Basic Whole Wheat Bread

I have for as long as I can remember loved fresh baked bread.  Bread baking honestly is easy and fun.  Especially when you have the right ingredients and the proper equipment.  

Nothing compared to fresh baked bread.  It smells like home and love combined.  I realized that we have not done just a blog recently on bread making.  We do a lot of breads, but not just plain wonderful sandwich bread.  

Nothing is plain about fresh baked bread, but in comparison to all you can do it tends to be on the ordinary side, at least for me, but even saying that it is my go to recipe and my go to bread.  From sandwiches to french toast, I love everyday whole wheat bread. 

I tried to do the 100% whole wheat thing, but to be truthful my family rebelled.  They loved white bread and I do still live by the rule no matter how healthy it is if your family won’t eat it you have wasted your time.   So for me and my family I have found that adding white flour really changes the game.  And it doesn’t have to be a lot of white flour to make a huge difference.  Not just any white flour, but I always use chemical free clean flours. I actually love the one I sell on my on line grain store.  The price is great for 10 or more lbs.  It is clean and works really well.

I often grind my own flour with the Wondermill also to make a wonderful whole wheat bread.  I love using hard white wheat.  It is lighter and actually alkaline instead of acidic like hard red wheat.  That means your body will like it better.  The hard red does have a nuttier flavor, but many struggle with the acid.  

I love adding other grains to my bread also.  Other grains add great texture and great flavor and the bonus is added minerals and vitamins.  

When adding other grains remember the majority of flour has to be gluten or high protein.  Wheat, red or white, spelt, or inkhorn work really well.  All of  them are high in protein and make great bread.  My rule is 80% needs to be those mentioned the other 20% can be what ever flour or grain you desire.  So take this recipe and have fun with it.  It is the basic formula, and from the basic you can create many wonderful recipes that will delight you your family.  

Remember, if you are stressing making your bread you are doing something wrong.  Bread making should be enjoyable and fun.  With the right ingredients and of course a Wondermix anyone can make perfect bread.  

I have many videos at chefbrad.com that you can watch and learn from them.  

Enjoy!

Chef Brad~America’s Grain Guy 

Basic Whole-Wheat Bread

This bread can be 100% whole wheat, but natural white flour really adds to the texture and overall end result of the bread. 

4 cups hot water

1 Tablespoons salt

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup honey

3 tablespoon sugar  (Adding sugar increases the flavor of the honey in the Bread)

4 tablespoons Saf-Instant Yeast

8 to 10 cups fresh ground hard white wheat flour or red wheat ground in your Wondermill 

2 to 4 cups Natural White flour (optional),   

Place water, canola oil, sweetener, and salt in your Wondermix bowl with the dough hook.  Place 8 cups whole grain flour on top of ingredients and place yeast on top of whole grain flour.  Turn on Wondermix and add  more flour including natural white flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.    Knead for 6 minutes.  Before turning of Wondermix, drizzle oil around dough to help it come out of bowl.  Turn of mixer and remove dough to oiled counter top.  Form into 2 lb.  loaves and place in bread pans to rise.  Let rise covered with light cloth until double in size,  about 20 to 25 minutes.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven, dropping the temperature to 350 baking for 25 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees.  Remove from oven and remove from pans and let cool.