shelby's biracial bread

I don't know why exactly, but I'm in a baking/cooking mode. I looked through my folder of new recipes that I want to try and decided that there's just too too many to get through by only doing one new recipe a week! So I'm going to try to be better about trying and making new things. I may even share several here with you.

This one is a recipe called Shelby's Biracial Bread. Who is Shelby? I have no earthly clue. Someone somewhere gave me this recipe, or I found it online, or perhaps I got it in one of those mail-a-recipe-to -the-#1-person-on-this-list-and-then-send-your-address-along-with-my -own-to-10-friends-recipe-exchange-chain-letter that quite honestly NEVER work for me. I'd rather just email all my friends my favorite recipes and call it a day. Either way, it looks like a recipe I already use for my wheat bread with a few little tweaks, so I thought I'd try it out.

It's called biracial because it uses both wheat flour and white flour. Fortunately, my momma found a lil' wheat grinder at a yard sale I think and gave it to me and it works like a charm. I even had ground wheat flour in my freezer all ready for this recipe. Onward.

{Disclaimer: Pioneer Woman I ain't. End of Disclaimer}

The ingredients:

3 cups warm water
2 Tbsp dry yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
4 cups white flour
4 cups wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 Tbsp salt

Here we go!

First, sprinkle 2 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp yeast over warm water. Do not stir. Allow to bubble. This is what mine looked like after 10 minutes.

This is what it looked like after 30.

Add wheat flour and stir.

All mixed in.

Next add the sugar.

And the oil.

I was out of vegetable oil so I used EVOO. (That's Extra Virgin Olive Oil for you State of Arizona workers out there)

And lastly the salt.

If you didn't know any better, you'd think this was the fixins for chocolate chip cookie dough.

But don't taste...this definitely does not taste like cookie dough.

Once it's all incorporated, it's time to add the flour. The recipe calls for four cups of white flour, but you add a little bit at a time until the dough is about the right consistency.

This is two cups worth...definitely needs more.

Now things do start to get tough to stir, and I'm not cool enough to own a Kitchen Aid Mixer or Bosch yet (maybe Christmas this year, honey, hint hint? Ok, Christmas, birthday, Anniversary, Valentines Day, and Mother's Day combined maybe...even the sales on these suckers aren't great) so I had to mix by hand. It's OK. It makes me tough and builds muscles. On a side note, what is up with my hair today?

After this, I turned it out and pounded it by hand to really work in that flour. But I had to take off my hardwear. I hate getting things stuck in my ring. And under my fingernails. But that couldn't be helped.

No pics of the kneading as you understand, I'm sure. But I kneaded for about 5 minutes. Which is quite a bit shorter than I've been needing a Bosch. Hoo hooo ha ha, I made a funny.

I ended up using just shy of 3 cups of white flour.

Next, cover with greased plastic wrap and allow to rise one hour. I love this part. This is when you get to clean under your fingernails and just sit back and rest for 60 minutes...and your house starts to smell really good.

Here is what mine looked like after 30 minutes.

And after 60.

After the dough has risen sufficiently, punch it down and form into loaves. I love punching and deflating dough. But don't punch it too much...just enough to divide and make into your loaves.

I made 4 loaves worth, but I think 3 larger ones would have been better. Allow to rise in pans for 30 more minutes.

And don't forget to put your hardware back on. Amie just feels lost without her bling.

Here's what mine looked like after the 30 minutes of rising, so I let them rise about 15 minutes longer. I really should have made three large loaves. Or even two. I'm not perfect. Don't let that get out.

Then, bake for 20 minutes at 350.

Then 10 minutes more at 325 degrees. We don't want those loaves getting too toasty. (Personally I think mine is a bit too dark)

Yours should be lightly browned and smell fantastic!


Anyone want any bread? The first person to show up at my house is welcome to a loaf! Totally serious! =) **The free bread has been claimed!! Congrats to Dude who made it here first!**