A springy, light loaf that’s all whole-wheat
Extra yeast give this whole-wheat bread a light, bouncy texture more commonly associated with white breads.
Honest-to-Gosh 100% Whole-Wheat Bread
2 packages active dry yeast (or 4 teaspoons)
1 ½ cups warm water (110◦)
5 tablespoons honey or molasses (1/3 cup)
4 ¼ to 5 ¼ cups whole-wheat flour
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
In a large bowl, combine yeast, water, and 1 tablespoon of the honey; let stand about 5 minutes (You will see the yeast start to activate and bubble).
Add 1 ½ cups of the whole-wheat flour. Beat until smoothly blended. Cover and let stand in a warm place until doubled, 20 to 30 minutes.
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| Using Paddle mixing attachment |
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| Towel helps to keep in warmth to aid in the dough rising |
Stir in butter, remaining ¼ cup honey, salt, and eggs.
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| My ingredients of choice |
Add 2 cups whole-wheat flour and beat until thoroughly moistened. Stir in another 1 ¼ cups flour if needed . (I found I only needed ½ cups for the desired texture and density).
- If using a dough hook, beat on high speed until dough pulls cleanly from sides of bowl, 5 to 8 minutes; add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed.
- If mixing by hand, scrape dough out onto a whole-wheat-floured board and knead until dough is smooth, about 10 minutes; add just enough flour to board to prevent sticking.
Place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover dough with plastic wrap (I used a kitchen towel).
Put in a warm place and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
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| Dough doubled in size |
Punch dough down and knead lightly on a board to release air bubbles. Cut dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into a loaf and place each in a greased 4x8 inch loaf pan.
Cover lightly with towel and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, 20 to 30 minutes.
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| Dough doubled to loaf size, ready for the oven |
Bake in a 375 oven until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. (I found my oven runs hot, I bake at 325 for 35 minutes and its great). Turn out onto racks to cool.
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| Picture from very first batch, even though, one loaf is larger than the other, they still turned out great. |
Makes 2 loaves, each 1 ¼ pounds –
Alison Conner, Mercer Island Washington.
Passed on by Claudia Rood, Riverside, California
Passed on by Michelle Elliott, Riverside, California (recipe comments by Michelle)
Notes from Claudia Rood:
Be sure to use a thermometer to get the water the right temperature. I use a small glass measuring cup and put in microwave to get to the right temperature.
The key when using a food processor (i.e. Kitchen Aid) is running the machine the full amount of kneading time. You may not want the mixer on 'high', just fast enough to keep the dough off the sides. Once you have added the right amount of flour it will keep on the hook and clean the sides of the mixing bowl. The more you knead the dough, the better it will be as the yeast is exposed to the air and the moisture in the air will have an affect on the dough.
Getting bread to rise: I usually put in oven to proof. If it is really cold turn oven on just till the heater comes on, then turn off. If it is too warm it will cook the dough.
Notes from Michelle Elliott:
I found using my paddle attachment on the Kitchen Aid gave the dough starter a smoother mixture and allowed the yeast to activate evenly, I switched to the dough hook to knead.
Homemade whole-wheat loaf rises tall during baking. Use a serrated knife to slice thinly for sandwiches and toast.
