Bringing Home the Dough

I tend to only eat bread a couple times a week now. Actually, it's mainly on the weekends when I have the time to sit down and enjoy some coffee and toast in the mornings. Then there are a few times, like last night, when a slice of bread is the perfect compliment to a main dinner dish. I don't eat white bread, and now that I look back, I hardly ever did. I've always preferred whole wheat over white bread. Since we only indulge on bread very few times a week I figured why pay $3.00 or more for a loaf, when I could just make it myself at home and save myself some money? Plus, I've recently discovered a love for baking. Not to mention that it's rewarding to make your own food because I know exactly what's in it and I know that I'm using simple ingredients that my body can appreciate.

Recently, my wonderful, sweet mother-in-law gave me and my husband a bread maker for an early anniversary present (whoop! whoop!) so I will be posting about my experimenting with recipes and the machine itself so follow along if you're interested in becoming an at-home bread maker yourself!

The first two loaves of bread I made last night were actually baked in the oven instead of with the bread maker only because I have been wanting to try this recipe out for so long, but I had been waiting to use up all of the store-bought bread we had first. So for those of you who don't have a bread maker and want to try making your own bread this way before splurging on a machine, this is the perfect opportunity for you to test out the waters!

Honey Wheat Bread with Flax
*Recipe from Eating Whole with Lauren Brimley

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon yeast + 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• 3/4 tablespoon salt
• 6 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 3 tablespoons ground flax meal

Directions:
Dissolve yeast into 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl. Let sit until it has doubled in size, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer using the hook attachment, mix warm water, salt and 3 1/2 cups of the wheat flour for about 5 seconds on lowest speed. It won't be mixed all the way, and that is okay! Once the yeast has doubled, add in yeast, oil, flax and honey. Mix on low speed for about 5 seconds. Slowly add in the rest of the flour (2 1/2 cups), and then let mix for 10 minutes on low speed. Divide the dough into two equal loaves, and place on two lightly floured towels. Fold the towels over so they are covering the loaves, and let rise for about 30 minutes. Bake loaves in a lightly greased loaf pan (with coconut oil) at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. It should have a nice crust that is golden on top.

* I had to bake the loaves for almost an extra 10 minutes. 

Since I had planned on making this bread ahead of time I wanted to make something for dinner that would incorporate the fresh baked goodness. Soup, duh! I found this recipe on Pinterest a couple days earlier so I figured this would be the perfect time to try it out. I had to deviate from a couple of the ingredients because of what I had in my kitchen, but it still turned out excellent.
  
Lemon Chicken Soup with Tortellini 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• 1 Leek, white and light green parts only, cut into half-moons (I omitted this ingredient because I didn't have one.)
• 1 Carrot, chopped (I used a 1 lb. bag of frozen peas & carrots)
• 6 cups good quality Chicken Stock (I used 8 cups of Organic Chicken Broth)
• 2 1-inch cubes Parmesan Cheese (I used 2 Tbsp of shredded Parmesan Cheese)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 package (9 ounces) Fresh Cheese Tortellini (I used a 19 oz. package)
• ½ cup Frozen Peas (I used a 1 lb. bag of frozen peas & carrots)
• 2 cups Baby Spinach
• 1 Lemon, juiced

Directions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the leeks and the carrots (I added the 1lb bag of frozen peas & carrots at this time); cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the broth (I used 2 additional cups of broth because I used a bigger package of tortellini) and cheese; bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tortellini; boil for 7-9 minutes or until cooked through. Reduce heat and stir in the peas (if you're not using the mixed frozen veggies) and spinach; simmer until spinach is wilted. Stir in the lemon juice.