Whole Wheat Bread Baking

Some Signs of Spring in Our Yard

We are lucky enough to knead bread and bake it every week at school in our parent/child class. Hazel has been asking if we can make huckabuck bread at home as well. We did last year around this time. The teachers have been kind enough to share the recipe with us. This week however I decided instead of huckabuck bread we would make whole wheat bread to go with the soup we will be making in a bit for dinner.

So first we looked for a good recipe. After checking a couple of cookbooks I decided on one from my Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book (I have the 10th edition). I adapted the recipe a bit, of course.

Ingredients:
2 cups bread flour
1 package active dry yeast
1/3 cup of honey (not sure I used a 1/3 of a cup since I used whatever I had left)
3 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups water
3 cups whole wheat flour

Combine the bread flour and yeast in a bowl. Hazel did this step.

Heat and stir the honey, butter, water and salt until warm (120 to 130 degrees) and butter almost melts. (I did this since it involved the stove.)
 Add to the flour mixture. Stir with spoon (the recipe called for a mixer but that takes some of the fun away).

Add 2 cups whole wheat flour and mix as best you can. I eventually used my hands. Then add 1 to 1 1/2 cups more flour ( I used whole wheat the recipe called for white) until the consistency is what you want.

Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead. At school we sing songs and say rhymes while kneading. We sang one:

Chorus: It's down with your heals and up with your hands.

This is the way you make huckabuck bread.

My mother and father have just gone to bed.

They left me alone to make huckabuck bread.

Chorus

My sister and brother have just gone to bed.

They left me alone to make huckabuck bread.

Chorus

My kitty and doggy have just gone to bed.

They left me alone to make huckabuck bread.

Chorus

Hazel demonstrated how she likes to knead at school by poking holes and breaking off pieces.

She also made a walking fairy house that had a bunny tail. See above. She is moving it so it is walking.

Then we combined both halves back to one ball and placed in a lightly oiled pan cover with a towel and place in a warm draft free space for an hour to an hour and a half. Sorry I didn't take pictures. I had warmed my oven slightly and used it for the rising space. I also was too excited to show Hazel how the dough doubled and get to punch it down to remember the camera. Punching it down is my favorite part. We split it and kneaded a bit more. Then cover them with the towel and let them sit for 10 minutes. Then shape into loaves and put into lightly oiled loaf pans. 

Let it rise again for 45-60 minutes until it has almost doubled.

Then bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes. The instructions said something about covering the last 10-20 minutes if necessary. I didn't see a reason to.

Then cool a bit and enjoy!! Hazel and I sampled it while it was still warm, but there is plenty left to go with our soup tonight. Now we have to go make that.

This is where I link up...

I especially link up baking with Hazel at: