Half and Half Bread

Recipe submitted by Ruth T.

My husband's aunt is a great baker and was willing to teach me her methods when we lived in Idaho. She used a good quality white flour, melted shortening and more sugar in her recipe than I've given here. Being farmers, her family could handle the extra calories, and that was in the days before we worried about trans-fats. So, I've adapted her original recipe and have been very happy with the results. The following instructions are for making bread by hand as Aunt Phyllis taught me. The recipe is good for use with an electric mixer and dough hook as well.

Makes 4 loaves

In large mixing bowl, combine & let stand for 5 minutes:
1/4 cup sugar or honey
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 c. veg. oil
4 cups warm water
4 scant Tbsp. yeast

Mix: With a large spoon, stir in sifted flour, 1 cup at time until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Use 4 cups of sifted whole wheat and 4 cups of sifted unbleached white all-purpose or bread flour. When the dough becomes thick and unmanageable with a spoon, use your hands. If, after 8 cups of flour, the dough is still sticky, add small amounts of flour and mix in well with hands until the dough forms a ball and doesn't
stick to the bowl. 

Knead: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 15 minutes. To knead you take the edge of the dough that is furthest away from you and bring it to the center, then punch it down with the heel of your palm. Turn the dough ¼ turn and repeat. Continue folding and punching the dough until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic (when stretched between your hands the dough doesn't break).. It it feels sticky, sprinkle small amounts of flour into the dough and work it in well. This is great exercise and is a good way to
work out stress and frustrations!

Raise: Place the dough in a clean large bowl in a warm spot free of drafts and cover lightly with a floured dish towel. Let the dough raise until doubled in bulk; about 1 hour. 

Shape: Punch the dough down and place on lightly floured surface. Cut into four equal pieces. Roll each into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Fold the dough into a third, overlapping the folds so that your dough is 3 layers thick and the width is slightly smaller than the length of your bread pan. Roll the dough tightly towards you, then pinch the seam together.  Place the roll, seam side down, into a greased loaf pan.

Raise again: Cover the 4 loaves lightly with a floured dish towel, place in a draft free spot, and let raise until double. The crown of the loaf should be slightly higher than the bread pan.  (about 1 ¼ hours).

Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place pans in oven without touching each other. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven – the loaves should sound hollow when tapped –and remove the loaves from the pans immediately. Place loaves on a rack to cool or place on sides on a towel.