Easy 3 Flour Ugly Bread

To say my days are busy is most definitely an understatement. I am juggling many different things and ones of those things is making homemade food for us all to eat. My grand babies love cinnamon toast after school and they can eat a whole loaf of bread in one shot. My 3 Flour Ugly Bread is my go to all purpose bread I make on a regular basis. It's fast and easy with little kneading, makes a great toasting bread, and can be used for a sandwich too. But it's not so great to look at, that's why I call it ugly bread!

I came up with this recipe because I wanted a bread recipe that was healthy, inexpensive, and without a lot of effort. Now, I am a longs ways from being an expert when it comes to baking bread! Add to this that I am also handicapped by not being able to even taste it, (can't eat grains, I'm allergic) so I'm not sure how reliable my recipe is with the bread baking experts. Just giving you fair warning :) However, my grand babies, kids and husband love this bread and I usually keep a loaf around for them. Here's how I make it. 

Pour milk into a large pot (this one is 5 quart) and heat to 180 degrees. I don't take the time to use a thermometer but it's about ready when there are little bubbles around the edges and bubbles are almost breaking on the bottom. I keep the milk moving in the pot usually by give the whole pot a little shake but stirring works too ;)

I always heat the milk on a back burner and pull the pot forward off the hot burner for mixing in the rest of the ingredients. I stir in room temp water, sugar, oil, and salt. Next I add whole wheat flour, and the oatmeal flour. (I make oatmeal flour by putting oatmeal into a blender. Not all of it is ground fine like flour; it still has a chunky texture. Use oat flour if you prefer.)

Now the mix should be cooled off enough that I can add the yeast. The mix should not be more than 110 degrees when the yeast is added. I stick my finger in it and if the mix feels like luke warm bath water I'm happy. After I add and stir the yeast I let it sit a minute or two. By the way, if you bake a lot of bread you owe it to yourself to buy yeast in bulk, it is sooooo much cheaper that way. I get mine at Costco.

Next I add in 1 1/2 cup of white all purpose flour and mix it all very well. If the mix still looks wet and glossy I add another 1/2 of flour. 

I push the pot back onto the cooling burner and place a lid on the pot to let the dough rise until doubled. (I cook on gas so the burner is still rather warm but not hot at this point) You can let the dough rise anywhere you want in a warm spot. It will take around an hour depending on the temp.

After it has risen to double I dump the dough on to a generously floured surface and knead it to release the gas bubbles inside. 

I usually knead it only a couple of minutes, I am wanting the dough to look firm and beginning to smooth. I shape it into a loaf with seams at the bottom and place it into a buttered loaf pan. 

I slash down the middle of the top with a serrated knife. Again it is allowed to rise to double (around an hour) then baked in a 375 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes. 

Remove the loaf from the pan immediately and thump the bottom. If it sounds hollow it is baked through. If not, put it back into the oven for 5 minutes or so. Allow to cool before slicing (yeah right! ;) When it cools completely, I slice the whole loaf and store in a plastic bag. That way there is not a mess each time someone wants a slice. I buy bread bags at a cake decorating store. Well here it is, not pretty but pretty good! 

Easy 3 Flour Ugly Bread

1 cup of milk
1 cup of room temp water
1 TB of oil
1 TB of sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 cup of oatmeal flour
2 tsp of yeast or 1 packet
1 1/2 - 2 cups of all purpose flour (apx)

Heat milk to 180 degrees. Remove from heat and add next 6 ingredients, stir well. Make sure mix is not hotter than 110 degrees, add yeast and mix in well. Allow to sit at least 1 minute then add 1 1/2 cup of flour. Add additional 1/2 cup of flour if dough is still very wet. Cover and let rise to double, about 1 hour.

Place dough onto generously floured surface and knead about 2 minutes until surface begins to look smooth and not longer sticks to you hands. Shape into a loaf with seams at bottom. Place into a buttered loaf pan and slash the top of the loaf. Let rise until double and bake at 375 degrees for about 40-45 minutes. Remove from pan immediately. Allow to cool before slicing

I link at these parties. 

 Copyright © 2013 by Hill House Homestead ALL RIGHTS RESERVED