Whole Wheat Bread

There aren’t many things better than the sense of accomplishment acquired from baking your own bread, except for of course, indulging in a slice from a fresh loaf slathered with warm butter and honey. Yes it takes some time and a little bit of manual labor, but this wheat bread is completely worth the effort and much easier than you may think. Plus, it’s free of all the unnecessary chemicals and preservatives in most brands in the supermarket. If time is of concern, just make a few batches one Sunday and freeze the baked product until ready to use. Best of all, this is a basic recipe that can be easily adapted to suit a variety of tastes. How about cinnamon-raisin swirl bread or my personal favorite, a cranberry and walnut loaf? This bread is also soft but sturdy enough to make thinner slices that are excellent for sandwiches. Use the leftovers to make croutons, french toast, bread pudding… the possibilities are endless!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 14th Ed., 2007.

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast
1 ¾ cup water, heated between 110-120°F
3 to 3½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour

To begin mix together the yeast, the appropriate temperature water, and 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes in a warm, draft-free environment, such as an inactive microwave or oven. This process is known as “proofing,” and it allows the baker to ensure that the yeast is still alive and active before wasting additional ingredients. Within 10 minutes the yeast should have created a thick layer of foam on top of the liquid, as shown in the photograph. If not it is dead, and you will need to buy a new batch.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of all purpose flour, salt, and the remaining brown sugar. Then with an electric mixer set to low, add the melted butter and water/yeast mixture. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, incorporate the whole wheat flour and as much of the remaining all-purpose flour as possible.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and begin kneading in any leftover flour. Continue adding flour until you make a dough that is smooth and elastic. This will take between 6-8 minutes of kneading, and depending on your location, the humidity, etc. you may be left with as much as ½ cup of all-purpose flour. Shape the dough into a ball and lightly coat with oil (cooking spray works well for this). Place in a large bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (1 to 1½ hours).

Punch the dough down and turn onto a lightly floured service. Divide the dough into halves and cover. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll each dough halve into a rectangle approximately 12in X 8in. Beginning with the shorter side, roll up the dough and seal the seams with your fingertips. TIP: This technique of rolling dough into a log is necessary in many other delicious recipes, including cinnamon-raisin swirl bread.

Placed shaped dough into two lightly greased 9X5in loaf pans (the original recipes calls for an 8in X 4in X 2in  pan, but I experimented with different sizes and found that a 9 X 5 loaf pan works best. Either would suffice.) Cover and let rise until doubled in size in, approximately 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the bread makes a hollow noise when tapped. After 30 minutes of baking, check the bread. If it looks like it may overbrown, cover it with tin foil. Once done, immediately remove the bread from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

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