5 Secrets to Making 100% Whole Wheat Bread

1. Start with the right tools

A good mixer with at least an 8-cup capacity and a dough hook for kneading the dough makes bread-making almost effortless. You can make 2 loaves in an 8-cup mixer, and 4 loaves in a 16-cup mixer.

2. Start with the right ingredients

• Whole Wheat Flour: Grind your wheat fresh, if possible. Store wheat that has a protein content of 12 percent or more. 
• Gluten Flour: Gluten is the substance in wheat flour that gives it its “cohesive strength.”  Adding a little extra gluten flour to your wheat bread allows extra gluten protein strands to develop so the dough can stretch and expand as the yeast ferments but still stick together without becoming crumbly.
• Dough Enhancer: Dough enhancer makes fluffier baked goods, enhances the natural flavor, and increases dough strength and shelf life.
• Sweetener: You can use honey, molasses, or sugar, but you must add some sweetener, as the yeast feeds on the sugars. Without it, the yeast won’t grow and the dough won’t rise. 
• Yeast: You’ll get the best results with fresh yeast. Store yeast in a tightly-closed jar in the freezer, and if you aren’t sure it is still good, try putting your yeast in some warm water with a little sugar first to make sure it is still active. Instant yeast can be added directly to the bread ingredients without being softened first. If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and you’ll be baking bricks instead of bread. Water should be warm to the touch, but not hot.
• Salt: You’ll need some to give your bread good flavor. 
• Oil: Oil, butter and shortening produce a “tender” crumb and promote even browning.

3. Add just enough flour, but not too much

If you are kneading by hand, this is tricky, but don’t add flour unless you absolutely have to. Yes, it will get sticky. You can cope.

If you are kneading with a mixer (highly recommended), add flour only one cup at a time, and watch the consistency of the dough. Add flour only until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the sides of the bowl look clean.

4. Make sure you knead long enough for the gluten to develop

If you are kneading by hand, knead until the dough springs back to normal when you press your finger into the side of the ball you are kneading. You can also look for little “blisters” on the outside of the dough. When those form, you’ll know you have kneaded enough.

If you are kneading with a mixer, always let the dough hook “knead” the dough for at least 8 minutes for whole wheat breads. White flour breads only take about 6 minutes.

5. Don’t let the dough raise too much, and keep it warm

If you use the recipe provided, you will NOT have to let the dough rise twice. Simply form it into loaves and let it rise in the pans in a warmed (100 degree) oven, or on the counter covered with a cloth. The dough should be rounded up softly over the tops of the pans. It will continue to rise as you bake it. Allowing the dough to rise too much causes it to be airy and crumbly.

Jannelyse Allred:

 jannelyse@gmail.com