Yeast Breads: Whole Wheat Bread

A whole wheat recipe is hard to find. A lot of the recipes out there are too heavy, too dense for the majority of people to enjoy. While you can make a 100% whole wheat loaf, most people don't want that. So if you don't like 100% whole wheat, consider this simple recipe next time you're in the mood for Whole Wheat Bread.


If you do want a darker, denser loaf, replace more of the all purpose flour with whole wheat. Bear in mind that this will result in a shorter loaf that doesn't rise as nicely. Heavier flours do that.


Ingredients


1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1¼ cups water.


Preparation


Like most of my recipes, we're not using traditional yeast so there's no need to dissolve it before hand. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a spoon until a loose ball forms. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough comes together and develops some elasticity. You should end up with a smooth, soft ball of dough.


Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour. Spray a bread pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Punch down dough, getting as much of the air out of it as you can. Shape into a smooth loaf and place in prepared bread pan. Let rise for a second time in a warm place. Because it's whole wheat, the second rise will probably take longer than the first. It needs to double in size, so be prepared to wait 90 minutes or more. Impatience will result in a dense and disappointing loaf.


When the loaf is done rising, heat oven to 375°F. Brush top of loaf with an egg wash, if desired. Bake loaf for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the loaf is well browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, cool completely on wire rack.


This recipe makes 1 loaf. Whole Wheat Bread can be used in place of Basic White Bread most of the time.