will be larger but not necessarily doubled.

8. Grease & flour 2 bread pans.

9. Mix dough again to knock back down to about the original size.

10. Drop dough onto a floured surface.  Shape it with your hands to make a nice ball, getting enough flour on it so it's not sticky.

11. Divide the ball in half and repeat.

12. Shape loaves by turning dough under itself over and over.  When dough is shaped, the sides and ends will be sealed and dough will be oblong-shaped with smooth sides and top. 

13. Drop loaves in bread pans and let rise until doubled or almost doubled (cover with same plastic wrap as before).

14. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 36 min, 41 min if you forgot to preheat.

15. When finished turn bread onto a rack to cool.  Don't wrap until completely cooled.  Put in plastic wrap and tin foil and store on the counter.  Do not refrigerate. (However can be frozen)

***If you'd prefer you can use half wheat/half white flour to get a softer bread.  100% whole wheat is QUITE hearty.  

I hope you enjoy the bread recipe.  Let me know if you try it out.  I'll try and post the apple pie recipe/pictures soon! 

Hooray for fall! What are some of your favorite fall recipes?

**Oh, btw, we don't have counter space. Like at all.  2 ft on either side of the sink but that is occupied by other things and has ridges in it so our kitchen table is our counter.  Carry on***