Whole wheat bread
Jan 26th, 2009 by Amy
This is my first attempt at making kneaded bread and the first post of a somewhat regular (weekly-ish) bread baking project I have decided to work on. The project came about when I realized how little I know about grains, despite my passion for locally grown beans and grains. I have made the infamous no-knead bread and homemade pizza dough a number of times, but backburnered learning to bake bread until now.
With my lack of experience, I opted for a simple recipe for my first foray. I got this recipe out of the old standby, Joy of Cooking. I am sure these first loaves wouldn’t win any bread baking contests, but it tastes really good and it was surprisingly easy to make. Unfortunately, I haven’t procured local wheat to mill flour yet, so these loaves consist of King Arthur’s bread flour and Wheat Montana whole wheat flour. I do consider the Wheat Montana flour local since we bought it at their I-90 store last summer on our driving trip to North Dakota.
Looking into bread flour a bit more, I learned that it has the highest protein content of its other flour siblings - all-purpose, pastry, and cake flour. The extra protein comes from hard wheat, which is used for bread flour, while soft wheat is typically used for pastry and cake flour, and a combination of soft and hard wheat are used for all-purpose flour. According to Joy of Baking, the extra protein helps the bread rise and maintain its structure.
I am excited about this little project and am looking forward to using different types of grains. I do plan to attend a couple of the upcoming bread classes at our local extension office to speed up the learning process. If you have any cookbook recommendations, please put them in the comments.
Quick rising whole wheat bread, from Joy of Cooking
Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients
2-1/2 tsp active dry yeast (1 pkg plus 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup warm water
1-1/2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
3 cups bread flour
Combine yeast and 1/4 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl. Let stand until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Add 1-1/2 cups each of bread and whole wheat flour, 2 cups warm water, butter, sugar, and salt. Mix by hand for about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining 3 cups of bread flour 1/2 cup at a time. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl. Turn dough over to cover both sides with oil, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place (75F-80F) for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. It should double in size in this time.
Grease two loaf pans, punch dough down, divide in half and form into 2 loaves. Place loaves seam side down in the pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap again and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Again, it should double in size.
Preheat oven to 450F. Bakes loaves for 10 minutes and reduce heat to 350F. Bake until bottom of loaves sound hollow when tapped - about 30 minutes more. Remove from pans and place on a rack to cool.
For more information and recipes on beans and grains, click here.
Bread flour makes such a difference! I love making my own bread, both for the joy of it in the accomplishment every time (no matter the outcome, I’ve learned something and tried something), but also for the endless varieties I can dream up. Beyond anything in the conventional supermarket. Plus, it is so fresh and tempting! I hope you keep posting about your ventures, it’ll be great to get your thoughts and taste recipes
Mangochild - Thanks for the note. I’ll look at your site to see if I can find some bread ideas
Hey Amy,
I like your plan for trying new breads! I’ve been trying to make our own with a bread-maker and am very interested in what you find with your research on the grains and flour…so keep sharing the good ones! I have added vital wheat gluten for the portion of whole wheat or all purpose flour as it is supposed to help with rising.
Take care!
Hi Amy! Thanks for the link to the bread classes! I think I’m going to go to the one on artisan breads. Will you be there?
Livia - Thanks for the tip on wheat gluten. I will have to try it. I have a couple loaves of potato bread in the oven right now. Can’t wait to try them!
Donna - I am hoping to go to that class but have a couple of other things that I may need to do that day. It would be great to meet you!
Amy,
I love that you are experimenting with making your own yeast bread. My Mom used to bake it every week and I truly miss it since she passed away. I even brought home a bread machine as a less-than-satisfying substitute, but I took it back without using it.
Your recipes are great & refreshing with the variety of products you incorporate into them. I’ve never tried cooking with fennel, other than seeds, of course.
Your buying produce & products locally is such a great idea! I’ve seen more heirloom produce over the last year or two, which can be much more flavorful, even if less visually appealing.
Keep up the good work on your blog. Patricia sent me your link.
Beth
Beth - Thank you for leaving your note and visiting my blog. I am hoping to encourage more people to bake bread every week - its not very difficult or hands-on time consuming. I have fond memories of my grandma’s bread as well and that was part of the inspiration for my weekly baking project.
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