Good Neighbor Bread

A fresh-baked loaf wrapped in a new kitchen towel, tied with twine or raffia, makes a wonderful gift. This recipe is my Good Neighbor gift to you!

I was given this recipe from an elderly friend, Erna Floyd, back in 1976, the year our first daughter was born. It's a labor or love, but it makes the best bread! It's a meal in itself and makes great toast, slathered with butter and homemade jam, and freezes well, too.

Now that I know I am gluten-intolerant, I don't bake or eat this bread anymore, but it's the best ever homemade multi-grain bread I've ever made or eaten!

 Ingredients:

6 cups Warm Water (almost hot)
6 tablespoons Molasses
6 tablespoons Honey
1 cup Mashed Potatoes
3/4 cup Cracked Bulgar Wheat (already swollen and moist)
2 tablespoons Wheat Germ
4 tablespoons Oil or Melted Shortening
2 tablespoons Yeast

Mix well in a large bread bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

1-1/2 tablespoons Salt
4 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup 7-Grain Cereal (uncooked)
3 cups White Flour (to start)

Directions:

1. Add the flour by the cup full, stirring with a spoon.
2. When it is too stiff to stir, flour the top and your hands, then mix by hand.
3. Keep adding flour on top to keep it from sticking, and until the dough is the right consistency.
4. When mixing by hand, knead vigorously, punching and folding.
5. When it is easy to handle, work it on a floured board.
6. When it is ready, put it back into the greased bread bowl.
7. Lightly grease the top of the dough to prevent a crust from forming while it's rising.
8. It will take 1-2 hours to rise depending on the temperature of the room.
9. Punch the dough down once during the rising; turn over.
10. Grease four (4) bread pans.
11. Punch dough down again, and divide into four (4) equal sections.
12. Leave the dough sections covered on a floured board for ten (10) minutes.
13. Knead the dough sections to let the air out and shape into loaves.
14. Put the individual loaves into the bread pans and let rise another hour.
15. Let the bread bake in a 350-degree oven for 45-50 minutes.
16. When done, rub oil on the tops of each loaf and let them cool on a rack.

Makes 4 large loaves. 

Note: This bread is not gluten-free.