Blue Jeans and Cotton Tees

Since he retired, my dad has taken over almost all of the bread baking at home. Nana shares his classic recipe today…

Papa Jim loves to make bread in our bread machine. This recipe is one of our grand kids favorite. When it’s just the two of us, we slice the cooled loaf and put the slices in a large plastic container in the freezer.  We can take out as many slices as we need, and heat in the microwave or toaster. It is also great as a late-night-can’t-get-to-sleep snack with a cup of chamomile tea!

But when the grand kids are here, it gets eaten hot as fast as Papa can slice it!

Papa Jim’s Buttermilk Bread
(for a bread machine)

Place ingredients in machine in the following order:

Ingredient: 2 lb recipe  |  1 ½ lb recipe

Buttermilk* 1 ½ Cups |  1 ¼ Cups

Margarine or butter, softened 3 Tbs.  |  3 Tbs.

Honey ¼ Cup  |   3 Tbs.

Salt 1 ¾ tsp.  |   1 ½ tsp.

White or Unbleached Flour 2 ½ Cups  |  2 Cups

Whole Wheat Flour 2 ½ Cups  |  2 Cups

Baking Soda ½ tsp.   |  ¼ tsp.

Active Dry Yeast 2 tsp. |  1 ¾ tsp

* Chilled buttermilk can be used (it does not have to be at room temperature)

I use powdered buttermilk mixed according to directions on can, but reduce water by 3 Tbs.

Use BASIC cycle and MEDIUM or LIGHT crust color. Do not use TIMER setting.

To make whole wheat flour, we purchase the wheat berries and grind in our electric grain grinder.  Papa grinds up enough to fill a plastic pail and we store in the freezer.