Whole Wheat Bread
Give us this day our daily bread!
Whole Wheat Bread
Mmmm, smell that fresh baked Whole Wheat Bread!
Whole wheat bread, I say make it homemade and with freshly milled whole wheat flour. Now, that is real 100% whole wheat bread.
Bread, especially sandwich loaf bread, is such an integral part of our lives.
- Is it really a grilled cheese without it?
- What about a delicious BLT? Say it isn’t so!
- Peanut butter and jelly just isn’t the same on any other bread.
But, who truly wants bread made from bleached out, sifted white flour, containing lots of added chemicals and no nutrition? FYI, even the “whole wheat” from the store isn’t really whole wheat. Most are basically white flour with a little bran added back. Some even use caramel coloring to make it brown. Really?!
You can make your own REAL 100% whole wheat bread that is so fresh – full of flavor – packed with life-giving nutrients
Yes, you can make it in the comfort of your own kitchen by using freshly milled whole grains. As a result, you will have bread made with no chemicals, no preservatives, no freaky ingredients made from hog hair and other what-not, no insane amounts of gluten, just a handful of natural ingredients that you control. How awesome is that?!
“So, how do you get freshly milled whole wheat,” you ask?
By milling your own grain!
By milling the grain yourself in your own kitchen with your own grain mill. Visit these pages to learn more about milling fresh grains:
Getting Started-Milling
Real Bread
The following recipe is made using fresh milled 100% whole wheat and other super nutritious ingredients. Fear not, if you do not mill yet, that’s OK, homemade is still better than store-bought any day. Simply replace the flour measure with unbleached white flour or bread flour or 1/2 bread flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour.
By the way, this super easy whole wheat bread recipe is so universal you can use it for dinner rolls, hoagie rolls, cinnamon rolls, pizza rolls, and bread sticks just to name a few.
Note:
If you are new to yeast loaf whole wheat bread making, fantastic! Because making whole wheat yeast bread is part science and part art; I feel that additional explanation is helpful. I recommend reading through the recipe instructions first and these Article pages as well:
Bread Making Tips
Ingredients
OK, let’s get to it.
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Note:
If you are new to yeast loaf whole wheat bread making, fantastic! Because making whole wheat yeast bread is part science and part art; I feel that additional explanation is helpful. I recommend reading through the recipe instructions first and these Article pages as well:
Bread Making Tips
Ingredients
Yeast dough requires the glutens to be stretch/kneaded in order for the dough to rise well; I find it much easier to use a stand mixer. I use the Bosch Universal Plus Mixer; my baking hero!!! Because the Bosch holds so much dough, to save myself tons of time, I typically make the 3-loaf recipe and divide it up into multiple loaves or a combination of cinnamon rolls, a loaf and dinner rolls. That way, I have breakfast, lunch and dinner covered. Of course, divide the dough as you desire.
**If you have a regular stand mixer: KitchenAid, MixMaster, etc. then use the 2-loaf recipe.
Also, I like a 9 x 5 loaf pan; it’s more like a regular sandwich size.
Recipe
Whole Wheat Bread
For regular stand type mixers: KitchenAid, MixMaster, etc.
2 Loaves (approx. 1+ lbs each)
or 1 Loaf & some Rolls
Ingredients:
2 cups Warm Water
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Sucanat* or raw Honey or sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons Real Salt Sea Salt*
1 Tablespoon Lecithin* (optional)
2 teaspoons Gluten*(optional)
1/4 cup fresh ground Flax Seed* (optional)
5 – 6-1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour – freshly milled
Freshly milled Bean Flour* (optional)
1 Tablespoon Instant Yeast
For Bosch Mixer:
3 lbs dough (approx), Divided
(Recipe can be doubled in the Bosch)
Ingredients:
3 cups Warm Water
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Sucanat* or Honey
1 Tablespoon Real Salt Sea Salt*
2 Tablespoons Lecithin* (optional)
1 Tablespoon Gluten* (optional)
1/2 cup fresh ground Flax Seed* (optional)
7-9 cups freshly milled Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tablespoons Instant Yeast*
Freshly milled Bean Flour* (optional)
If you do not mill
your own flour yet
Simply replace the needed flour with unbleached all-purpose or bread flour. See Getting Started-Milling to learn about milling your own grain & bean flours and corn meals.
Recipe adapted from :
The Grain Pantry
*Ingredients: See explanation in the instructions below or for greater detail click here to see my Ingredients page. The optional ingredients are just that, optional. However, they do enhance the taste, texture and nutrition of your bread, but you totally may omit them.
Keep an eye out for my helpful tips and tricks.
Instructions
Note: Again, if you are new to making yeast loaf whole wheat bread, I encourage you to take a look at my Bread Making Tips page for more thorough explanation.
Prepare your loaf pan(s): grease with butter, olive oil or coconut oil. Set aside till needed.
Mill your flour
Start by Milling your whole wheat grains (berries) into flour.
- One cup of grain will produce about 1-1/2 cups flour; so, simply divide the total cups of flour needed by 1.5 to get the number of cups of grain you will need to mill. (These amounts are approximates.) Example: 9 cups flour needed / divided by 1.5 = 6 cups grain to be milled.
- For added protein & nutrition add dried beans in with your grain when milling. I like to use navy or baby Lima beans. Simply add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of dried beans per every cup of grain. Have no fear, once you bake the bread you won’t taste the beans, just extra goodness.
- If you do not mill your own flour yet, simply replace the needed flour with unbleached all-purpose or bread flour. See Getting Started Milling to learn about milling your own flours and corn meals.
- If using a standard stand mixer, like a KitchenAid or MixMaster, use the 2-Loaf recipe.
Look at that – whole grain in
Freshly milled wholesome flour out
Doesn’t get any fresher or easier than that!
Mill your flax seed
Now would be a good time to grind your flax seed in your coffee grinder or blender. Like flour, to benefit from all the nutrients of flax seed, it must be ground fresh every time. Pre-ground flax seed from the store has already lost much of its nutritional value due to oxidation.
Note: Never grind flax seed or other oily seeds or spices in your grain mill.
Measure your ingredients
Notice there are only a few necessary ingredients: liquid, fat/oil, sweetener, salt, yeast and flour; the other ingredients are optional and simply to enhance the dough. The point is, bread doesn’t need all those crazy ingredients that the food industry uses.
Gather & measure out all your ingredients before you begin. This will help alleviate forgetting something. I forgot the salt once, the bread had no taste and did not rise very much. Salt is a must in bread baking.
Yeast: Yeast is our leavening agent in this recipe.
- I like to use instant yeast. Two rises aren’t usually needed; therefore, saving a lot of time.
- Regular active dry yeast may certainly be used. Proof it first: In a small bowl add the dry yeast, 1/2 cup of the warm water and a teaspoon of the sweetener (from your recipe). Allow to rest for a few minutes until bubbly; then add it to your mixer bowl. You will also need to rise in the bowl, then again, in the bread pan. Active dry yeast does lend toward more flavor.
- Store a portion of your package of yeast in a glass jar with a tight lid in the fridge, the remaining opened pouch keep in the freezer in a freezer-type bag.
Liquid: One liquid or a combination of the water, buttermilk or milk may be used. Be sure to warm your liquid to about 110-115 degrees; not too hot, though, can kill your yeast.
- Water – Most recipes call for water, but other liquids will work as well. Water will contribute to a chewier inside and crispier crust.
- Milk – May be substituted for some or all the water, just be sure to warm it. Milk adds mild sweetness and lends to a softer texture and browner crust.
- Buttermilk – As with milk, some or all the water may be substituted, again, remember to warm it as described above. Buttermilk or even yogurt adds a lovely tangy flavor and will create a tender, softer texture. If you don’t have buttermilk, simply sour sweet milk by adding 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice; stir, allow to set for a few minutes to sour; then add.
Time to Mix
In your large mixer bowl, add the liquid, olive oil, sweetener, salt, lecithin and gluten. Mix on low about a minute. That dark stuff is the lecithin, just in case you were wondering. If you are working by hand, no problem, simply mix everything in a large bowl with a sturdy wooden spoon. A mixer just, does, make bread-making-life easier!
Stand mixers -Besides my grain mill, the Bosch Universal Plus Mixer is hands-down one of the best investments I have ever made. I love this mixer! It is so easy to use, tough enough for whole wheat bread dough. Check out that dough hook below; it’s awesome! It replicates hand-kneading. The large mixing bowl can hold a lot of ingredients: 8 pounds of dough, 4 cake mixes, 5 pounds of hamburger meat plus fixings for multiple meatloaves, just to name a few and has lots of attachments available. I could go on and on. It is a must-have in every kitchen! Comes in white or black.
Adding the Flour
Whole grain recipes will many times give a flour-needed range (6-9 cups). This is because the moisture in the grain itself can vary; therefore, the amount of flour actually required can also vary. Since we don’t know about the moisture content in our freshly milled flour, start with only half (3 of the 6 cups) of flour added to your liquids (as described in the above step), blend well, allow to rest a bit to absorb some of that moisture.
Moisture plays a huge role in the bread-making process. When working with fresh milled flour you really don’t know how much moisture is in the grain. The amount of moisture in the grain will affect the liquid to dry ingredients ratio. In other words, if the grain was grown during a dry season, not much rain-fall, then the grain will not have much moisture within, so when the liquids are added to the flour, the flour will absorb more of the liquids than it would if grown in a wet season. By allowing the dough to rest a bit before kneading gives the flour time to absorb some moisture to help produce a soft bread product. Otherwise, your bread may come out dry and crumbly.
Now, to the liquid mixture add half of the flour and ground flax seed, then the yeast on top. Mix about a minute or two; scrape the sides if necessary.
Add the flour first and then the yeast. You want the salt and yeast separated. Salt can sometimes kill your yeast.
Cover and allow to rest or “sponge” for about 15-20 minutes. During this time the flour is absorbing moisture. The yeast will get to work causing the dough to rise some and become “spongy” looking.
After sponging, turn your mixer on medium-low and start adding the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, then STOP adding flour. Your dough will be on the slightly sticky side. By hand: Stir in as much flour as you can stir by spoon, then work in with your hands enough flour for a sticky dough.
Start your timer, knead for about 8 minutes to fully develop the gluten. Kneading by hand: Have a little flour on your work surface and hands, pour out your dough, may take about 10 minutes. See next step: Forming the Dough.
Whole grain flours can soak up a lot of moisture during the sponging and kneading time.
Brick Bread: DO NOT be deceived by the dough sticking back on the sides or pooling at the bottom of your mixer bowl. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Adding too much flour will cause your loaf to be heavy and dense; producing what I call “brick bread”. It is always better to error on the side of sticky. More flour is easily added on the counter; more liquid, not so much.
Dough may look a little shaggy in the mixer, that’s OK.
Form the Dough
With some water or olive oil on your hands and your work surface, remove dough from bowl and place on nicely greased surface.
- Try not to use flour on your work surface unless dough is extremely sticky. Remember, using flour adds more dry ingredients back to your dough and can make the loaf heavy and dense.
- Use a dough cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough. Bread dough does not like to be torn.
- When baking multiple loaves at the same time, it is best if all loaves weigh the same for even baking. See Bread Making Tips for more info.
On your oiled work surface hand knead dough a few turns to form a smooth soft ball.
OK, on a funny note: I know, my lighting is not the best, so no judging; lol. Yes, my hand and arm are different shades. That’s because, when I mow I wear gloves. So, I have nice tan arms and semi-tan hands. Ha.
Remember, white flour from the store has had the oil, germ, middlings, and bran taken out. So, because all the components are present in fresh ground flour, the dough will weigh differently than when using white flour. Those components make a slightly heavier dough. This is also reflective of the liquid to dry ratio; another words, how much liquid the flour absorbs. Therefore, the ‘3 lbs’ dough could be a little over or a little under in total produces dough. There is no exact with fresh milled flour doughs. So, weigh your dough for your perspective loaf pan.
Divide and weigh dough into portions for the size loaf pan you have. It doesn’t have to be exact, but try to get close.
- Pan 8-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ = 1 lb dough
- Pan 9″ x 5” = 1 lb 5 oz (Sandwich size)
- Pan 10″ x 5″ = 1 lb 12 oz (Family sandwich size)
Pan shown is the 9″ x 5″ sandwich size.
I love these bread pans!!! They are USA Aluminized Steel with a silicone coating. You never have to grease them. My favorite size is 9″ x 5″, more like a standard sandwich loaf of bread.
Press or roll dough into a simple thick rectangle the width of your pan; then roll dough up as you would a sleeping bag, pulling back gently with each curl.
Pinch the seam, tuck under the ends and transfer your beautiful dough to a well greased pan. Butter, olive oil or coconut oil will do. If using a USA pan – no need to grease. LOVE that!!!
Rising the dough
Cover your bread pans with plastic wrap or a light damp kitchen towel. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free location: on the counter, in the microwave or in the oven with just the light on. Rise dough till double, about 30 minutes to an hour or more. The warmth of the space will dictate how long.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees when dough reaches the top of the pan.
If rising dough on a stone type counter, be sure to elevate the pan on a rack of some sort. Because most stone counter surfaces are naturally cool, the top of the dough may rise leaving the lower part dense. So, the key is to have circulation all the way around your pan.
Bake
Remove plastic wrap or covering and place in preheated 350 degree oven. Bake 30-40 minutes; until internal temperature is at least 190 degrees.
Remove pan from oven, place on cooling rack. Cool for about 5 minutes. Longer will cause bread to become soggy.
For a softer crust, as soon as you remove pans from oven, cover with a lightly damp towel. Continue to cover after you have removed loaves from their pans.
Remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on cooling rack.
Delicious, 100% whole Wheat Bread that is soooo good for you!
Who’s got the butter?
Cool completely before storing. Bread made from freshly milled whole grains have a limited counter-storage time. Depending on your environment, it may keep 3-4 days on the counter or in a bread box. Lightly wrap in a dense kitchen towel, bread bag or plastic wrap. I find that using zip-top plastic bags are too dense and tend to cause my bread to mold within a couple of days. Storing in the refrigerator will lend to staleness, so I avoid that.
Long-term Storage: Cool completely. Slice first if desired. Place in freezer zip-top bag, plastic bread bag or wrap several times with plastic wrap and freeze up to a month. Thaw in bag/wrapping, elevated on a cooling rack. Again, fresh bread is only good for a few days. So, eat up!
Other Dough Uses: Dinner Rolls, Hoagie Rolls, Cinnamon Rolls, Pizza Rolls and much more.
More Info: Bread Making Tips – Ingredients – Getting Started Milling
