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It took me years to find a consistent, delicious whole wheat loaf bread recipe. Either the bread was too dense. Or I ended up with loaves half as tall as I would like. Or the it simply fell apart when I tried to slice pieces for a sandwich.

But now I can say that I have a recipe that I love and that has turned out well many, many times. And I’m excited to share it with you. 

Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaves

This recipe makes two large sandwich loaves. And with only 30 minute rise and bake times, it can be made it 2 hours or less. The bread itself is so delicious and will leave your house smelling incredible. 

Bake a couple of fresh loaves for yourself. Be sure to eat a few slices warm with butter (you’ve earned it), and then save the rest for toast with jam, a fancy grilled cheese, to take on a picnic, or for whatever else you like whipping up in your kitchen.

You can watch how to make this bread, two ways. Check out the fast version in a highlight on my Instagram profile, or watch the first part of the video below (the second portion is how to make peanut butter and chia seed jam for a completely homemade PB&J).

More Like This ::

• Bread Baking Tips and Tricks
• 12 Easy Homemade Bread Recipes
• One-Hour French Bread
• Simple Thin Crust Pizza Dough 
• Sourdough Baking 101: Recommendations, Recipes, & Resources

Recommended Resources ::

• Victorinox Bread Knife
• Vital Wheat Gluten
• Bread Pans 

Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaves

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
• Prep Time: 90 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 2 loaves
• Category: bread
• Method: baking

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Description

Soft and tender whole wheat sandwich loaves that can be ready in just two hours!

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Ingredients

• 3 C hot water

• 1/3 C coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 C honey
• 1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
• 2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten (or other dough enhancer)
• 8-10 C flour (half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour.
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

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Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, oil, honey and yeast. Let the mixture stand for five minutes while the yeast starts to foam and bubble. After about five minutes, stir in the vital wheat gluten, 6 cups of the flour, and the salt. Stir well to incorporate all of the flour. Add additional flour in 1/2 C increments and continue to stir until the dough begins to come together and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
2. Transfer the dough onto a clean counter and knead, working in additional flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hands or the counter. Continue to knead for 5 more minutes until the dough is soft and smooth.
   
3. Turn on your oven and set a timer for 2 minutes. After two minutes, turn the oven off. Place the dough in a clean bowl with a teaspoon of olive oil in the bottom. Flip the dough once to coat the top. Cover the top of the bowl loosely with a dishtowel and let rise in the warm oven until the dough is doubled, about 30 minutes. Use a timer to keep track of the time.
   
4. After the dough has risen for about 30 minutes, punch the dough down in the center. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide it into two pieces. Roll each piece out into a 8 x 10 inch rectangle, then roll tightly into a long 10″ log. Place log in a greased bread pan. Repeat with second half of dough.
   
5. Cover the pans with the dishtowel, and let the loaves rise a second time for about 30 minutes again. (I return them to the still-warm oven for part of the time). The bread should be just rising out of the pans. It will continue to rise when it is baking.
   
6. About halfway through the second rise time, preheat the oven to 375°.
7. When the loaves have risen until they are just beginning to come out of the pan, drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil on top of each loaf and bake them in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 180°.
8. Remove the bread from the oven and let them cool in the pans an a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pans to continue cooling. You can also return the loaves to the oven (now turned off) to let the exterior get crustier.

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The post Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaves appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.

The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here. 

This is my go-to pizza crust recipe. In fact, it’s the only pizza dough I ever use. It is so easy and does not require much time to rest/rise. We like a thin crust’s taste and I also like not filling up only on bread but on the rest of the pizza’s goodness too.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that the two things I’m known best for right now are the Instant Pot and this pizza dough. I get tagged in pizza posts on Instagram every single day and I love it! Check out my saved pizza highlight on Instagram for video demo’s of pizza, and even more tips and ideas!

Homemade pizza is incredibly versatile, not to mention incredibly delicious, and this simple pizza dough recipe makes it accessible for cooks of all skill levels and ages, and makes it fast enough for quick lunches and dinners.

Simple Thin Crust Pizza Dough

I’ve used a variety of flours for this dough– all-purpose, spelt, kamut, and fresh-ground flour. Because this dough is so straight-forward and no-fuss, it is flexible with the flour you use as well.

No rise/rest time is technically required, but my general method is to start by turning on the oven so my baking steel can preheat, then make the pizza dough, press it out with buttered fingertips (makes it so easy!), and then let the dough rest while I gather/prep the sauces and toppings. 

Occasionally I will plan out our pizzas so that we have specific types of pizza, but most often we have a few different pizzas based on whatever is on hand in the fridge. Leftover ranch? Great. That can be one sauce. Marinara sauce in the freezer? Perfect. No sauce options at all? No problem. We can just use olive oil and herbs.

Since we have pizza so frequently at our house, I also like to keep a few items on hand all the time for quick throw-together pizzas. I get shredded mozzarella cheese from Costco and freeze one of the bags. Costco also has an awesome bag of real chopped bacon that is perfect for pizzas, frittatas, soup, etc. And, of course, we always have a bag of Power Greens (mix of spinach, baby chard, and baby kale) that makes an easy topping on pizza…and everything else too.

One last idea that I will share before the recipe and additional tips, is that homemade pizza is one of my favorite foods to serve for impromptu lunches with friends and even for birthday parties sometimes.

Because it’s such a frugal meal idea, and infinitely versatile, homemade pizza makes a great hospitality meal. 

Pictured below is from one of my kids’ birthday parties. I made a big batch of pizza dough, divided into many small portions and let the kids come in and assemble their own pizzas. It was a lot of fun, and since we could cook four at a time, it didn’t take a really long time either.

Homemade Pizza Tips, Recipes, & Resources

I put together a “one-stop shop” list of recipes, inspiration, and resources for all your pizza needs below. Be sure to save this post for future reference!

PIZZA RECIPES & VARIATIONS :: 

• Barbecue & Caramelized Onion Pizza (made with smoked pulled pork or my fav. Instant Pot barbecue chicken)
• Garlic Infused Olive Oil Pizza with Proscuitto & Bacon
• Buffalo Chicken Pizza
• Pesto Pizza with Ricotta and Mushrooms
• Spinach & Bacon Alfredo Pizza 

SAUCE IDEAS ::

Pictured: marinara on top, Alfredo bottom left, pesto bottom right

• Make-Ahead Marinara Sauce (or Instant Pot version in my cookbook)
• Best Ever Ranch Dressing
• 5 Minute Super Greens Pesto
• Olive oil + Salt & Pepper + Herbs
• Alfredo Sauce
• Buffalo Sauce (ranch + Frank’s Red Hot sauce)
• Greek Dressing ( combine 1/4 C olive oil, 1/4 C red wine vinegar, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp dijon mustard in a jar and mix well with a fork).

RECOMMENDED TOOLS ::

I HIGHLY recommend these tools for making amazing pizzas. Seriously, the baking steel changed my life.

• Baking Steel (perfect, crispy crust every time) UPDATE: My pizza steel is currently unavailable, but this Lodge cast iron pizza pan looks great and has great reviews! I love all the Lodge products I own.
• Pizza Peel (crucial for easy transfer in and out of the oven)
• parchment paper (our preferred way to move the pizza from the counter to the oven)

MORE WAYS TO USE THIS DOUGH ::

• Twisted Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Breadsticks
• Easy Homemade Stromboli
• Calzones

The sky is the limit when it comes to homemade pizza! Don’t forget to tag me when you share what you come up with! I’d love to see!

Simple Thin Crust Pizza Dough

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 36 reviews

• Author: Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 1 10" pizza
• Category: Pizza
• Method: Baking

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Description

You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make homemade pizza dough! It’s so quick and easy, perfect for pizza, calzones, Stromboli, and more! 

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Ingredients

• 1 1/3 C all purpose flour
• 1/2 C warm water*
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp yeast

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450° (or 500 if using a baking steel).
2. Combine the yeast and water in a glass measuring cup. In a small mixing bowl, stir together 1 C flour and the salt. Pour in yeasty water and stir. Add the remaining flour (1/3 C) to make a soft dough that is no longer sticky. Knead the dough a few times on your clean counter, adding flour as needed. Cover it with a dish towel and let it rest while you prepare your sauce and toppings.
3. Butter a round pizza pan. With buttered hands spread the pizza dough onto the pan. This makes a thin crust pizza so carefully spread it out to the edges.
4. Add your sauce and toppings. (This is a thin crust so it’s best to not overwhelm it with sauce and toppings).
5. Bake the pizza at 450° for 10-12 minutes (or 7-8 minutes at 500 on a baking steel).

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Notes

*warm tap water is fine. You don’t want the water to be scalding to the touch or it will kill the yeast.

This recipe easily doubles, triples, quadruples. Each portion is enough for one 10″ pizza, or you could divide the dough into smaller portions for individual pizzas.

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The post Simple Thin Crust Pizza Dough appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.

The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here. 

I will grant you that it is easier to buy jam from the grocery store. But, when the jam only takes fifteen minutes and one pan to make, it’s really not that much easier.

I learned how to make jam after picking strawberries with my kids. Pectin and a loootttttt of sugar.  

We all know that consuming too much sugar is not good for you. Need more convincing? Take a look at these (read this, look at this, or watch this) and see what excess sugar can do to our health.

Since my first jamming experience, we have taken a lot of strides in reducing our everyday sugar intake. Fewer treats, switching to more homemade pantry staples, and keeping sweetened drinks at a minimum (our iced tea is just barely sweetened).

13 grams of sugar in 2 Tablespoons of grape jelly!

If you are wanting to make changes to your diet but you are not sure where to begin, taking a look at how much sugar is in the packaged foods at the grocery store can be eye-opening.

My suggestion is just to pick one thing to stop buying and start making at home.

Remember: You don’t have to do it all and gradual changes are much better than jumping all in and getting overwhelmed. 

Before I say anything else, though, I want to be clear that we haven’t (and don’t plan to) eliminated sugar completely from our diet. I don’t think that food is a moral issue– so I don’t think that one mom is “better” than another simply because they eat less sugar.

However, if you are here, you are either interested in making some things a little healthier than what you can buy, or you are already familiar with my passion of making from-scratch cooking more accessible and family friendly! 

Chia Seed Jam

This jam can be made with just three ingredients and in just about fifteen minutes. Which is why it’s the ONLY jam I ever make, because I always have the honey, frozen fruit, and chia seeds on hand, and it’s so easy to start a batch of jam while I make my morning coffee or when I’m doing something else in the kitchen.

If you’ve never worked with chia seeds before, they are pretty incredible (not to mention fascinating). They absorb whatever liquid they are mixed in and take on a gel-like consistency. This makes them perfect for jam, pudding, and even as a substitute for eggs in baking.

Honey is my jam sweetener of choice, but you could substitute a different option if you prefer. Add enough to taste. Thankfully, because berries are sweet on their own, not too much is needed!

As far as the berries go, farm-fresh berries in strawberry season are amazing. But, this recipe works with fresh or frozen fruit. I’ve made it with all strawberries, or a mix of berries. Same process whichever you choose.

Of course, this jam is great on sandwiches and on toast. But it’s also really delicious dolloped on homemade yogurt, or sandwiched in between pie dough to make homemade pop-tarts. 

More Like This ::

• Easy Strawberry Crisp (naturally sweetened & gluten-free)
• Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Perfect Creamy Peanut Butter
• Maple Vanilla Ice Cream
• 20 Essential Summer Recipes You Can Make in 10 Minutes or Less

Chia Seed Jam

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 7 reviews

• Author: Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 3+ cups

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Description

Chia seed jam is so quick and easy to make, is super healthy, and so tasty too!  Only three ingredients and fifteen minutes!

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Ingredients

• 5 cups fresh or frozen berries
• 1/4 C water
• 1/4 cup honey (to taste)
• 2 (heaping) tbsp chia seeds

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Instructions

1. Stir together water and berries in a medium saucepan.

2. Heat berries over medium-high heat, until they come to a boil, about five minutes.

3. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to mash the berries as they soften.

4. Stir in honey.

5. After about ten minutes, when the fruit is soft and thickened, remove the pan from heat. Stir in the chia seeds and mix well.

6. Transfer the jam to jars and let the it cool completely. Keep in the refrigerator. The jam will thicken as it cools.

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The post Easy Chia Seed Jam appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.