Whole Wheat & Flax Seed Bread

First post!  First post!

Welcome to my new blog.  I’m a little nervous about starting again, so let’s rip off the band-aid and just get started.

My goal here is something like my last blog, except less whiny.  I’m going to explore my life through food.

Since it’s June, I thought I’d start off the site with a recipe that comes from my dad.

Bread, like my father, takes some patience.  At first.

As a kid, I thought my father was horrible to me.  To be fair, I thought everybody was horrible to me, but what kid doesn’t think either of their parents are awful at some point?

The earliest memories of my father are on the farm, somewhere in New Mexico, or just around the house.  When I was young, he was there, present, and emotionally supportive.  Sometime around the time I hit puberty, I became a self centered asshole (sorry Mom).  That’s when our relationship changed, because I had changed.

Long story short, I instigated the need for some life lessons.  The gist of them were: stop, listen, think, then speak, if you need to.  This is something that I struggle with now.  I’m easily offended and always want to tell someone off.  Ask anyone who knows me.  I’m ornery and irritable (sort of like my dad).

Anyway, later in life my dad got more involved with teaching and other things.  I went to high school, my mother took over, and he didn’t involve himself until he needed to.  Probably because I was such an energy sucker.

It wasn’t until after I came out to my parents that I remember my dad taking an active role in my life.  During the “coming-out”  conversation I had to spell it out for him.  “H-O-M-O-S-E-X-U-A-L!”  A week or two went by, feelings were still a little raw, and I remember my dad saying, “I’ve been more aware of what kids are saying at school.  I pay attention to how I judge people, and I’ve been more cautious about the way I use the word ‘gay’.  I tell kids to stop it.  I’m trying to be better.”  That’s when I realized he was present, probably all along.  My father stopped, listened, thought, and then spoke, because I needed to hear what he had to say.

I have the best dad in the universe.

The fruit of our effort is what our relationship is today.  I feel like I see my father eye to eye.  We see each other.

Like bread, we assemble the pieces, mix, wait, punch and shape, wait again, bake, wait, and finally, the finished product.

All along, my dad has always been there for me and always provided.  This recipe is the fruit of his labor and time.  My first post is for you, dad.  Much love.  -Jerry

Now to business.

Whole Wheat & Flax Seed Bread

Yields two loaves

3 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup gluten flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flax seed, slightly ground
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups whole wheat flour

After you’ve gathered all ingredients, whisk together water, yeast, and sugar.  Wait fifteen minutes or until mixture has started to foam.

Combine yeast and water mixture with all-purpose flour, gluten flour, soy flour, oatmeal, flax, and salt until blended.  If you don’t have gluten, soy, or flax seed you can omit these ingredients.

Combine whole wheat flour, one cup at a time, with about 30 seconds between each addition until a stiff dough forms, cleans itself from the bowl, and clumps together on dough hook.

Add dough to a well oiled bowl.  Cover entire dough mass with oil and let it rise for about an hour, or until it doubles in size.  Split dough in half between bread pans.  Form into oblong pieces, place in a well greased pan, and let rise for another hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until dough is golden brown.  Place pans on cooling rack.  Let rest for 15 minutes and remove from pans.

If you have a fat kid deep down, like me, you’ll serve it with butter after like 2 minutes of waiting.

Enjoy it hard!