Tanya's Wheat Bread

What you see is the lovely result of several years worth of tweaking.  I make this recipe at least once a week.  Although it is whole wheat, it is light and fluffy.  I’ve shared this recipe with countless people who have all loved it.  Hmm…I am craving some right now!

 

4 ½ C. Very Warm Water
2 Eggs
2 tbsp. Instant Dry Yeast
2/3 C. Potato Flakes
2/3 C. Oil
2/3 C. Powdered Milk
2/3 C. Vital Wheat Gluten
2/3 C. Sugar
10-11 C. Wheat Flour
1 1/2 tbsp Salt


Mix water, oil, sugar, salt, eggs, powdered milk, potato flakes, vital wheat gluten, yeast and 5 C. wheat flour. Add in remaining flour a little at a time. Knead for 8 min. (mixer). Place dough in a greased bowl, spray dough with ‘pam’ and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until double. Punch down and fold in sides. Form into loaves. Place in greased pans, cover with plastic wrap and let raise until double. Brush tops with milk and bake at 350 degrees for 25-27 min. Brush tops with butter and cool on a cooling rack (this helps prevent soggy bottoms) Wrap loaves tightly when cool. Bread slices best when it is cool. Yield: 4 loaves.
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**Tips**
The amount of flour you will need varies based on a number of factors such as humidity, elevation, and whether you are using freshly ground or flour that has sat for a while. As a general rule, add the flour up to a total of 8 cups. Then add by 1/4 cups. After each addition has been mixed in, dip your finger in some flour and then tap the dough. If the dough sticks to your finger, you need more flour. If it does not, you are done. Wheat bread dough is a bit sticky.
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I have used different methods for forming my loaves. Most of the time I divide my dough into 4 "equal" balls. I roll each one out into a rectangle and roll it up jelly-roll style. I tend to have fewer air bubbles in the finished product this way.
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Brushing the tops of the unbaked loaves with milk helps create a softer crust.
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I often mix up a second batch of bread as soon as the first batch is raising in the greased bowl. This adds a total of about 30 minutes to my overall bread making time and I end up with 8 loaves. My husband takes a loaf to work and we usually share another 1 or 2 loaves. I make the kids’ lunches each day. We generally go through 6 loaves a week. This bread also freezes quite well. Just wrap the unsliced loaf tightly with several layers of plastic wrap and freeze.

My Miniature Kitchen and Library

My mother is way into miniatures and wanted me to join her in this hobby. As my favorite things to do are cook and read, a kitchen and a library are what I have made. The kitchen was a bit difficult to photograph. I saw a similar scene in a smaller canning jar at a doll-house store.   So cute!  The kitchen is of course in my kitchen and the library hangs on the wall in my office.  Most of my supplies came from Hobby Lobby. 

Caramelized Apple and Onion Pork Chops

Our family loves this recipe. The apples and onions create a wonderful flavor combination and help keep the chops nice and moist.  I make this as a freezer meal as well.  I buy pork loin when it goes on sale and have my butcher cut it into 3/4 inch chops for me.  They do it for free and it makes my preparation easier.

4 – 6 Pork loin chops
Pepper to taste
6 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
6 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
3 apples – cored and sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 medium onion – sliced about ½ inch thick and separated into rings
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pepper chops and place in a 9x13 baking pan. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter in a large bowl; add apples and onions and toss to coat. Pour apple and onion mixture over chops. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear (160 degrees).

Freezer Meal: I use gallon size freezer bags.  For this recipe I just compile the ingredients to make one recipe worth in each bag.  Place desired amount pork loin chops in first.  Add sliced apples and onions.  Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg over the apples and onions.  Pour melted butter over mixture.  Squish bag to mix the sauce throughout.  Squeeze out as much air as possible as you seal the bag.  Lay flat and freeze.  Be sure to write the baking temperature, time and date prepared on the outside of the bag. Defrost in the refrigerator before using and bake according to directions.  HERE is a great article on thawing frozen foods and meals.

Baked Chicken with Mustard Gravy

My husband really loves honey mustard, so this recipe is for him.  It’s really easy to make on a day when you don’t have time.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Seasoning of your choice (I use Mrs. Dash or Seasoned Salt)

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

4 tsp honey mustard

1 tbsp milk

½ tsp basil

½ tsp parsley flakes

½ cup reduced fat sour cream

Line a baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lightly sprinkle chicken with the seasoning of your choice. Lay chicken out on baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Meanwhile, combine mustard, milk, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until heated through. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream. Serve over chicken.Yields: 4 servings

Cinnamon Rolls

These are soooo good. My son even asked for them for his Birthday instead of a cake.  You really have to go by touch when adding the flour, so pay attention.  They are worth the effort I promise you!

1 cup very warm water

1 pkg. active dry yeast (or 1 tbsp)

¼ cup powdered milk

1/3 cup sugar1 tsp salt

1 egg

¼ cup soft shortening

2 ¾ - 3 ¾ cups flour

¼ cup softened butter

1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Raisins (optional)

Mix together water, yeast, powdered milk, sugar, salt, egg and shortening. Slowly add flour ½ cup at a time. This will be a soft dough, so only add flour until you can work with it. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead by hand until smooth (about 5 minutes). You can knead in a mixer, but the finished product will not be quite as light. Place dough in a large greased bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about an hour). Punch down and roll out the dough into a rectangle (about 15x9”). Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Roll up tightly, beginning at wide side. Seal well by pinching edges of roll together. Cut roll into about 1” slices. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise until the dough has doubled in size (about 35-40 min). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Frost while warm with butter cream frosting. Yield: 1 dozen rolls.

Tip: I use dental floss to cut the rolls. Slide the dental floss under your rolled up "log". Bring the ends up over the top, criss cross them and pull. This will cut the cinnamon roll and retain its shape better than using a knife.

Creamy Fruit Dip

This recipe is really easy. We had it at a bed and breakfast a few years ago. We liked it so much I begged for the recipe. Sometimes I use it as a base for a fruit salad. My kids also like it on pancakes.

8 oz softened Cream Cheese
¾ C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Sour Cream
1 C. Cold Milk
2 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1 small pkg. Vanilla instant pudding

Cream brown sugar & cream cheese & then mix with the rest of the ingredients. Keep chilled until ready to use. Sometimes we use a different flavor of pudding. Our favorite so far is Cheese Cake.

Sour Cream Potatoes

I love these potatoes!  My whole family smiles when they find out I have made them for dinner.

 

30 oz bag frozen shredded hash browns

½ cup butter, softened

2 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

1/3 cup green onions chopped

2 cups grated cheese

3 tbsp melted butter

3 cups crushed cornflakes

In a large bowl, mix together hash browns, butter, soup, sour cream, onions and cheese. Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Mix cornflakes with melted butter and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Sometimes I add chopped ham or cooked chicken to make it a main dish.