Nathan's Homemade Buttermilk Bread

 

(Sorry for the alien-colored photos)
Right after Danielle was born, the mayor's wife sent over a loaf of homemade bread.  It looked like a pretty, yet dry, loaf of bread until we cut into it.....and then the angels sang and our mouths tasted the most delicious bread we had ever eaten.  Nathan talked to the mayor a couple days later to ask for his wife's recipe, as he has always enjoyed baking.  Sadly, she said that she didn't use a recipe, but she did use buttermilk in her bread.  Thus began the search for the perfect bread recipe.  Nathan started experimenting with various recipes incorporating buttermilk and fine-tuned them into the recipe that became the standard for our home.
 

Happily, I can brag that I haven't bought a single loaf of bread in the past year.  Nathan exclusively makes our bread.  The cost is less than store bought and the flavor has no comparison.  We have a wheat grinder and use the fresh wheat, but we have decided that we like some white flour in our bread, so usually we do a 50/50 mix.  He has baked a successful 100% whole wheat batch, but usually you need to add a little extra liquid and let it rise for twice as long.  What I love is his nut and seed bread that he has developed.  It is dense, but oh so good.  Again, I'm all about texture.
 

Nathan's Buttermilk Bread
2 T. active dry yeast
1 T. honey or sugar
1/2 c. warm (105 degree) water
4. c. flour (of your favorite type)
1 T. gluten (makes the bread much more chewy without becoming crumby)
1 T. dough enhancer (optional, but it does make a difference)
1/2 T. salt
2 T. oil
1 c. buttermilk

Combine the yeast, honey, and water and allow to proof for 5 minutes. Add the rest of ingredients and mix well.  Knead 10 minutes or more, adding flour as needed (kneading is the key to good bread).  Cover with oil and let rise till double. Divide into 2 small loaves or 1 large loaf and place in greased baking pan.  Rise another 30 minutes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 29-30 minutes.  Each oven is different, so you may have to play around with that a little.  Cover with butter and remove from pans to cool.

The makes delicious rolls also and freezes well.  It is a light, chewy and well crusted bread.

Sometimes Nathan uses Oatmeal in place of a cup of flour.  In his seed bread he adds sunflower, poppy, sesame, chia, and pumpkin seeds, hazlenuts, pecans, and whatever else sounds good at the time.
   

 

Words fail to describe the heavenly aroma throughout our house every week.  I am one lucky woman to have a man who likes to bake....he is better than Peeta! : )  To take it to another level, eat fresh out of the oven with a generous helping of Nutella!  We freeze the extra loaves and just pull them out when we need a new one.  Make sure you use a bread knife to cut it!