100% Whole wheat Bread

Source: PreparedPantry.com—Modified and tested by Juanita S. March 10, 2008

Juanita's family use this bread at home instead of store bought bread. It makes a great sandwich bread!

The key to really great 100% whole wheat bread is to extract the best flavors from the whole wheat and temper the harsh tones that sometimes accompany whole red-wheat flour. Good whole wheat bread has an almost nutty taste without a bitter aftertaste. A long fermentation gives the yeast a chance to produce its own flavors and convert the starch to sugar. By refrigerating the dough overnight, you can make excellent 100% whole wheat bread.

Yeasts perform differently at low temperatures. In this recipe, the dough is mixed the day before and refrigerated. The acids and enzymes produced by the yeast at lower temperatures temper the harshness of the whole wheat and develop wonderfully complex bread flavors. It’s no more work than other recipes; you just mix the dough the day before.

Bakers note: This bread should be very light and fluffy, not dense. The secret of making it so is to make sure that the dough rises fully both in the first rise and in the pans. The dough will fill two 5 x 9-inch loaf pans and should be very soft and puffy before baking. If you let it over-rise, you may see a blister or two in the dough. Poke the blisters with the point of a knife and hurry the bread into the hot oven.

Ingredients
3 cups fine-ground whole wheat flour
2 cups water
1 seven gram packet of instant yeast (or two teaspoons)

1/2 tablespoon sea salt 1/3 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons lecithin or butter 2 tablespoons wheat gluten 1 teaspoon dough conditioner (or lemon juice) 1/4 cup fine-ground barley flour
1 3/4 to 2 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour—up to 6 cups total for this recipe

Directions
1. Place three cups of the flour in the bowl of your stand-type mixer. Add the yeast and water (lukewarm). The water should feel warm to the touch. Mix with a whisk until blended. Allow to rest for 30 minutes or until the yeast mixture forms a sponge (a light foamy look).

2. Add the salt, sugar, and lecithin or butter and continue mixing. Add most of the remaining flour, the wheat gluten, and dough conditioner and continue mixing at a medium speed for at least four minutes adding more flour as needed to reach a soft dough consistency. (It is important that the dough be mixed for at least four minutes to develop the gluten.) The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but will be soft, not firm, to the touch.

3. Once the dough is mixed, place it in a large greased bowl, turning once to coat both sides, and cover with plastic wrap. (optional)..Refrigerate overnight or for up to three days…Step 4; if you choose to refrigerate.

4. in the day that you would like to bake your bread, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature--about three hours.

5. Let dough should rise to nearly double in size. Once the dough has risen punch down and form the loaves. You may need to coat your hands with oil if the dough is sticky. Lay the loaf gently in a well-greased loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the second loaf. Let double again in size, about 11/2 hours or longer.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the dough has doubled (the loaf should be very puffy), place the two loaves on a shelf in the top half of the oven, well-spaced so that air can circulate between the loaves. Bake for thirty minutes or until done. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on wire racks. Let it cool completely before cutting.