100% Whole Wheat Bread

For years I searched for a 100% whole wheat bread recipe that was actually edible. All the recipes I tried either turned out like bricks, or required part white flour. I was so happy when I found this recipe! A dozen years later, I no longer remember my original source, but I’ve made the recipe our own with unique modifications. – Mrs. Brown

This bread is delicious. My favorite way to eat it is cut in thick slices, fresh out of the oven, with butter and cheese. It’s nice to know what ingredients are in it, and that it doesn’t have all sorts of weird chemicals. – Abbie

 Ingredients

• 6-8 cups whole wheat flour ~ white 100% whole wheat (made from a pale wheat berry) gives it an even lighter flavor
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
• fresh juice from one lemon (bottled juice seems to inhibit rising)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons salt
• butter or oil for greasing pans

Directions

In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of flour with the yeast and stir well.

Squeeze the lemon and stir its juice into the milk. We recommend fresh juice, as there seems to be a preservative in bottled juice that inhibits the yeast reaction. It took us a few disappointing loaves to figure that out! The amount of juice is pretty forgiving – most lemons we buy give us about 2 tablespoons, but the recipe still works if you don’t get exactly that amount. When you add the lemon juice to the milk and stir it, the milk will curdle, and look like this:

Pour your soured milk and warm water into the flour/yeast. Mix for 1 minute until all the flour has been moistened (this is important.)  This mixture will create a sponge. No, not the kind you clean with! A dough sponge is a very moist starting dough that allows the yeast to be activated and begin breaking down sugars, while also starting the rising process.

All you do is just let it sit there in the bowl for 15 minutes, and it will start to grow and look bubbly. Think of how a sponge looks in cross view – this is what the dough will start to look like inside. If it hasn’t changed in 15 minutes, you may be using old yeast that won’t work well.

Here is what the sponge looks right after you mix it:

And this is after 15 minutes:

See how the dough has risen up the spoon? It’s all nice and airy in there.

Next you’ll add oil, honey and salt. Here Abbie is adding honey to coconut oil in the measuring cup. If your coconut oil is slightly solid, that is fine, it doesn’t have to be completely liquid. You can use other oils as well.

Turn on your stand mixer (equipped with a kneading hook,) or you can just stir the dough with a spoon until it is well-blended. Add more flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough forms a ball and cleans the side of the bowl. Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes with a stand mixer or 10 minutes by hand.

When your dough is just right (not too dry, not too sticky) divide it into 2 portions. We just cut right down the middle with a butter knife.

Shape your dough into two loaves and place them in greased bread pans.

Here is what they will look like at first:

Put your pans in a warm place where they won’t be disturbed, and let the dough rise until almost double. This usually takes about one hour. At about 50 minutes you should start your oven preheating to 350. Here is what the loaves will look like all risen up:

You can let them get even higher than this if you want to.

Gently move the pans into the oven, trying not to bump into anything. Sudden jarring motion can cause the dough to fall and you’ll lose all that nice rising. Believe me, that is a very disappointing feeling!

Bake the bread at 350º for 35 minutes, or until the top and sides are nicely browned, kind of like this:

Remove your loaves from the pans immediately and allow them to cool on cooling racks. We have been in a rush and skipped this part – it makes for soggy bread due to the condensation that forms when it stays in the pan. Get ’em outta there!

All that’s left is to slice and serve… so delicious warm with butter!

This bread keeps pretty well. Most of the year we can keep it on the counter and it lasts four to five days with no trouble. But if it is warm and humid, you might want to store it in the fridge.

100% Whole Wheat Homemade Bread

 

Print

Prep time

1 hour 25 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

2 hours

 

This 100% whole wheat bread is light and delicious, and takes about 2 hours from start to finish.

Author: Blossoms and Posies

Recipe type: Bread

Serves: 10

You'll need...

• 6-7 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1½ tablespoons yeast
• 1½ cups warm water (130º)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• ¼ cup oil
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons salt

Here's what to do...

1. Combine 4 c. flour and yeast and stir well.
2. Add lemon juice to milk and stir.
3. Pour lemon/milk mixture and warm water into flour mixture and stir until all flour has been moistened.
4. Allow dough to sit for 15 minutes (it should begin to bubble/rise - this is called the sponge)
5. Add oil, honey and salt and stir until well blended.
6. Add remaining flour ½ c. at a time until dough forms ball and cleans side of the bowl.
7. Knead 4-5 minutes with a stand mixer or 10 minutes by hand.
8. Divide dough into 2 portions. Shape into two loaves and place in greased bread pans.
9. Let the dough rise in a warm place until almost double; usually about one hour. Bake in 350º oven for 35 minutes, or until top and sides are nicely browned. Remove from pans immediately and allow to cool on cooling racks.

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