100% Whole Wheat Bread
I was shocked to see that this is my first yeasted bread recipe on the blog. Baking bread has been one of my favorite hobbies for years and I'm finally sharing it with you.
I've tested a million wheat bread recipes in my day, but I decided to post this one because it uses 100% wheat flour, rather than the 50/50 situation that is common in single-day loaves. This recipe also calls for molasses, which you know I absolutely adore. The last secret weapon in this recipe is orange juice, which mellows out the bitterness that wheat flours can create.
Like my toaster corncakes, I adapted this recipe from the King Arthur Flour cookbook. The original recipe called for white whole wheat flour, but I found that regular whole wheat flour also works. Although the whole wheat flour produces a slightly denser loaf, it still turns out delicious. I also altered the methods to be more specific — perfect for beginners!
Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Time: 4 hours
Makes: 1 loaf of bread
Ingredients
3/12 cups (397g) white whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 packet, 7 grams) instant yeast
1/4 cup (35g) nonfat dried, powdered or instant milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup (50g) vegetable oil
1/4 cup (85g) molasses
Steps
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together all wet ingredients. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients as you stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. When the dough starts to form a shaggy mass, cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit for 30 minutes. This will allow the flour to absorb the liquid and the bran to soften.
After the dough has rested, knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springy. Form the dough into a taught ball and place it seam-side down in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 1-2 hours, or until nearly doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, press down to remove any big air bubbles and then turn out onto a lightly floured flat surface. Form dough into an 8-inch by 6-inch rectangle. Starting at a long end, roll the dough into a cylinder and pinch ends to seal.
Place dough cylinder into a lightly oiled 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and gently press the dough into the corners of the pan. Cover lightly with a tea towel and let rise for about one hour, or until the dough has risen 1-inch above the lip of the pan. Toward the end of the dough's rising time, heat the oven to 350 F.
Once risen, lightly spray the surface of the dough with water. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the loaf is deep golden brown. Wait at least an hour before cutting into the loaf. Slather with jam or honey and eat up!
Sustainability Tips
Flour: I like to buy King Arthur brand flour because King Arthur Flour is a B Corp, which means that they're held to a high environmental and social standard. Alternatively, you could seek out a farmer who grows and mills flour locally. Buying locally can help connect you to your local food system and cut back on the miles your food has to travel.