Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Whole Wheat Bread has come a long way.

When I used to think of whole wheat bread, I’d remember my mom making it in our gold and orange 70’s kitchen. First she would need to make some kind of mixture she called a sponge. That had to sit before she could actually make the bread. She would get out the giant, heavy wheat grinder, and mill the wheat flour, it seemed to take hours. She’d finally get the dough in the pans and it took even longer to raise. Straight from the oven with butter and honey it was good, but even after all that work, that bread was never as soft and yummy as the white bread.

When my kids were young I made whole wheat bread a few times (using my moms heavy wheat grinder). For some reason, even following the recipes step by step and I’d end up with what seemed like bricks of bread instead of loaves. We’d usually eat a loaf while it was warm, but then it didn’t get touched again.

Fast Forward 25 years

Whole wheat bread has a new game! I’m not sure if it has anything to do with the way the wheat is ground, or the yeast that I’m now using, but I can finally make a delicious Whole Wheat bread! And as an added bonus, I can pronounce all 6 ingredients that went in it! Yes, there are some times when I want white bread, let’s be real, it’s delicious! But the older I get, and the more I learn about how foods are processed, the more grateful I am to mill my own flour and know what I’m feeding my family!

Simple and straight forward with only a couple added optional ingredients

This recipe is as simple as a wheat bread can get! My son in law made some whole wheat bread and brought us a loaf a few weeks ago. It was light and airy and delicious! I asked him for the recipe he used as I wanted to compare it to the one I had been using. I laughed when I saw that the recipes only had two things different. His recipe calls for 1 Tbsp of salt and 1/3 cup honey. My recipe calls for 1 1/2 Tbsp of salt, and 1/2 cup honey.

What to do, and what NOT to do

I’ve been baking bread for 40 years (I don’t like the sound of that). Whole Wheat Bread is a different story though. I decided to try a few adjustments after I felt like I had Whole Wheat down and see what happened. I have a white bread recipe that uses coconut oil that we love. It adds a little softness to the bread, and wheat bread can always us a little more of that. I made a batch and the only adjustment was instead of canola oil, I used coconut oil.

Coconut Oil or not?

The dough felt great. I let it raise once, and then shaped the loves and placed them in the pans. I let these raise while I mixed up another batch of bread. When I checked the loaf pans I was very confused. I wasn’t sure if the dough had over risen and was starting to fall, or if it hadn’t risen enough. My oven was pre heated, so I decided to put one loaf in the oven and see what happened. With the other two, I let one continue raising, and one I pulled out of the pan to reshape and start over (giving it an extra raise).

The first loaf I put in the oven had fallen even more, it did not look good. I placed the second loaf in the oven even though it didn’t look right. The third loaf rose quickly as it was it’s third rise, and the dough was warm. I added it to the oven too.

The first loaf had a decent flavor, but the texture was strange. Second loaf was very similar to the first. The third loaf ended up raising in a normal shape, but didn’t ever get very tall. The flavor and texture were good, but the heaviness was very dense. It would have been a great substitute for a brick!

So…if you’re considering trying coconut oil, I would pass. I will try it once more before I completely say it’s a fail & will update here when I do.

Canola or Coconut Oil, which is which?

What you DO want to do

If you’re used to making white bread, or half wheat/white, this texture is very different. Even with milling my flour on the finest setting, starting out it looks nothing like white bread. It reminds me of a hot cereal. To the touch it will just be wet, not sticky. As you continue adding flour it will slowly start to come together. Once the dough gets to the point that it feels sticky, add flour 1-2 Tbsp at a time until you can touch with a very little dough sticking to your fingers. With the lids on, let dough knead on medium for 8-10 minutes. As the dough kneads, it allows the gluten to develop. The difference between before and after kneading is crazy.

Mixing process of making whole wheat bread

Temperature of kitchen makes a big difference in raise time

Leave the dough in Bosch and let raise until double, may take up to an hour. Spray counter with cooking spray and place dough on it. Divide into 3 portions, using a food scale if needed, and form into loaves. Place loaves in 3 greased bread pans and cover. I prefer to cover with plastic food covers (like shower caps) for bread to stay more moist. Can also cover with dish towels.

Let loaves raise until double (approximately 30 minutes. Pre heat oven to 350° before placing bread in. Bake for 30 minutes or until bread reaches 190° tested with a food thermometer. Remove from pans and place on cooling rack or dish towel. Butter tops of hot bread (to soften crust & add flavor).

The length of all rising time will be determined by the temperature in your kitchen. If your kitchen is on the cool side, use proofing mat, or preheat oven to 150, turn oven OFF, and place covered bread pans in oven to raise. Watch closely so the bread does not over proof. Remove pans from oven before pre heating oven to 350°.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

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Simple whole wheat bread that is light and delicious. Vital wheat gluten, and dough enhancer are optional.

• Author: Mama Lisa
• Prep Time: 15 + 30 min raise
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 75
• Yield: 3 loaves 1x
• Category: bread
• Method: baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

3 1/2 cups Hot Water

1/3 cup Canola Oil

6+ cups Wheat Flour (fresh milled preferred)

1/2 cup Honey

1 1/2 Tbsp Salt

1 1/2 Tbsp Instant Yeast

1 Tbsp Vital Wheat Gluten (optional)

1 Tbsp Dough Enhancer (optional)

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Instructions

In Bosch mixer with dough hook attachment-

Mix water, oil, honey, salt, 2 cups flour, and yeast

Mix until flour is mixed in. Cover with lid and let sit for 10-20 minutes (optional but helps with texture)

Continue to add flour until dough pulls away from the sides. After 4 cups (total) have been added, add 1/2 of a cup at a time, and 1/4 cup-2 Tbsp at a time as dough gets closer to the right texture. You want dough to stick to your fingers just a little. This dough WILL NOT have the same texture as white bread. As it kneads the gluten will develop and become soft and stretchy.

Knead dough on medium speed for 8-10 minutes (with lids on). Leave in Bosch and let raise til double, up to an hour. Spray counter with cooking spray and place dough on it. Divide into 3 portions (use a food scale if needed) and form into loaves.

Place loaves in 3 greased bread pans and cover. I prefer to cover with plastic food covers (like shower caps) for bread to stay more moist. Can also cover with dish towel.

Let raise until double (approx 30 minutes)…the length of time will be determined by the temperature in your kitchen***.  Pre heat oven to 350° before placing bread in. Bake for 30 minutes or until bread reaches 190° tested with a food thermometer. Butter tops of hot bread (to soften crust & add flavor).

***If your kitchen is on the cool side, use proofing mat, or preheat oven to 165, turn oven OFF, and place covered bread pans in oven to raise. Watch closely so the bread does not over proof. Remove pans from oven before pre heating oven to 350°

Notes

For easier slicing, especially when hot, use an electric knife.

To prevent butter from bubbling on tops of bread, let cool slightly before buttering.

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