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healthy frugal recipes

1.5 Pound Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

January 28, 2014

I’ve been baking homemade bread for many years, and have tried literally hundreds of recipes. For years I baked bread in batches by hand – kneading, punching, and proofing each week so my family would have fresh, nutritious slices of bread for sandwiches or to accompany homemade soups or stew.

Once I got a breadmaker, I experimented to find the perfect whole wheat bread recipe that my kids would like.  Eventually I discovered a recipe that uses whole wheat flour as well as all-purpose flour, and it works!  (Here is a recipe for a 100 percent whole wheat bread recipe that I like too.) While I still have a breadmaker, now that we live off the grid, I find that it is a real energy hog.  The kneading cycle draws steady power, but once the baking cycle kicks in our batteries start humming with the strain of keeping up.  So I’ve adapted the recipe to use for both bread machine and by hand.

Now when I bake bread, I knead it by hand, or if the generator is on to power the house I will use the dough cycle on the bread machine to knead it – on my Black and Decker breadmaker this is setting #8 and it runs one hour and thirty minutes.

Here is the recipe that I’ve developed – it makes one 1.5 pound loaf. It is fairly dense, and slices really well for sandwiches. After a couple of days it is perfect for french toast too.

1.5 Pound Whole Wheat Loaf Bread Recipe

Ingredients

Avamum Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

1 cup hot water

2 tbsp softened butter

1/4 cup powdered milk

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

How to Make Whole Wheat Bread Using the Dough Cycle on Your Breadmaker

Add the ingredients for the whole wheat bread recipe into the bread machine in the order specified. Set to the dough cycle (on my breadmaker this is setting #8 and it runs for 1.5 hours).  Once the cycle has ended, remove the dough from the breadmaker. On a floured cutting board or surface, punch it down and knead it for approximately three minutes.  Lightly spray a loaf pan, and place the dough in the pan.  Cover with a clean tea towel and let it rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.

Tip: You can let bread dough rise in an oven that hasn’t been turned on. Now that we have a large wood stove, which we run 24/7 during the winter, I like to place my loaf pans on the hearth beside it, where they stay warm.  One of these days I’ll experiment with baking bread in a dutch oven right inside the wood stove.

Once the dough has risen, bake the loaf for 25 minutes in a 350 F oven.  To check if the  bread is done, remove it from the pan and tap the bottom.  It should sound hollow.

Let the bread cool on a rack before slicing it. This recipe makes a dense, crusty loaf.  For a softer loaf, cover it with a tea towel while it is cooling, or brush the top with butter or milk.

More Bread Recipes From Avamum!

Kamut Bread Recipe

Whole Wheat Cheese and Herb Bread

Bread Machine Recipes: Rolls, Pizza Dough, and White Bread

How to Make a 1.5 Pound Loaf of Whole Wheat Bread Without a Breadmaker

Though the ingredients are the same as when you use a bread machine, baking bread by hand means a different sequence of adding the ingredients.

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of  the warm water. When baking bread by hand, I’ve found it’s better to use water that is warm rather than hot.

Use a large bowl and mix the flour and salt together, then make a well in the middle.

Dissolve your powdered milk and sugar in the second 1/2 cup of water and add your melted butter.  Then pour the yeast  mixture and the butter/sugar mixture into the well of the flour and salt.

Beginning in the middle, and using your hands, start combining the ingredients. The goal is to get the batter nice and smooth, without lumps. Keep scraping and folding in the batter that sticks to the sides of the bowl until the dough is soft.

Kneading Your Whole Wheat Bread Dough By Hand

Now is the fun part – the kneading!  Think of it as a workout, and a great way to relieve stress or anxiety.

Kneading dough means grabbing it in your hands, then pushing it down and out with your palms and fingers, as though you are massaging the dough.  Knead for 500 strokes or five minutes.  Smooth it into a round ball.  Then put it in another large, clean bowl and cover with a clean dishcloth, and put it in a warm place to rise for two hours.  As mentioned above, I put my loaves of bread beside the wood stove to rise.

To find out if your whole wheat bread dough is risen, use a wet finger to poke a hole in it. If the hole your finger made stays indented, it’s ready.  If not, wait another ten minutes then try again.

The Second Rising

The next step is to GENTLY press the dough down, flattening out all the air, and making a smooth, rectangle shape. Place it in a greased loaf pan, and cover it with a clean tea towel.  The second rising should take about forty minutes.

The last step is the same as it is for the whole wheat bread recipe using the breadmaker.

Once the dough has risen, bake the loaf for 25 minutes in a 350 F oven.  To check if the  bread is done, remove it from the pan and tap the bottom.  It should sound hollow.

 

Enjoy!

Welcome Home Wednesdays

Filed Under: Bread Recipes, Frugal Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tagged With: bread recipes, frugal recipes, healthy frugal recipes, off grid baking

Easy Pumpkin Flan Recipe

November 10, 2012

A can of pumpkin puree can is a wonderful staple for every healthy cook’s pantry.   Instead of serving pumpkin pie as a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert, why not try this light and low-fat pumpkin flan recipe?  It is the perfect end to a hearty holiday meal, and is made in individual portions.  When learning how to make a flan, remember that a light hand is necessary for stirring, and that the water must be boiling for proper cooking.  Don’t let the steps intimidate you – once you make this a few times you’ll see how easy it is.

Note: you will need to buy 8 individual 1/2 cup  ramekins for this flan recipe. They’re easy to find online or at your local kitchen supply store. Alternatively, use an 8 x 8 baking dish and bake for at least 35 minutes.

This low-cholesterol pumpkin flan recipe uses just 2 eggs instead of 3 as traditional pumpkin flan usually calls for. The absence of salt keeps this pumpkin flan recipe suitable for low-sodium diets, but a little spice adds the perfect flavor.

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 cup water

2 large organic eggs, lightly beaten

1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree, or 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons of homemade pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups low-fat evaporated skim milk

2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice.

How to Make Flan:

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Over medium-high heat, mix granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Mix well with a wooden spoon.  Keep cooking, stirring constantly, until the sugar turns a caramel color.  You may want to lift the saucepan and swirl the sugar-water mixture around a little to really mix it well, but return it to the heat quickly.  Remove from heat.

Step 2:

Arrange your ramekins on the counter. Pour caramel evenly amongst the 8 ramekins, pouring with one hand and tilting each ramekin with the other to coat the sides with caramel.  Once empty,fill the saucepan with hot water and soap immediately to soak – caramel can be a sticky, hard mess to clean up later.

Step 3:

Boil a kettle full of water. Then mix eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, brown sugar, organic vanilla extract, ginger and allspice in a large mixing bowl.

Step 4:

Pour pumpkin mixture equally into the ramekins. Use the back of a dessert spoon or a small spatula to smooth the tops.  Place the ramekins in a large baking pan with high sides (I use an old 9 x 13) and then place the baking pan onto a large baking sheet.  Carefully pour  boiling water around the ramekins, until the water is about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Open your oven door, then lift the baking sheet with the baking pan and ramekins CAREFULLY  and place them on the center rack.

Step 5:

Bake the pumpkin flan for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are completely set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.  Remove the ramekins from the water and baking pan, and place them on a rack to cool completely. Use a rubber spatula to loosen the flan, then turn it over onto a dessert plate. The caramel that was on the bottom and sides will now be on top, and each of your guests will have  pretty pumpkin flan to finish their holiday meal.

This pumpkin flan recipe makes 8 servings.  Each serving has 210 calories, 47 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein,  78 mgs of sodium, 55 mgs of cholesterol and just 1 gram of fat.  Plus boatloads of beta-carotene.

Visit our Pumpkin Recipes for more great ways to use this frugal and healthy vegetable.

Filed Under: Dessert Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Pumpkin Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tagged With: healthy dessert recipes, healthy frugal recipes, low fat pumpkin recipes, pumpkin recipes

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