The Best Wheat Bread

My husband bought me a bread machine for Christmas.  Unfortunately, the first loaf bread I made was immediately thrown in the trash.  Along with my second, third, fourth, until finally I ran into this recipe.  It was a huge hit! It is light, fluffy, and beyond yummy! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!  You can make it with wheat flour or white flour.  Warning if you make it with white flour it will turn out huge! You might want to split it into two loafs. 

1 1/2 C. Warm water

4 Heaping cups of wheat flour

1/4 C. Honey

2 Tbsp Sugar

1/2  tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 1/4 tsp Fast rising yeast

My bread machine instructs me to add the water first; then the other ingredients on top of the water.  Making sure that the yeast doesn't touch the water or the salt.  

I put in the water and layered the flour over the top

After I added all of the ingredients the yeast is safe in the middle of the flour  andthe salt is in the top right corner

I then set my bread machine to the dough setting. It takes about an hour and half with my machine. 

This is what your dough should look like when it is first mixed.

This is what the dough will look like when the machine is done :)  I don't cook my bread in the machine I take it out and knead it by hand one last time.  (If you wanted to cook it in your machine it would be just fine but I think it turns out better in the oven)

I usually take my time kneading the bread to get all of the air pockets out of the bread.  I then grease a bread pan and let it rise covered for 40 minutes. 

The last ten minutes of rising I start my oven preheating to 350 degrees F. It will then go straight in and bake for 28-30 minutes.  I like the top crust to be just golden brown and not too crunchy.