Whole Wheat Bread (instant yeast)

Easiest Whole Wheat Bread #1 -- Leslie Probert (CEW 2007, Handout #26)

Lemon juice in this recipe acts as a dough enhancer, which gives bread a fine, light texture.  Gluten, a natural protein derived from wheat, provides elasticity, strength, and added texture, helps retain moisture, prevents crumbling and extends the shelf life of the bread.  If you do not want to store gluten flour, whole wheat flour can be substituted.

2 (8 x 4-inch) Loaves                                      4 (8x4-inch) Loaves

3 ½ c. whole wheat flour                                7 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. gluten flour                                            2/3 c. gluten flour

1 ¼ T. instant yeast                                        2 ½ T. instant yeast

2 ½ c. steaming hot tap water (120-130)       5 c. hot tap water

1 T. salt                                                          2 T. salt

1/3 c. oil                                                         2/3 c. oil

1/3 c. honey or ½ c. sugar                            2/3 c. honey/or 1c sugar

1 ¼ T. bottled lemon juice                             2 ½ T. bot. lemon juice

2 ½ c. whole wheat flour                               5 c. whole wheat flour

Mix together first three ingredients in mixer with a dough hook.  Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  Add salt, oil, honey or sugar, and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute.  Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup.  Knead for about 8-15 minutes until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl.  This makes a very soft dough.

Pre-heat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off.  Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves.  Place in oiled bread pans.  Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches top of pan.  Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 degrees F. and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool on racks. 

If you do not have a mixer with a dough hook and are kneading this by hand gradually add last cup of flour to keep dough from sticking to counter.  You will add more flour when kneading by hand than when using a mixer simply to be able to handle this moist dough.  With wheat bread, always add the least amount of flour possible to keep bread moist.  Knead for 10 – 15 minutes, shape into loaves.

To make a 2-loaf recipe of this bread every other day for 1 year (1 loaf/day), you need 275 lbs. of wheat ground into flour, 4 gallons of oil, 46 lbs. honey or sugar, 8 (1-lb) pkgs. Yeast, 61 c. gluten flour, 3 2/3 quarts lemon juice and 7.3 lbs. salt.