Whole Wheat Bread

My daughter has one more year at home before she leaves for college. (!!!)  I am still having a hard time with this concept.  It seemed like it was just last week I was worried all the kids would be little and needy forever.  But, no. They do actually grow and mature and become less physically demanding and more emotionally needy.  I know this now. 

So we are working on being prepared (all of us) for this eventuality of her leaving home.  Part of that is making sure she is confident to live on her own.  So she asked me to teach her to bake bread..."OF COURSE I'LL TEACH YOU TO BAKE BREAD!!!" I joyfully shouted in my head. In reality, I calmly said, "Sure, we can do that.  How about tomorrow?" While feigning indifference.  (You can't be too excited when teenagers decide to act like adults, or ask to spend time with you, it might frighten them off.)

Hooray for her wanting to bake her own bread!  Maybe some of me has actually made its way into her head!  (Only kidding, if you know her at all, you know she is quite like me about 90% of the time...all that drama and speech & debate?  Yeah, that's not me.)

Because of the Texas heat, I've actually been starting to get up early and bake when feasible.  She and I woke up nice and early and got to work!

Place your sweetener (I like to use honey, but you can use sugar, brown sugar, molasses, agave nectar, maple syrup, etc.) in the bowl of a standing mixer.  Pour in the warm water (110-115 degrees F) and stir to dissolve. Sprinkle on the yeast. (TIP: I store my yeast in the freezer to keep it nice and fresh all year.)  Allow to sit for about 10 minutes to wake up the yeast, while you gather the rest of your ingredients.

Add the oil to the yeast mixture (I use coconut oil, melted and cooled, but you can use any kind you want) along with two cups of the whole wheat flour (I generally use a white wheat which I grind myself).  Mix together on a low speed using a dough hook.

Add 2 more cups of the wheat flour, the salt and the vital wheat gluten.  Mix together until a very soft dough forms.  Scrape down the bowl to incorporate all the flour.  Allow this mixture to rest for 5-10 minutes.

 Slowly add the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.  The dough should stick slightly to the bottom of the bowl, but should no longer be sticking to, or leaving bits on the sides (in fact it should be picking up dough bits left of the sides of the bowl.)

Knead the dough in the standing mixer for about 5 mintues.

Remove the dough to a slightly floured surface.  Divide the dough in half and shape into 2 loaves.  Put each loaf into a greased bread pan.  Brush the loaf with either water or egg, lightly beaten.  (For a chewier crust use water, for a softer crust use egg.) Sprinkle the top of each loaf with a tablespoon toasted wheat germ.  Cover lightly and allow to rise at room temp for about 1 hour, until the dough rises about 1 inch above the top of the pan.

While the dough is rising preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  As soon as you put the pan in the oven reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  Bake fore about 35-40 minutes to until the bread is a deep, golden color.

Immediately remove the bread from the pans and tip into their sides to cool on a rack.

I know it's horribly tempting, but, do not slice until the bread is completely cool!  You will save yourself some grief.  Even after being taken out of the oven the bread is still cooking inside and needs to be left alone.

You'll have plenty of time to enjoy your yummy bread!

Let's eat!

Whole Wheat Bread

¼ cup sweetener (I use honey)

2 ½ cups warm water (110-115 degrees F)

1 Tablespoon yeast (active dry yeast)

¼ cup oil (I use coconut oil)

6 ½-7 ½ cups wheat flour (amount used depends on daily humidity level)

1 Tablespoon salt

¼ cup- 1/3 cup Vital Wheat Gluten

2 Tablespoons toasted wheat germ

Pour the honey into the bowl of a standing mixer.  Add the warm water and stir to dissolve the honey.  Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast is mostly dissolved and puffs up.

While you are letting the yeast wake up melt the coconut oil and set aside to cool.

Add the melted oil to the yeast mixture, along with 2 cups of the wheat flour, mix together on a low speed using a dough hook.  Add 2 more cups of the wheat flour, the salt and the vital wheat gluten, mix together till a very, very soft dough forms (scrape down bowl as needed to get it all incorporated).  When combined allow this mixture to rest for 5 or so minutes.

Add the rest of the flour slowly, 1 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.  The dough should stick slightly to the bottom of the bowl, but should no longer be sticking to, or leaving bits on the sides (in fact, it should be picking up dough bits left on the sides of the bowl).

 Knead the dough in the standing mixer about 5 minutes. 

Remove the dough to a counter or mat which has been lightly sprinkled with flour. 

Divide the dough and shape into 2 loaves.  Put each loaf into a greased bread pan. Brush the loaf with either water or an egg, lightly beaten, and sprinkle with the wheat germ.  Allow to rise about 1 hour (length of rising depends on how warm the room is) until it rises about an inch above the pan. 

Near the end of the rise time preheat the oven to 390 degrees F.  As soon as you put the bread into the oven reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the bread is a deep golden color.

Remove bread from pans immediately and lay the loaves on their sides to cool on the cooling rack.