Wheat Bread Recipe

I've been making the bread for our house for the past month or so. I've made 3 or 4 batches, with the last two being double batches. My double batch of this recipe makes 8 smaller loaves. I should clarify that when I say double batch, I essential mean I make two batches at once, not simply doubling the recipe. I'm not sure if just doubling it would work or not, and I think that doubling it would make the dough difficult to manage in someone's home kitchen.

I got this recipe from Pennies & Pancakes. The first two times I attempted it I followed the recipe exactly, using the combination of white and wheat flour. The resulting bread was good, but had a stronger yeast flavour than I really liked. This may have been some technical error on my part, but who knows. After that, I found multigrain flour on sale and decided to try it instead of the whole wheat. I substituted cup for cup and was much happier with the results. I find that I need about a cup, give or take, more flour when using the multigrain to get the right constancy and the dough is a little stickier, but its still a simple, tasty recipe.

Wheat Bread

3 C lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbsp dry active yeast
3 Tbsp honey or sugar
1/3 C oil
2 1/2 tsp salt
3 C white flour
4-6 C whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar or honey in the warm water. Cover and let the yeast bubble and grow for at least 10 minutes. Longer is fine, but at least 10.

Before

 After

While I'm letting the yeast feed and bubble, I measure out my dry ingredients.

I sift the 3 C of white flour into a second bowl. For a recipe with strictly white and wheat bread, I add 4 C of wheat flour to the white and leave out an additional cup to add in while I knead it. I do the same with the multigrain except that I leave out 2 cups for kneading in.

I add in the salt and then mix to combine the flours evenly.

White flour, multigrain flour and salt

Go back to your yeast. Once it looks all bubbly, add the oil.

Incorporate the flour into the yeast mixture. I find it easiest to add about half of the flour, mix well and then slowly add the rest, mixing with a rubber spatula. It will get difficult to mix, but use the spatula as long as you can before you pour it out onto a floured surface. It will still be quite sticky.

Knead the dough, slowly adding enough flour to make the dough a little tacky to the touch (more so with the multigrain) but no longer sticky. It should be smooth and elastic. It takes a little longer when using the multigrain flour. I usually end up kneading it for 6-8 minutes.

Cover and let the dough rise until it doubles. It usually takes mine just over an hour, but it depends on the warmth of your kitchen. My kitchen was on the cooler side one day so I turned on my oven and cracked the door open for 20 minutes or so to warm things up.

Doubled

Punch the dough down in the bowl. The original recipe directs you to divide the dough in half and form it into 2 loaves. I found that it made loaves that were too large so I've been dividing mine into quarters.

Slightly knead each portion and then form it and place into a slightly greased pan. I only have 2 loaf pans so I form the other portions into round loaves and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Cover and allow to rise for a second time. The original recipe that divides the dough into two says to rise for the second time until the highest point is about 1/2" above the level of the pan. When I divide it into quarters I usually let it rise until the loaves in the actual loaf pans reaches about the top edge of the pan. While the dough rises for the second time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

After forming

After 2nd rise

Bake for approximately 25 minutes. I find these size loaves usually require about 30-35 minutes but check them at 25, depending on your oven. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Ta-Da!