Recipe By Request

This is the recipe for the bread I made on Saturday. It comes from my Aunt Kathi:

1 T yeast (1pkg)
1/4 c warm water
1/2 T sugar
Set aside in a warm place and let rise
In a large, warm bowl, add -
2 1/2 c hot water
1 T salt
1/3 c vegetable or olive oil
1/3 c honey
2 c wheat flour
(I also add up to 2 T wheat gluten for extra chewiness)
Mix and add yeast mixture
Add 4-5 c white flour until dough is lightly sticky but not clingy to sides of bowl
Knead about 5 minutes or until smooth.

This next part is a bit loose for me.
You can just divide it into two loaves and put it in greased bread pans.
I prefer to divide it into three parts and bake it on my cookie sheet sized baking stone.
Also, if you want to add tasty "mix-ins", now is the time to do it.
You can roll it out and spread butter, cinnamon, and sugar and then roll it back up, or you can just knead in anything like craisins, orange zest and pecans or walnuts and raisins--whatever you like in bread.

While doing all this, heat up the oven to a very low temperature--just to make it warm enough for rising bread. (If using a stone, put the stone in the oven to make it warm as well.)
Turn oven off, but let it remain warm and place bread inside.
Allow bread to rise for 45 minutes--but watch that it doesn't rise too big (i.e. out of the pans), or it will collapse.
Turn oven on to 350 while bread is still inside and bake for 25-40 minutes, until bread sounds hollow when you thump it.
Take bread out of pans or off stone immediately and allow to cool on rack.

Yum yum, delicious!