Whole Wheat Bread

So...a couple of weeks ago, my sister-in-law suggested that I post about our favorite bread recipes, since I make nearly all of our bread products from scratch.  I hesitated, because yeast breads can be so finicky.  So many things can alter the final outcome, such as outdoor/indoor temperature, humidity,  freshness of the yeast or flour, etc.  Some breads I've made many times will flop on occasion.  But, I finally decided that it would be a good thing, at the very least for myself, to catalog the recipes I use often.  In the weeks to come, I'll share some of our favorites!  These are recipes that have consistently given me good results and that I use regularly.

To begin, a classic whole wheat bread:

When I first started making our sandwich bread, I got discouraged pretty quickly after trying countless whole wheat bread recipes that yielded a dense and dry finished product with little rise.  (To those of you who ever were served these sub-par loaves of bread, my sincere apologies!!)  Anyway, I finally resigned myself to the fact that I would have to go 1/2 white-1/2 wheat if I wanted to have a loaf that was tender.  I found a good recipe for that, but I still really wanted to make our sandwich bread 100% whole wheat and save the white flour for cakes and cookies.

That's when I bit the bullet and finally decided to use wheat gluten.  In my opinion, it is necessary and makes all the difference.  It adds a bit of extra protein and provides the lift that the whole wheat needs.  This is the only 100% whole wheat bread I have tried that is soft, airy, and just delicious.  Though, I should say that I just quit looking after I discovered this recipe, so there are surely many other good ones out there!

I also love this bread because it stays soft and airy for about 3 days!  Without the preservatives of store-bought breads, homemade breads tend to dry out and get crumbly rather quickly.  3 days is generous for a homemade loaf of bread to still taste fresh and moist!  After that 3 day mark, the bread is certainly still edible, just not quite as good as before.  Our family uses it quickly enough that it usually isn't an issue, but if you're certain you won't use the whole loaf in that time frame, you can slice it and freeze, then pull out slices as needed.  Or, if you don't want to mess with freezing, it still makes wonderful toast!

Though I'm far from an expert-level baker, a few thoughts:

1. I always use White Whole Wheat flour.  It is still 100% whole wheat, but it is ground from white wheat instead of red wheat.  Standard wheat flours are made from red wheat and are usually quite coarse. Your finished product will taste more "wheat-y" and will probably be drier if you use red wheat.  Nutritionally speaking, you don't lose any benefits of whole wheat by choosing the white versus the red.

2. As I mentioned above, many things can affect your dough, so don't just dump in the flour specified in the recipe and call it good enough.  Start slow and feel your dough to determine how much flour to add.  Your finished dough should still be very tacky, but it shouldn't necessarily be sticky.  The longer it kneads, the more workable it will become.  If you add so much flour that the dough doesn't stick to your hands in the least, you can be certain that is is over-floured.

3. Kneading is an important step in developing the gluten that will help the bread rise.  Don't skimp on this.  You will see and feel a difference in your dough when it is properly kneaded.  The dough will start to climb the hook a bit and will clear the sides of the mixing bowl.

4. Use good bread pans.  Dark, nonstick pans tend to cook less evenly and can also negatively affect your crust.  I have Chicago Metallic commercial grade pans and I absolutely love them.

5. Temp your water.  It takes just a minute, and the right temperature of water will help your yeast do its thing.

Now, the recipe!

100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

For the Sponge:
3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups very warm water (120-130 degrees)

For the dough:
1 Tbsp. salt
1/3 cup oil (canola, vegetable, or coconut-melted and cooled)
1/3 cup honey
4 tsp. lemon juice
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

To prepare the sponge: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the flour, wheat gluten, and yeast.  Add the warm water and mix for one minute, scraping down the edges of the bowl as needed.  Cover and rest for 10-15 minutes.

To finish the dough:  To the risen sponge, add the salt, oil, and honey.  Mix for 1 minute.  Switch to the dough hook and add 1 cup of the remaining flour.  Mix in, then add another cup.  Add the final 1/2 cup as needed to achieve a smooth but tacky dough.  It may initially still look sticky.  Knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and begins to smooth out.

Preheat the oven to lukewarm by setting it to 350 and then turning it off after exactly 1 minute.

Turn your dough out onto a greased countertop.  Divide evenly into 2 loaves (if using a kitchen scale, the loaves are around 1 lb., 11 ounces each).  Place dough into loaf pans and press gently into the corners.

Place pans in the warm oven and allow to rise 20-40 minutes or until the bread is a bit less than the height you want your final bread to be.  (Don't be crazy here though!!  If you proof too long, your yeast will lose its power and it will collapse in the oven.  You should just have a nice dome above the edge of the pan.)

When risen, without removing the pans from the oven, turn on the oven to 350 and set the timer for 30 minutes.  When bread is done, immediately remove from pans and allow to cool on a wire rack.

**Here is my bread just before I turned on the oven and then after it was finished baking--I could have gone just a bit higher on the rise this time:

Enjoy!

Source: Five Heart Home