Our Daily Bread

I just started making our own bread this year. We usually eat that spongy white stuff from the bread outlets. You know the stuff. It has always been my dream to make my own bread and have my family eat it. Now I'm living that dream and it feels good.

1 1/3 cup warm water
2 tsp yeast
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup dry powdered milk
1 cup of whole wheat flour
3 cups of white bread flour more or less add the last 1/2 cup slowly

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and let sit about five minutes until it's a little bubbly. Add the salt, butter, dry powdered milk and whole wheat flour.Mix this together well and then add the bread flour
Now I use only 1 cup of whole wheat but you could use more, or less we are gradually adding more whole wheat until we get more in our diets but use what you can away with. I also use organic flours and try to use bread flour but not always.

Knead well... not just for a few minutes. I use my heavy duty mixer and knead it for 8 to 10 minutes. I add 2 cups of white flour and only add more flour if the dough sticks to the mixing bowl. I usually end up using only 2 1/2 cups of white flour. The less you use the lighter your bread will be. I have recently found an even easier way to get this done since my mixing bowl got strpped and won't stay on with all that flour. I put it in my breadmachine on dough and let it knead it, then I stop it and start it again giving it two kneads. Then I take it out of the bread machine to rise because I make a double batch at once. Let this rise when kneaded until doubled. This can take 1 hour or up to 3 or more depending on the temperature in your house. The slower the rise the better the bread. I then punch it down and let it rise again this time it take half as long to rise. Preheat oven to 350 and while heating shape loaf and put in a buttered or sprayed bread pan. Cook until brown all over and done for about 40 minutes. It should sound hollow not thick when done. Remove from pan and let cool. I usually let it cool completely before I slice it with a bread knife.

Best Blueberry Muffins Ever
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup melted shortening or cooking oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries

Mix first four ingredients and prepare a well for the next fouringredients.
Stir in wet ingredients until the mixture is moistened-- Do not overmix.
Add 1 cup blueberries (be sure to drain the berries if they were frozen)
Fill 12 muffin papers/tins and Bake at 375 degree for about 25-30 minutes.

While still warm, dip tops in melted butter and then sugar.