Wheat Bread

A healthy and easy recipe for a simple wheat bread with a more robust flavor. whole wheat is different than regular white bread and you cannot exchange white flour with whole wheat flour one to one, and hope for the bread to come out great with out making any a few adjustments. This recipe I have used a blend of whole wheat and white flour to create an easier light textured and robust tasting loaf. Using white flour also helps in increasing the bread volume. Whole wheat flour the water amount has to be increased slightly to properly hydrate the wheat flour.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Yield: 1 loaf (I doubled the recipe for the 2 loaves pictured)

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup milk powder (optional)

2 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 1/4 cup warm water

2 tbsp oil

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. In a stand mixer, add the yeast, warm water, and honey. Allow mixture to sit at room temperature for a few minutes

3. Add the To this mixture, add the beaten egg and oil

4. Add the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, milk powder, and salt to a separate bowl and mix

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients

6. Using the dough hook attachment for your mixer, mix for 3 to 5 minutes until the dough begins to comes together (try to avoid overworking your dough)

7. Flour your workspace (I use a silicone mat to keep things tidy!) and place the dough on it to knead the dough for 2-3 minutes

8. Make a smooth ball and lightly oil it to keep any crust formation

9. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise (proof) for 30 minutes (photos below)

Before Proofing: After Proofing:

Shaping the Dough

1. Roll out the dough and fold into a rectangle

2. Tuck the sides of the rectangle inward and seal them well by pinching the dough

3. Roll the dough to form a log shape

4. Grease a loaf pan and place your wheat dough log seal side down

5. Leave the dough in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes or until it rises about an inch over the pan (photo below)

6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Wheat bread tends to darken a bit on the top. Halfway through the baking process, place a loose piece of aluminum foil over the loaf or an empty baking sheet over the top rack to prevent the crust from darkening

7. Remove from the oven to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!