Mmmmm, homemade bread, so comforting... The smell alone makes my day brighter, I have to admit I find working with dough therapeutic. This recipe is very forgiving. What is not forgiving is the wheat and the yeast. Wheat can be stored for a LONG time without losing nutrients, but it does lose the ability to make good bread. I went a whole year once thinking I had lost my knack for bread baking, only to find when I opened a new bag of wheat from a different source my bread was awesome again. It’s pretty tricky because it all looks the same. A safe bet is Montana Wheat, which can be found many places including Preparing Wisely. Yeast is hit or miss at the grocery store and active dry yeast dies easily. I stick with SAF instant yeast which can also be found at Preparing Wisely. Quality bread pans are worth the couple extra bucks. Pleasant Hill Grain Company carries the pans I like in 3 sizes, they also carry dough enhancer, SAF yeast and nice bread bags. Also, I feel a scale is important to make nice loaves that cook evenly.
Hard white wheat is a whole grain that is a hybrid of hard red wheat. It is equal in nutrition to the other wheat varieties. This bread is perfect for sandwiches and french toast. It is light and mild tasting. If you are just switching from white bread, this is an easy transition. If you meet resistance with your family, start with half white flour and half white wheat and slowly replace the white with wheat flour. 5 cups warm water
1/2 cup light olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons dough enhancer
15 cups hard white wheat flour
2 tablespoons SAF instant yeast
Place water, oil, honey, salt, and dough enhancer in mixing bowl. Put 10 cups of flour on top. Make a well for the yeast and knead with dough hook adding remaining flour just until the dough pulls together. Start timer for 8 minutes. Keep a watch on the dough in the first few minutes to make sure it is kneading and not all stuck to the center post, add more flour as needed. Remove dough from bowl and work on oiled surface to divide, weigh and form loaves. Place in sprayed pans, let rise until 1 ½ inches past the loaf pan's edge. Place in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Drop the temperature to 325 degrees and finish baking for 20 minutes, do not open the oven door. After 25 minutes in the oven remove one loaf and check the internal temperature. The loaves are done at 180 degrees, remove promptly from loaf pans and let cool on wire racks. Slice with an electric knife.
These are 2 pound bread pans with the loaves formed before rising. The specks are from the leftover quinoa in the fridge that I just threw it.
I made this recipe just last week from a handout you gave in one of your classes a while back. It tasted great and my kids loved it. In fact, they especially liked how their PB&J tasted on it. I think I will be making it again this week since it was such a success.
ReplyDeleteYou know I love recipes that forgive. So good of them to do that...Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat size pans do you use? Have you used gluten but prefer the dough enhancer? I use gluten to keep it from getting crumbly but am curious is you think it is better with dough enhancer.
ReplyDeleteI have found gluten to be unnecessary with hard white wheat and I don’t like the tough chewy texture it gives to the bread. Dough enhancer aids in a nice crumb, try it and let me know what you think. I use 2 lb. loaf pans.
ReplyDeletelove it. and i love that kitchen scale!
ReplyDeletei think this is the recipe that i have always made. i know it has all the same stuff in it. but i dont think i used lt olive oil in it.
ReplyDeleteyou got me hooked on lt olive oil!! i love it with everything. i am mad because the other day i bought extra virgin instead of light. now i have to use canola for a while for baking. ( cuz i bought the huge costco olive oils and they will last for too long)
your bread is the best ever!!!
Where do you buy dough enhancer, and would the bread still be good if I left this ingredient out?
ReplyDeletestarleen
1 more comment...:) I want to make a sandwich bread with lots of nuts and whole grains in it. There is a bread I like to buy that has all kinds of chewy and crunchy chunks in it, but I'm not sure what the chunks are. Do you know what I could add to your bread recipe that would give it the texture I am looking for?
ReplyDeleteStarleen
I get my dough enhancer from Pleasant Hill Grain Co or Grains Plus (both on side bar.) With out it, your bread will be crumbly--not so good for sandwiches.
ReplyDeleteYou can add lots of stuff to your bread for texture. For chewy add larger cooked grains like kamut, rice or barley. Rolled oats are nice, as well as dried fruit. For crunch use popped amaranth, dry millet or chopped nuts. Ground flax is nice in breads as well as other seeds like sunflower and pumpkin. Have fun!
The only dough enhancers I've seen are soy based. What is in the one from Pleasant Hill?
ReplyDeleteYep, soy lecithin. This is a real beginner's recipe for when your family is used the the bread at the grocery store and is taking that first step. It is soft, mild and slices superbly.
ReplyDeleteI have been experimenting with sourdough breads to improve nutrition and digestibility and have decided they are never going to measure up. This recipe could be used without the dough enhancer, I have also done the same recipe with soaking the flour and 1 1/2 cups sourdough starter (with the water) the night before with good results.