Whole Wheat Bread

May I get a hallelujah?! I have been working on perfecting wheat bread for three years and I think I have finally figured out how to get a soft, delicious wheat bread every time.

I don't even really know where to begin with wheat bread. I have learned that it is an art that takes perseverance to learn and master. We have eaten solely homemade bread for over two years. Sometimes it has been delicious and sometimes I feel tempted to throw it to the ducks. I have tried several recipes and I was always looking for the fix-all. After many flops and some pretty dense bread loafs, I present to you the all mighty wheat bread!

Let me share just a few tips.

:: Kneading wheat bread dough for 10 minutes or more is key. It allows the gluten to develop which will make it soft and delectable.

:: There is such thing as too much oil and honey. I believe this is why I have not had consistent success with recipes. I thought, "Hey, what's good is better if there is more, right?" Nope. My hypothesis is that it was making my bread too dense and difficult for it to rise.

:: Instead of doing a full double rise recipe, I prefer to allow some of the flour to rise with the rest of the ingredients for about 20 minutes and then do a full 10 minute knead and then let the bread rise fully in the pans.

:: If using a Kitchen Aid, initially mix the majority of flour in with a spatula or wooden spoon. Using the kneading hook doubles the time it takes to make the dough. I have a love/hate relationship with the Kitchen Aid as a dough kneader.

I have no words. It's just beautiful. 

Whole Wheat Bread

I have a 5.5 quart industrial Kitchen Aid. Before merrily jumping into this recipe, please know what your mixer can handle. Specifications for my mixer are found in the instruction booklet. I'm sure Google knows the answer as well. 

Also, I freshly grind my wheat. I think this makes a difference in the longevity of my bread. It will stay soft and mostly moist for longer. Store bought, pre-ground wheat results in a drier bread, but it is still good and edible. I am currently into using white hard wheat berries and soft white wheat berries. I do about a 2:1 ratio of hard to soft. Don't let this scare you - if you now feel overwhelmed, go buy pre-ground wheat at the super market and proceed.

Yields: 2 - 8 X 4 X 2.5 inch loaf pans

2 C warm water
1 tbsp active dry yeast
3 tbsp vital wheat gluten with vitamin C (Hodgson Mill can be found at Walmart)
3 tbsp oil
3 tbsp honey

6 - 7 C whole wheat flour
(This is an approximation for flour. You may use more, maybe less. The cup amount you use will depend upon if your wheat is freshly ground or store bought. Freshly ground tends to be lighter and more airy. You want your bread to come together and it generally does clear the side of the bowl while mixing once enough flour has been added.)
2 tsp salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer add water, yeast, gluten, oil, and honey as well as 1 1/2 C wheat flour. Mix with the cookie paddle (or by hand with a spoon) until everything is well combined. Remove the cookie paddle, cover the bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Put on the dough hook attachment. Add salt and 2 more cups of wheat flour and begin mixing. (I suggest if you are using a Kitchen Aid to mix the dough with a spoon or spatula before putting the dough hook on. It will cut your mixing time in half.) Add remaining flour 1/2 C at a time while kneading for 10 minutes. Give the dough time to come together (it will start to pull in a stringy way - gluten is developing) and try not to over flour your dough. It should pull away from the sides, but the sides may not be completely clear and clean. Sometimes it takes more than 7 cups.

When you take a piece of your dough, you should be able to roll it around to easily unstick it from your fingers and then it should hold its form.

Divide dough into two balls, press flat into a rectangle a little longer than the length of your pan and twice as wide as your pan. Starting on the long end, roll the dough - jelly roll style - and tuck in the ends. Place in a greased loaf pan and cover with towel or greased plastic wrap.

Let rise until about 1 inch above pan. Place in cold oven and turn oven to 375 F. Bake for 25 minutes, turn the oven off and let sit for 5 more minutes in oven. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely before putting in bags.

[Take a deep breath and do it! If you want to make great whole wheat bread at home, you can! It will take practice to get a feel for the dough, especially if you are not used to working with yeast doughs. But it is totally worth it!]

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe - Darcy's Recipe and Mom's recipe.