Duquesne Light Company Utility Bread

When our kids were small, my wife would make this bread all the time. It really tastes good. It makes good sandwiches and toasts well. The soy flour and milk powder add protein to the bread making it more healthful. The picture is of the 50% whole-wheat version. I had two slices of this bread toasted with jelly for breakfast and a couple of scrambled eggs. Not hungry all day! Here is the recipe:

Duquesne Light Company Utility Bread

Makes two 2 lb loaves.

  3 cups warm water (675 g)
  2 cakes yeast
  2 Tbs honey or sugar
  7 cups flour or more  ( 1 kg) (warm flour if its cold)
  3 Tbs wheat germ  (13 g)
  1/2 cup full fat soy flour (55 g)
  3/4 cup skim milk powder   (100 g)
  4 tsp salt
  2 Tbs salad oil

Combine water, yeast and sugar or honey. Let stand for five minutes.
Whisk together the wheat germ, soy flour, skim milk powder and salt with 3 cups of the flour.
Stir the yeast mixture and while stirring add the flour mixture.
Beat for two minutes with the electric mixer or 75 strokes.
Add the salad oil and 3 more cups of flour, reserving the last cup of flour.
Blend, then turn out onto a floured board, adding the last cup of flour or more as needed.
Knead thoroughly, about five minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, brush top with some butter, cover with clear plastic film and let rise until doubled.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
Punch dough down, fold edges over and turn dough upside down and cover with the bowl.
Let rise another 20 minutes.
Turn onto the board, shape into 2 loaves, place in buttered (black) bread pans, cover and let rise until doubled.
Paint the tops of the loaves before baking with 2 Tbs of water with 1/2 tsp salt.
Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with seeds or oatmeal.
Slash the tops of the loaves once lengthwise.
Bake, 350 F, for 50 to 60 minutes. Use steam.*
If loaves begin to brown too soon, say in 15 or 20 minutes, reduce heat to 325 F.
Cool on a rack.

For 50-50 bread, substitute 3 cups of sifted whole wheat flour for 3 cups of white flour.

*Note: To use steam, I place a cast iron frying pan in the bottom of the oven. Then when putting the bread in the oven I pour one cup of hot water into the hot frying pan. I use a pitcher with a long spout to prevent steam burns. Be careful.