With the snow falling and more in the forecast, I had the afternoon off from work yesterday.  So what better way to spend a snow day than watching the birds at the feeders and baking bread?

I pulled out an old recipe booklet that I have had since I was in high school –  Fleischmann’s Bake-it-Easy Yeast Book. This is a bran bread that uses all-bran cereal to add extra texture.  Along with the bread, we added some some vegetable soup frozen from last summer’s garden and it made a great dinner on a cold snowy evening,

Bran Bread

7 to 8 cups flour

3 cups whole bran cereal

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

3 packages active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup water

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs (at room temperature)

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix 1 1/2 cups flour, cereal, sugar,salt and undissolved dry yeast.

Combine milk, water, honey and butter in a saucepan. heat over low heat until liquids are very warm (120- 130 degrees). The butter does not need to melt. Gradually add to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in enough additional flour to make a stiff dough.

Turn out onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth smooth and elastic; about 8 – 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each half to an approximate 14 x 9 inch rectangle. Roll up and either place in a 9 x 5 x 3 inch greased loaf pan or make a free-form loaf. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Bake on lowest rack position at 357 degrees approximately 40 – 45 minutes or until done. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.