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Bread. My new obsession.

After the last post about living the slow way I had several questions about making and keeping bread. Well since I am sooo into this right now I'll just tell you all about it!
The recipe I use for honey wheat is on the back of the Gold Medal Whole Wheat flour bag, you can find it here. I also add a couple tablespoons of milled flax seed, and a couple of tablespoons of raw sugar because Ben likes semi-sweet breads for sandwiches (I will add a rockin sandwich recipe at the end of this post- it's my favorite).
The wheat bread recipe I use for the best cheese toast in the world, and for dipping in soups, is Dawn's. Go over to her blog and bug her, I'm sure she will give you the recipe- she loves me. This bread is so easy and you can add just about anything you like for a different flavor, we like to add rosemary and olive oil (as shown above).
I mix everything in Dorothy (for those of you who don't know Dorothy, she is my pink KitchenAid mixer. I love her) no bread maker or food processor.
When the bread is fresh out of the oven I let it sit on cooling racks to cool for a couple of hours. When it is nice and cool I slice it, put the slices back into the shape of a loaf, wrap it in a tea towel and put it in a gallon sized freezer bag. If a gallon bag is not big enough I sometimes use regular bread bags that I have saved from store bought bread or wrap it in cling. We usually eat at least one loaf the same day and the rest go in the freezer. After that we just get what we need from the freezer and warm it in the microwave. My friend Cami told me about the freezing method of storing fresh bread and it really does taste almost as good as the day it was baked that way!
Here is my most favorite new sandwich recipe, I'm gunna call it Rockin Chicken Sandwiches (they really do rock):
You will need:
4-6 Chicken breasts
1/4 cup Italian dressing (Not the fancy stuff, just plain old italian dressing.)
1/4 cup Honey
Cheddar cheese
Homemade honey wheat bread
Mix the Italian dressing and honey in a small bowl. We are going to call that little concoction the glaze. Don't that sound good? Brush the chicken lightly with the glaze and grill. Just before the chicken is done brush the rest of that glaze on. When the chicken is done and has cooled just a little, I slice the chicken breasts in half making them thin enough for a sandwich. (So each chicken breast will actually make 2 sandwiches.) Then I make my sandwich with the bread cheese and chicken.
Oh hunny! Best thing you ever put in your mouth! It's my new favorite lunch (and dinner). I cook up a batch of chicken and pop it in the fridge and we have homemade lunches anytime we want in a matter of minutes! You can toast the bread and cheese too, but I like the bread soft for mine. Some people may also like to try honey mustard on these.
I have another addiction too, but it's not that new, cooking in bulk. Last night for dinner I cooked 8-9 chicken breasts this way, but I didn't cut them up. We had turnip greens, baked sweet potatoes, and fresh bread with the chicken. After dinner I cut up the remaining chicken for sandwiches (for lunches this week) so I got several great meals out of one mess- and let me tell you, that right there feels almost as good as getting new fabric....no, new fabric for free. It feels really good, believe me....

Comments

Patty said…
Thank you for taking time to write this post; I am so going to try freezing my bread using your technique!
Team Manager said…
Yum! I can't wait to try it all! I am a novice bread maker, but yours looked so yummy that I just might have to try:)
I use Italian dressing as a marinade (put it in with my chicken in a baggie or sealed dish). I keep it in the fridge for the day and cook it that evening. It makes it so tender and juicy. I will have to try the honey addition. I think that might add a nice change up from the usual.

Thanks for sharing!
Christina
Molly said…
Oh, yah, I have chicken sandwiches on my menu this week...can't wait to try adding this new zip to them! Thanks for the suggestion!

Here's another question for you. I have been making all of our bread lately, too, but have been hesitant to freeze it not wanting it to dry out. I have been making it all in rolls and freezing them and that has worked well, but I would like to try freezing the loaves. How long do you microwave yours when you heat it? Mine always gets dry. I think I must heat it too much.
Joy said…
Oooh, new recipes to try. My current favorite is the fast bread out of "The Joy of Cooking"...I've only recently begun to experiment with add ins and things. It's definitely more practical for our family, as we go through 1.5 loaves a day.

You should definitely share more recipes! I am sure I can learn a thing or two...
Anonymous said…
A much appreciated post since my recent foray into bread baking! And to Joy, I used The Joy of Cooking's wheat bread recipe and it was great, I'm definitely a fan of that cookbook!
Dawn said…
Oh Sam, I am so thrilled that you are having fun with your bread baking. I told you it was easy once you get the hang out it. Gosh, I wish we lived closer. The kids and I could come over and you and I could bake, sew and chat for hours while the kids were out playing...sounds like heaven!
Marie said…
I love new recipes! My husband would so totally love this...the best part is that you don't have to have a fancy breadmaker. I'm definitely gonna try this...thanks for sharing!
Mindy said…
Bread making is one of the best forms of therapy known to woman-kind, and also one of the least expensive!
Anonymous said…
I have rosemary growing in a pot on my deck.  What portions do you add of it and the olive oil?  I'd like to try it this week.  Any tips on mixing it in the mixer?  Do yo use a special attachment?  Sorry so many questions.  I came here for a pattern, and now I'm getting bread.  thanks.
lissilulu said…
Mmmmmm-mmmm!

Did you hear the sound of my tummy grumbling for some of that chicken sandwich? :o)
Samantha Caffee said…
*************************************

Molly,

It sounds like you are over heating it. What I do is just chip off the slices that I need and heat them in a cloth napkin for about 20 seconds. In my microwave that is perfect! It tastes right out of the oven. :) Sometimes I will also stick them in a warm toaster oven to thaw on like 200.

oxox,
Samantha

**********************************
Samantha Caffee said…
*********************************
Anonymous,

I have been using dried rosemary so far because my fresh isn't quite ready yet, so here is what I do with the dried stuff:

I sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of rosemary into the dry ingredients before mixing, then I coat the dough with olive and a sprinkle of rosemary for the first rise, after the first rise I punch the loaf and work in the olive oil and rosemary, last I coat the dough again and sprinkle for the last rise and cook the bread that way. It smells soooo good while it's cooking!

Watch this video and you will know all ya need to know about making bread with a mixer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpiYktbljgs

xoxo,
Samantha
Patty said…
Hi Again,

Recently I tried freezing my bread using your technique and I am amazed at how well it worked! The bread was so moist; I am looking forward to having my bread available at any given time.

Do you ever grind your own wheat for bread? A friend taught me how to grind wheat several years ago and it makes the absolute best tasting bread I have ever had.

Thank you again for your post on bread.

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