Basic Wheat Bread

Hearty wheat loaves can be made in many sizes and shapes

Ingredients

2¼ cups of warm water (100 to 110° F)

2 packages of active dry yeast

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons of salt

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 cups whole wheat flour

3½ to 4 cups of bread flour

Directions

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, oil, and salt, and mix well. Add wheat flour and mixing well until flour is thoroughly incorporated.  Allow batter to rest for five minutes to allow the wheat flour to absorb more liquid.  Add 3 cups of white flour, one cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each cup.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured countertop.  Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to make a smooth and elastic dough that is only slightly sticky. Lightly oil the surface of the dough and place in a clean, dry bowl.   Cover with a dry cloth and let rise about an hour or until doubled.

Punch down dough and knead briefly to expel larger air bubbles.  Divide dough into two equal portions.   Lightly dust your hands with flour.  Grasp the portion of dough on opposite sides and pull gently to stretch the top.  Tuck the ends under and pinch them gently.  Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat, again stretching the top into a smooth surface; tuck the ends under and pinch.  Repeat as necessary to form a smooth round of dough with some tension on the top.  This tight surface will hold the gases better and make for a higher, lighter loaf.   Repeat with the other portion of dough.  You may also roll the dough gently on the countertop under your palm to form an oval shape.

Place the loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet, evenly spaced.  Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise for 30 minutes or until almost doubled.  Using a very sharp knife, slash a cross into the top of each loaf just before placing them in the oven.  Bake in a preheated 375° F oven on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped.  The interior temperature of the loaf should be 195 to 200° F.   Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

--Because whole wheat flour has proportionally less protein by volume than white flours, bread flour is recommended for this recipe to increase the amount of gluten in the dough.  Otherwise, the resulting loaf may be rather dense and heavy.   There’s some extra kneading involved compared to other bread recipes for the same reason.  It’s worth the effort.

--You can substitute granulated sugar, molasses or honey for the brown sugar.  You can also follow the instructions for baking in loaf pans, see “Basic White Bread”  

--I make this bread every year on Holy Thursday, often with my students.  One year we baked over 50 loaves of wheat bread for a bake sale to benefit the hurricane victims in Haiti.  We sold out of bread in 13 minutes!