Saturday, February 7, 2009

Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tbsp. honey
1 heaping tbsp. instant yeast
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. canola or sunflower oil
3 cups whole wheat flour (or any other whole grain)
Dough enhancer/conditioner- 3 tbsp. vital wheat gluten, 1/2 tsp. soy lecithin, 1/8 (or pinch) citric acid, and sprinkling ginger.


1. Mix water, yeast, honey, soy lecithin, and 1 1/2 cups flour with electric mixer for 3-4 minutes to develop gluten.
2. Take 1 cup of flour and remove 3 tbsp. of flour. Add in 3 tbsp. of vital wheat gluten, 1/8 (pinch) of citric acid, and a sprinkling of ginger. (I do this while the first step is mixing in my stand mixer)
3. Add 1 tsp. sea salt and 4 tablespoons canola or sunflower oil. Mix thoroughly.
4. Add the cup of flour with gluten, etc included and mix thoroughly. Add another 1/2 cup of flour.
5. Scoop out dough onto floured surface and add in another 1/2-1 cup while kneading.
6. Knead for about 2-3 minutes.
7. Wash out bowl, dry it, then lightly oil it (or use a separate bowl, oiled). Put kneaded dough into the bowl to rise in a warm place (we put ours on the bathroom counter with the heater turned on, so it is really warm). Cover with towel.
8. When double in bulk (we let it rise 30-35 minutes, but again, we put it in a really warm place- it may take up to an hour in the typical home), punch down and form into loaf. Place in oiled loaf pan.
9. Let rise until almost double in bulk (25-30 min)
10. Place in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes (to test it, thump it on the bottom and it will sound hollow).
11. Take loaf out of plan to cool on rack or towel. When completely cool, store in plastic bag. For soft crust, cover loaf with a towel after you remove it from the pan.

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