Oooh, I have so many good bread recipes. But there is one that rises to the top as the dominant alpha male and continues to assert his authority by snarling viciously at the lesser breads.

Viciously.

Introducing…


The Awesome Bread

(a.k.a. Half-Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Bread with Butter Crust)

(See the splatter spots on the napkin? It’s from all the butter.)

(And yes, I took that picture on my living room floor. It’s the only place in our apartment that gets enough sunlight for a decent picture.)

Ingredients:
(And I am reciting these from memory because I make this just about every day.)
1 c warm water
2 Tbs oil
1/4 c honey
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c bread flour
1/2 c oatmeal (quick or old-fashioned)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast

Bread Machine Instructions:
Dump in all ingredients in order listed (wet first, ending in yeast). Do make sure, though, that you tap and settle the flour before adding yeast. Otherwise, it will crack during the initial resting phase and the yeast will fall through into the water and activate too early and then your bread will be a slightly smaller size.

Set machine on whole wheat setting, press start, walk away. (Do come back to make sure that after five minutes of kneading the dough is not a) falling apart due to lack of moisture or b) sticking to the walls because of excessive moisture. Add water or flour respectively.)

Amish Style Instructions (no bread machine):
Go here. Order a bread machine. Then backtrack to previous step.

Sorry, wish I could be more help. Maybe someone will be nice and tell you how to make bread by hand in the comments. I have nice readers like that.

Hey, you’re not done yet. Step away from the comments and come back here.

Skip ahead 3 hours and 43 minutes. The bread machine beeps, your stomach growls, and your salivary glands are performing in a way that would put Pavlov’s dogs to shame.

Transfer bread from pan to cooling rack. While bread is still piping hot, melt 1 Tbs butter and brush it over the crust. (Will be messy. Paper towels help.)

Let bread cool either until completely cool (per bread machine instruction book) or until you can successfully cut it without it being completely flattened and misshaped.

Then eat. Eat and curse the name of Atkins and anyone else who wants to tell you carbs are bad.

Do you have a bread machine recipe you want to share? Blog it and put your link below! Just make sure you’re linking to your recipe post not to your homepage. That’s a sure way to lose a good recipe.

Next week on Recipe Swap – Creature Comforts: Casseroles