There are a number of recipes written on random stationary in my grandmother’s collection. This is on hotel stationary, while others come from factories, a research facility of some sort, and (what I believe to be) my aunt’s algebra homework.
According to my mother, this recipe for honey whole wheat bread was one of her favorites. After making it today, I can see why. The crust is crunchy, the interior is soft, and there is the tiniest hint of honey. My baking process wasn’t error free, however.
More photos and the full recipe after the jump.
Grandma Mangan’s Honey Whole Wheat Bread
In a mixing bowl:
-3 cups w. wheat flour
-2 pkg. yeast
-1 tbsp. salt
Heat to luke warm:
-1 1/2 c. water
-1 1/2 c. milk
-1/2 c. honey
-2 tbsp. cooking oil
Add to dry ingredients. Mix well.
Add 1 c. w. wheat flour.
Then add 3-4 c. white flour to make stiff dough.
Turn out and knead 5 mins.
Rise 45-60 mins.
Shape it into loaves. Rise 30-45 mins.
Bake at 375º for 40-45 mins.
Brush with butter.
This recipe makes a lot of dough. If I didn’t botch two loaves by placing them in loaf pans, rather than letting them be freeform on a baking sheet, it would have made 6 small loaves or 3 large loaves. To give you an idea of how unprepared I was, here’s a time lapse of the bread rising in the largest bowl we have in our kitchen:
Once the dough reached this mushroom cloud status about 45 minutes in, I decided it was time to shape it into loaves. I used my hands and a sharp knife to grab clumps of dough and slice them away. I placed four on a lightly greased cookie sheet and two in loaf pans as a test (which failed, as I mentioned earlier. Too crunchy).
As the loaves were rising a second time, I ran to the nail salon near my apartment for a relaxing $8 manicure. It was a crazy weekend and I felt like some budget-conscious pampering was in order. Grandma would have been proud. Not bad for $8, right?
I returned home, pre-heated the oven, and put the loaves in to bake. Overall, I think they turned out well and will be perfect for breakfast and a few sandwiches throughout the week. I also turned the botched loaves into croutons, at Clare’s suggestion.
So how did I do on the Algebra homework? It’s probably an assignment I had forgotten to turn in!
The handwriting on that recipe doesn’t look like Mom’s, though….I know she used that recipe all the time and your mom and I loved that bread, but I am wondering if the source for that Whole Wheat bread recipe may have been from our Cousin Mary….I will send this page to her and see! Mom made this recipe a lot and I remember it making the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!! Yum!
Another bread she made a lot was a Cinnamon Swirl bread that was delicious. Is that recipe in the collection? If so, you’ve gotta try it!!!
Aunt Ann (Math genius!)
I think it may have been scratch paper for homework since there wasn’t a grade on it, but it looked like you were doing well!
I don’t think there was a recipe for cinnamon swirl bread, but if I do come across it, it’ll be the next thing I make!
This looks like a great recipe and I’m loving the random stationery. I think I’ll try it this weekend. Great site.