One Hour-ish Bread

I got this recipe from the Internet, somewhere. If I come across it again, I'll post who gets credit for it. I've only ever made up one recipe in my entire life...and this isn't it.

But, it's fast, easy, and delicious. You can sub whole wheat flour for white, and I when I do that, I sub 3 cups whole wheat with 2 cups white. Great texture that way.

Mix these dry ingredients (I use my stand mixer with a dough hook): 5 1/4 Cups flour, 1/4 Cup sugar (or honey), 1/2 Tablespoon of salt, 1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast.

Stir those up for a minute, and then add 2 Cups hot water (not too hot...you don't want to kill the yeast), and 3 Tablespoons oil. I get my hot tap water and then add the oil in with it before I pour into the mixer. Turn the mixer on while adding it, and just pour it in a steady stream while mixing.

Mix for 5 minutes. If your dough is wet and not forming a ball, add more flour, a little bit at a time. If it's not coming together into a ball because it's all powdery up in there, add a teensy bit more of hot water. I add this tip because in the summer when the coolers are on, our humidity level in the house is a lot higher than in our extremely dry winters. Sometimes I have to add more flour. Sometimes it's just right. If I have to add more water, that probably means I measured wrong.

Anyway, mix for 5 minutes, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pretend to knead it. It's mostly kneaded by the mixer at this point, really. Shape it into two loaves, place in sprayed loaf pans, cover, and put in a warmish place. In the winter, that usually means the inside of one of my cars. Let rise for 25 minutes. While it's rising, turn your oven on to 350 degrees (325 for a convection).

Take off the plastic wrap and bake for 25 minutes (18 convection...and remember to cover with foil the first ten minutes). I always check on my baked good about five minutes before they are supposed to be "done." When I use my convection, it's earlier...that thing cooks fast.

OPTION: add vital wheat gluten if you have some. I use a quarter cup or so...when I have it. The last six months I've been without and the bread is still great. I get VWG from the bulk bins at Winco. This was not in the original recipe, but is my own tweak.

Nutshell:

5.25 cups flour

.25 cups sugar

1/2 Tbsp salt

1.5 Tbsp yeast

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Cups hot water

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Mix 5 minutes. Spray bread pans with nonstick cooking spray, add shaped dough into pans. Cover and let rise about 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25 (regular oven...convection do 325 for about 18 minutes and cover with foil the first 10 minutes or so).