A hearty, chewy bread, best served warm. Just what you’d expect to find in a bread basket at a country inn. Unlike more traditional yeast breads, this one calls for only one rising. –The Benn Conger Inn, Groton, New York
3/4 tablespoon dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups warm water
2 cups white flour
2-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup molasses
In a large bowl combine the yeast, sugar, and 1/2 cup of the warm water. Stir until the yeast dissolves and set aside to proof. Combine the white flour, whole-wheat flour, and salt in a dry mixing bowl and place in a warm oven (170°F.) until the mixture is slightly warm. Add the molasses to the dissolved yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and slowly stir in enough of the remaining warm water to make a sticky, but not runny, dough. Place the dough in 2 greased 8-1/2×4-1/2-inch bread pans. Put in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until loaves are brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the pans and let cool on a rack before slicing.