First and most important, you need a GOOD mixer. I use a Bosch mixer. It can handle over 10 cups of whole wheat flour for 5 loaves of bread. My mom's professional Kitchen Aid mixer could barely handle the power needed to make two loaves of whole wheat bread.
You also need some decent flour. I grind my grain and use Prairie Gold Wheat Berries that I get through a whole grains co-op I belong to. There's nothing like 50 lbs of wheat berries to really emphasize buying in bulk. There is no wimpy housewife in this location!
Step 1: Grind 7 c of the grain. I bought a grinder to go with my Bosch. I'm not sure if you can buy this anymore, but there are many decent grain grinders out there.
Step 2: To the mixer, add 6 cups of warm water (warm enough to bathe a toddler in), 2 T of yeast, 1 c of gluten flour, 8 c of whole wheat flour (which you can do even if you didn't grind it yourself). Mix.
Be sure to put the cover on for optimal toastiness for the pre-bread to rise.
Step 3: Let it sit until it looks like the picture below (the pre-bread has risen to the top of the mixer bowl). During this time, you can change a diaper, wipe snot off of the child who doesn't know how to use a kleenex, yell at someone to get some clothes on or drink a quiet cup of coffee if you have such luxury. Just keeping it real.
Step 4: Mix it a little and add the following: 2/3 c oil, 2/3 c honey, 1 1/2 T salt, 2 c white bread flour, and additional whole wheat flour until the sides of the bowl are looking clean. Don't add all the flour you have, this is the key to fluffiness- not too much flour.
Step 5: Let it mix for 5 minutes. If wads of bread start flying around the kitchen and it's not been 5 minutes, go ahead and stop. No one needs to get hurt. Yes- this has happened. Turn off the mixer and make into nice little loaves of bread and put into greased pans. As we say in my house, let them go night night and put towels over the pans to keep them nice and warm.
Step 6: Let the bread rise to about this level:
I used to do what the books say- let rise until double. That's until I forgot the bread in the house while I was outside one day and it really got big. I found out it's much lighter and more squishy (the technical term) when I let it rise to about triple.
Step 7: Bake at 375 for 30 minutes on the lowest rack of your oven. This may be different with different ovens. This is what has worked for my oven. At the end of all this, you get light and fluffy almost 100% whole wheat bread. Yum!
I freeze most of it in bags that are at least 14" long. I found that the Cub Food generic homelife brand has twist and tie storage bags that work great. Gallon ziplocks aren't big enough. The bread does just fine. Of course, it doesn't sit for very long in the freezer at our house. Last 5 loaf batch lasted us a whole week...Sigh...
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That looks like yummy bread! Thanks for the step by step and the link so I could read your entry.
ReplyDeleteI am step in the baby stages of learning so specifics were very helpful. :)