Yeast bread baking: whole wheat bread recipe

Whole wheat flour is a healthy and more natural food than white all purpose flour that has the outer portion of the wheat kernel, or bran, refined out. Because whole wheat flour contains the bran, it has more vitamins and fiber. Bread made with whole wheat is therefore a healthier food than white bread. However, most whole wheat bread recipes still contain white flour so as to make the bread softer and lighter. Although bread made completely with whole wheat flour has robust flavor, it is a very heavy and dense loaf. A nice compromise for whole wheat bread is to use a recipe that uses whole wheat and white flour in equal proportions.

The whole wheat bread recipe here is a rich and light loaf that still possesses a nutty crustiness and hearty nutrition.

Recipe ingredients:

1/4 cup hot water (105 degrees to 115 degrees F)

2 packages or 2 Tablespoons of active dry yeast

1 egg

1/4 cup melted butter

2-1/2 cups lukewarm (85 degrees F) water

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

4 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in the hot water and let it set for 5 minutes. Then add the egg (beaten), melted butter, lukewarm water, salt, and maple syrup or honey. Stir the ingredients until well blended. Now start adding the flour one or two cups at a time. Bread batter will start out sticky and wet and gradually become a stiffer dough. Using your hand to mix the dough is the easiest. Once all the ingredients are loosely mixed into a raggedly dough, turn the dough onto your floured counter and begin kneading.

You will need to knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. Kneading is a mixing process used for bread dough. It is done by pushing on the dough with the heels of your hands while using a slightly forward motion. Then you grab the dough with your fingers and fold it back under the heels of your hands. As you knead, the dough will naturally push out into a coil. Just fold the coil back into itself before it gets too long and continue kneading. You will be done once the dough has a smooth and elastic consistency and is no longer sticky. You can also test it by poking your finger into the dough and watching it spring back. This means that the yeast is alive and working.

Now you need to let the dough rise until it has doubled in size. Place the dough ball in a large bowl that has been oiled with vegetable or olive oil. Spin the dough in the oil to thoroughly coat it and then flip the dough over. The oil coating will keep the dough from drying out while it rises. Cover the dough with a clean cloth and set in a warm place. Depending on how warm or cool your house is the dough will take from 1 to 2 hours to rise.

Once the dough has doubled in size, you will punch it down by placing your fist in the center of the dough and pushing down. Then push down the dough all over. Punching down breaks up the air bubbles formed by the respirating yeast, so that your bread will have small air pockets instead of big pockets.

After you punch down the dough divide it into two masses. On a floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a large rectangle. Then fold the rectangle over itself in thirds and roll out again. Now roll the dough into a loaf. Roll it tightly and pinch the ends shut. Repeat the loaf forming process with the second piece of dough.

Place the loaves in your baking pans and smear with soft butter. Allow the loaves to rise for about an hour until they are doubled in size.

When the loaves have risen adequately, bake them in a 350 degree F oven for about 45 minutes. Rub more butter on the loaves as soon as they come out of the oven. Loaves will have a deeply golden brown crust and taste wonderful.

© Falbe Publishing.

Other websites from this publisher: The Fantasy Tavern - Home Canning - Halloween - Christmas - Star Trek - Dogs - Tattoos - Dragons - Swords - Global Warming