One tip I would add to the preceding tips is, soak the whole wheat flour (freshly ground if possible) in an equal amount of plain yogurt for 8-12 hours before you mix the rest of the ingredients in. It softens the bran and makes the nutrients more accessible, PLUS making the bread more tender and moist. I got this idea and a million others from Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions." There is a restaurant in Ketchum, Idaho (next door to Sun Valley) that used to serve a similar loaf, with added whole apricot halves, almonds and sometimes other fruit. I think they charged $20 a loaf, or something outrageous like that. It tasted perfect without the addition of butter or jam!
3 C flour (white, whole wheat, rye -- any kind, or any mixture, will do) 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (NOT instant) 2 tsp salt 1 3/4 C water oil for bowl flour or cornmeal for countertop
Equipment:
whisk or fork wooden spoon (optional) mixing bowl "resting" bowl plastic wrap Dutch oven or any other pot with lid that can go in oven
Directions: Day 1
Mix dry ingredients together with whisk (or fork). Add water and mix with one hand (or a wooden spoon), just enough to moisten all the dry ingredients. Transfer from mixing bowl to oiled resting bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 12 to 24 hours.
Directions: Day 2
Preheat oven to 500 Fahrenheit degrees, with the lidded pot inside. Pyrex works best for this, but a cast-iron Dutch oven is great too. Don't do anything else for at least half an hour, while your oven heats.
Dump dough onto a HEAVILY floured surface (floured with flour, wheat bran, cornmeal, or whatever you like) -- like, use a whole cup of your flour/whatever, at least. Fold once or twice, but do not knead. Sprinkle the top with more flour.
Get a friend to help if possible. Open the oven, remove the pot lid and set it right by the pot, dump the dough into the pot, lid the pot, and close the oven. This should all be done as quickly as possible without hurting yourself. I speak from experience: do NOT forget your pot holders or oven mitts, not even in the interest of speed. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes if you've used white flour, 30 to 40 if you've used whole wheat flour.
Variations:
* Use different flours. * Flour your board with oats, cornmeal, wheat bran, or something else besides flour. * Add a handful of caraway seeds, raisins and nuts, or some other seed/nut or fruit for flavor and texture. * One of my favorites: Add 1 TBSP caraway, 1 TBSP honey, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, and the zest of 1 or 2 oranges. * Experiment, and tell us all about it.
This is the best whole wheat recipe that I have ever made using all whole wheat flour and believe me, I have made many over the years. I now make all my own bread because this recipe is so good. I mix it in bread machine but bake it in my oven.
100% Whole Wheat Bread
1-1/3 cups lukewarm water 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup molasses 1 tsp salt 1/4 cup nonfat dried milk 3=1/2 cups whole wheat flour 2-1/4 tsps. instant yeast (or bread machine yeast)
Mix in order given if your bread machine tells you to put liquid ingredients in first. Then put it in bread machine on dough cycle. When it is done, take out and shape into loaf and bake for approximately 30 minutes at 375 degrees or till when tapped, sounds hollow.
1 TB Rapid rise Yeast 2 1/2 cups White Flour 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour 1 tsp salt 2 TB Sugar 4 TB Gluten 1 TB Olive Oil 1/2 cup Molasses 1 1/2 cups warm water MIX IN DOUGH CYCLE OF BREAD MACHINE OR KITCHEN AID MIXER, ETC. DUMP ON TO "BREAD BOARD" to rest or proof a bit, then pan it.
BAKE 350 degrees buns 15 min or so Makes 2 doz buns or 2 large loaves bread
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Request: Wheat Bread Recipe
Archived on 02/20/2009
Does anyone have a good recipe for wheat bread made in an oven, not a bread machine?
Doris from Reedsville, WI
Answers:
RE: Wheat Bread Recipe
If you find the box mixes for bread machines on sale, they are very good and have the directions on them to make them by hand and bake in the oven. (02/07/2007)
By
RE: Wheat Bread Recipe
This is from the Prepared Pantry website. I used this recipe at Thanksgiving, my family loved it.
100% Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
Ingredients
5 to 6 cups fine-ground whole wheat flour
1 seven gram packet of instant yeast (or two teaspoons)
2 cups water
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons melted and slightly cooled butter
Directions
Place about three cups of the flour in the bowl of your stand-type mixer. Add the yeast. Carefully measure 2 cups, room temperature (80 degrees) water. The water should feel cool to the touch. Mix the water with the flour with a dough hook for 30 seconds or until the yeast is dissolved and the ingredients begin to combine.
Add the salt, egg, sugar, and butter and continue mixing. Add most of the remaining flour and continue mixing at a medium speed for at least four minutes adding more flour as needed to reach a soft dough consistency. (It is important that the dough be mixed for at least four minutes to develop the gluten.) The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but will be soft, not firm, to the touch.
Once the dough is mixed, place it in a large greased bowl, turning once to coat both sides, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or for up to three days.
On the day that you would like to bake your bread, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature--about three hours. The dough should rise to nearly double in size.
Once the dough has risen, form the loaves. Coat your hands with flour and gently form a loaf by pulling the dough around itself to create a slightly stretched skin. You may need to coat your hands several times if the dough is sticky. If necessary, pinch the seams together on the bottom of the loaf. Lay the loaf gently in a well-greased loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the second loaf. Let double again in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the dough has doubled (the loaf should be very puffy), place the two loaves on a shelf in the top half of the oven, well-spaced so that air can circulate between the loaves. Bake for thirty minutes or until done. The interior of the loaves should register at least 185 degrees when an insta-read thermometer is inserted through the bottom crust. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on wire racks. Let it cool completely before cutting.
Put these ingredients in a small bowl & let set 10 min. while mixing the following ingred.
In a large bowl:
3 cups whole wheat bread flour
3 cups white bread flour
1 Tablespoon salt (mix in flour before adding next ingredients)
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cup warm water
The above water, sugar & yeast mixture: Mix all together by hand until thoroughly mixed. Wipe down sides of bowl with spatula. Spray top of dough with Pam & cover top of bowl w/ clean dish towel & allow to rise until doubled. (2-4 hrs)
Dump dough out on floured surface & knead about 2 min. Separate into 3 equal pieces. Shape into loaf shape & place into 3 Pam sprayed loaf pans. Cover with dish towel & let rise until doubled. Bake @ 350 degrees 20-25 min. Let cool in pans 5 min. before turning out onto wire cooling rack. Cool completely before wrapping or bagging. (04/01/2007)
Mix all ingredients to form a dough. Let rise 2 times. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until done.
By Robin from Washington, IA
Whole Wheat Bread #2
Ingredients
5 cup water
2/3 cup oil
3/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. lecithin granules
1/4 cup gluten
1/2 cup yeast
1 Tbsp. salt
13 cup wheat flour
Directions
Use warm water from faucet. Sprinkle yeast and gluten over water. Add oil, honey, salt and lecithin granules. Add 6 c.flour and stir well. Gradually add approximately 7 more cups flour, kneading as you go. Knead well. Let rise 2 times. Then place 1 lb. dough in pans. Let rise until double and bake at 325-350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
