Fresh Ground Whole Wheat Basil Onion Bread

I have developed many bread recipes but this one is my favorite to smell while it's cooking! In my cookbook, Yummy 4 the Tummy, it is labeled "the best smelling bread in town!" Making bread in a breadmaker is like a science project so be sure to follow the directions exactly.

2 tsp SAF yeast
2 cups Whole wheat kernels (makes approximately 3 cups of flour after grinding).
1 tsp sea salt or Celtic salt
1 Tablespoon Tofu White Drink Mix (available at Fred Meyer nutrition section)
3 Tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten (also at Fred Meyer)
1 heaping Tablespoon Shirley J's All Purpose Onion Seasoning
1 heaping Tablespoon dried basil
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespon honey or pur maple syrup
Filtered Water

Place the yeast into the Zozirushi bread pan (a Zo is the very best breadmaker). Grind the wheat kernels into flour and place 3 cups of flour into the bread pan. Add the sea salt, Tofu White Drink Mix, gluten, basil and Shirley J's. Measure oil first and put into bread pan and then honey and put into the bread pan (by putting in the oil first, the honey will slide out easily). Add 1 Cup plus 5 Tablespooons filtered water and put into bread maker. Put onto full cycle (on a Zo, it's called the white bread cycle). Watch and listen to be sure there is enough wter in the mix. The mix should look soft and not jerk around in the bread pan. If it's jerking or looks lumpy, add more filtered water, a tablespoon at a time and watch it while it mixes. The dough should never just sit on the bottom in a mushy mass, that means you've added too much water. Adding flour at this point can make it better but then the loaf isn't exactly the same consistency. So, just add the water a little bit at a time.

This is truly the very best smelling bread as it bakes! When I had my school, I made about 8 loaves of bread a day (I ran three Zo's at all times) and absolutely everyone commented on how wonderful our school smelled when the bread was baking.

If you are interested, I have an article on why fresh ground whole wheat is so much better for you and I will be glad to send it to you by email. Just email me and I'll send it.