Whole Wheat bread

Master Recipe #3: Whole Wheat Bread

Remember you can find this recipe in Bread Made Easy found here.

SIDE NOTE: Technically this bread is light whole wheat because it is not made from 100% whole wheat flour.

This recipe was very intriguing when I read through it because it has such a strange cast of characters. Who knew instant dry milk and potato flakes would be used for making bread? I sure didn’t.

The recipe started out just like any other, proofing the yeast, mixing the dry ingredients together, then the wet, then beating the heck out of the dough.

FUN FACT: This recipe called for bread flour. According to OChef.com bread flour is “a high-protein flour, specially formulated for making yeast breads. The combination of extra protein, a tiny bit of malted barley to help the yeast, and vitamin C or potassium bromate to help the formation of the gluten, helps the dough rise and retain gasses as it bakes, resulting in greater volume and better texture.”

This was the first recipe that gave a range of flour needed, instead of a finite amount. Since my dough is always dry, I just used the minimum amount required. I think it made a difference because this was the first dough that I really understood what the author meant by “shaggy” dough.

The part I struggled with was forming the dough into a smooth loaf shape. The recipe says to divide the dough into two parts. Then, pat the dough out into a rectangle and roll it up like a jelly roll. So, I patted it out,

Then I rolled it up and placed it in the pan. It looked like a wet towel rolled up and not the beginnings of delicious bread.

SIDE NOTE: To roll up like a jelly roll it means you fold the small ends of the rectangle in just a little to even the dough up, and then roll the long side up to create a  roll.

With the second half of the dough, I just rolled it around in my hands until it was a smooth lump, and then placed it in the pan.

Here are the two different methods. When I made this bread again I’m just going to roll the dough around until it’s smooth and not worry about the jelly roll method.

SIDE NOTE: I didn’t have the right size of pans, so my loaves were shorter than I think they should have been. I guess I’ll be making a quick stop by amazon.com to get the right pans for next time.

The bread smelled wonderful the entire time it was baking and it tasted just as delightful when it was done. This recipe is what I think homemade bread should be; soft, fluffy, and flavorful. So far, this has been my favorite recipe out of this book.