It's been about six months since this post on making 100% whole wheat bread in a mixer. This recipe worked great...a few times...and then it just wasn't working out for me. The loaves were dense, didn't raise well, didn't taste right. But, I've found the answer to all my bread making problems: vital wheat gluten!
So here is the best whole wheat bread recipe yet:
2 1/2 cups hot water
3 1/2 cups white wheat flour
1/4 cup warm water
1 TB yeast
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey
1 TB kosher salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
4-5 cups white wheat flour
Mix warm water and yeast in a cup, let bubble for five minutes or so.
In your mixer, mix hot water and 3 1/2 cups flour.
Mix in salt, oil and honey.
Mix in yeast mixture.
Add vital wheat gluten, then about 3-4 more cups flour, until dough doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.
Mix for 10 minutes.
Spray 2 loaf pans. Once dough has finished mixing, divide the dough in half, shape each piece into a loaf and place in pans.
Cover with a towel and let rise for about 30 minutes (I've been letting mine rise outside where it's nice and warm).
Bake for 25-30 minutes (mine is done in 26) in a preheated 350 degree oven.
Are you grinding your own wheat? Are you using old yeast? Are you over kneading?
ReplyDeleteThe answer to these three questions may solve your whole wheat bread woes. But...if gluten works...go with it.
A good friend of mine invested a lot of time in learned to cook whole wheat breads. She was trying to share some of her knowledge with me and one of her answers was vital wheat gluten as well! (and not to use too much yeast, since the bread can rise too fast too quickly and then fall on itself making dense bread)
ReplyDeleteOne other thing I liked was she said after spending all the this time with whole wheat she realized that anyone can make bread from white flour - it's a cinch! It's easy and pretty hard to screw up, but whole wheat on the other hand . . . that's an art. It takes time and patience and really learning the science of bread making.
Anyways - good luck on your quest - I'm going to have to try out your recipe sometime soon!
The recipe I use is A LOT like yours. I think mine also includes some sugar, but I let it rise twice. You just divide it into the pans from the get-go? Wow! I just freak and let my dough rise for like HOURS. I don't want bowling ball bread.
ReplyDelete