Ok. So sometimes. Well, just about as often as I like to eat ice cream, I will indulge in a french baguette slathered in butter. It's one of my weaknesses, okay. Leave me alone.
But anyway, most of the time, I prefer to eat whole wheat, and almost EVERY recipe I found for "whole wheat bread" uses almost or MOSTLY HALF white flour. I guess someone decided that it must be to difficult a recipe to master, so they would just lie to everyone and say it couldn't be done.
And DONE.
I have your delicious, easy, 100% Whole Wheat Bread. Hope you're hungry.
2 3/4 cups of hot water
1/3 cup of oil, olive is fine
1/4 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons agave nectar (maple syrup is good too)
3/4 tablespoon salt, any kind
7 1/2 cups (max) of 100% whole grain wheat flour (King Arthur
recommended)2 tablespoons of dry active yeast
Directions:
1. Place the first five ingredients in the bowl and mix.
2. Add: 2 Cups 100% whole grain wheat flour. Mix, then add 2 tablespoons of dry active yeast. If your not sure about your yeast proof it in a little warm water first.
3. Add: 4 cups of 100% whole grain wheat flour.
4. Mix until the consistency is some what even. Then continue to slowly add flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough quits sticking to the sides of the bowl. It should be tacky to the touch. The trick is to have enough consistency to stand up with the least amount of flour so the bread will be fluffy. In any case do not exceed 7 1/2 cups of wheat flour. Don't over mix or the bread will be tough.
5. When your dough is finished, Cover the bowl and let it rise for about 30-45 minutes. Dough should be double in size.
6. Grease two bread pans with olive oil spray or any kind of slippery stuff. You can also flour the pans to reduce sticking.
7. Mix again just enough to knock it down at least close to the original size.
8. Drop the dough on a floured surface so you can work the dough and shape it. Roll it in the flour and shape it in your hands to make a nice ball getting enough flour on it so it isn't sticky.
Divide the ball in half and do it again.
Shape the loaves by turning the dough under it's self over and over. When the dough is shaped right the sides and ends will be sealed and all you will see is a nice oblong shaped loaf with smooth sides and top.
Drop the loaves in your bread pans and let them rise until almost doubled. At this point, we usually go to the park or something.
Preheat your oven to 350 and bake for 36 minutes.
9. When done turn the bread out of the pan to a rack to cool. You can eat it right away with BUTTER, or peanut butter if you're me and butter is not your friend. Wait till it's completely room temperature to wrap it up or else the condensation will make it wet. You can freeze one loaf and eat the other one. I would cut it when it' completely cooled because it get's hard when it's cold and easier to cut.
Notes: I usually use a fork and big bowl to mix this. No power mixers here. Fingers are OK. If you like fluffy wheat bread like they make at Great Harvest Bakery, this is it! I use King Arthur flour, only because it's the only one I've tried so I stick with it. This will not end up hard and dense unless you mix it too much. And no kneeding. This is a no needy bread zone, so keep your rings on.
Serves: 12
Preparation time: 3 hours