Grandma's Homemade Bread

Many people have a memory of a great smell of food cooking at their grandma's house. The smell of fresh baked bread is the smell that I remember when walking in the door at Grandma Hansen's house.

This recipe is the one that she uses. It may vary slightly, she does not use a stand mixer and we both vary the amounts of whole wheat from time to time. I have been baking bread for several years now and still have not made a loaf that is as good as grandma's.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Oatmeal
• 2 Tablespoons Butter Cold
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1/4 Cup Instant Potato Flakes
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs Beaten
• 2 Cups Warm Water
• 2 Cups Boiling Water
• 2 Tablespoon Instant Yeast
• 6-7 Cups White Bread Flour
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Add oatmeal, butter, salt and potato flakes to the mixer. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the boiling water to the mixer.

Stir and let stand until butter is completely melted.

Add brown sugar, eggs and 2 cups warm water. Stir until combined. Add yeast and stir. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Add 3 cups white bread flower. Mix with dough hook until well mixed.

1 cup at a time, add the 2 cups of wheat flour and 3 more cups of white flour. Allow each cup to completely combine before adding the next. Once you get to the last few cups, you may want to only add a half cup at a time. It is important to not rush the process. If the mixture seems to become dry, allow to mix for a few minutes and it will become sticky again.

Allow to mix with dough hook for 10 minutes.

The dough will still be sticky at this point. Move the dough to a well floured surface. It will be sticky, so I usually rub butter on my hands. Knead the dough for an additional 10 minutes while adding small amounts of flour as needed.

It is ok to take a break while kneading if the dough it sticky, just cover the dough with a bowl or plastic wrap.

Once the dough springs back when pressed, the dough can be moved to an oiled bowl and covered lightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Press dough back down, cover again, and let rise an additional 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Press dough back down, divide into three loaves and put into well greased loaf pans. Press down with your fist to get the dough spread out. Use a fork to poke the dough about every 2 inches.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise 1 hour.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven. Remove bread from pans to cool.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Oatmeal
• 2 Tablespoons Butter Cold
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1/4 Cup Instant Potato Flakes
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs Beaten
• 2 Cups Warm Water
• 2 Cups Boiling Water
• 2 Tablespoon Instant Yeast
• 6-7 Cups White Bread Flour
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Directions

1. Add oatmeal, butter, salt and potato flakes to the mixer. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the boiling water to the mixer. 
2. Stir and let stand until butter is completely melted. 
3. Add brown sugar, eggs and 2 cups warm water. Stir until combined. Add yeast and stir. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. 
4. Add 3 cups white bread flower. Mix with dough hook until well mixed. 
5. 1 cup at a time, add the 2 cups of wheat flour and 3 more cups of white flour. Allow each cup to completely combine before adding the next. Once you get to the last few cups, you may want to only add a half cup at a time. It is important to not rush the process. If the down seems to become dry, allow to mix for a few minutes and it will become sticky again. 
6. Allow to mix with dough hook for 10 minutes. 
7. The dough will still be sticky at this point. Move the dough to a well floured surface. It will be sticky, so I usually rub butter on my hands. Knead the dough for an additional 10 minutes while adding little amounts of flour as need. 
8. It is ok to take a break while kneading if the dough it sticky, just cover the dough with a bowl or plastic wrap. 
9. Once the dough springs back when pressed, the dough can be moved to an oiled bowl and covered lightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. 
10. Press dough back down, cover again and let rise an additional 1 hour or until doubled in size. 
11. Press dough back down and divide into three loaves and put into loaf pans. Press down with your fist to get the dough spread out. 
12. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise 1 hour. 
13. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. 
14. Remove from oven. Remove bread from pans to cool.