Collaborative bread thread for whole wheat/multi-grain/whole grain breads

[subfuscpersona]

An invitation to all to participate in a thread that focuses on making bread that uses whole grain flours as part of the final recipe. I thought it would be fun to have an on-going discussion of this technique - experiments, tips, opinions, failures, successes - oh yeah - recipes too. Even if you've never made bread in your life, keep reading...making bread is easy, flexible for busy schedules and lots of fun.

I'm hoping to start a long thread with posts of all kinds - not just recipes but comments, evaluations, musings, etc - all on the theme of making bread that includes flours other than OR in addition to white flour. (Kinda like a collective blog.) The ingredients couldn't be cheaper and no fancy equipment is needed. We all can afford to experiment and share our results - failures and successes.

To level the initial playing field, I will ask posters to restrict themselves to bread made with commercial yeast (not home grown sourdough starters).

If you purchase whole grains and mill them at home using a manual or electric grain mill, *please DO contribute your expertise*.

[JohnL]

Hi Subfus,
I'm looking forward to this one,(hard to find decent bread here).
The only bread I can make is the NYT recipe that someone was kind enough to post. It's great! Heck even I can do it. Love to learn more.

[desertland]

I've often found that breads with 100% whole wheat are too tough to eat. A third rising usually does the trick, and makes the bread light enough to enjoy.

Here's a recipe that explains the three risings:
MeanMeals.com - 100% Whole wheat bread - Create and share your personal list of meals and recipes

[bethzaring]

Hey John, I just made a loaf of NYT bread today! What flour do you use in your bread?

I use 2 cups whole wheat and 1 cup unbleached white and have been stuck on that ratio from the beginning.

Any comments on how anyones NYT bread is turning out, any tips?

[JohnL]

Hey Beth,
The first couple of times that I made it, I just used regular white bread flour. Then my daughter complained, (of course) that she would only eat wheat bread. Soooooo, I started using 2 cups of wheat flour to 1 cup of white bread flour. So, that's where I'm at now. The only thing that I've changed is to bump up the yeast another 1/4 teaspoon. Everything else works so I'm not messing with it too much. Oh, I do dust the bread with grits instead of flour before I put it in the oven, (just gives it a bit more crunch when finished). Would love to hear other ideas for this recipe, it's so darn easy.

[bethzaring]

I'm pretty much sticking with the recipe as written, except for replacing 2 cups white flour with King Arthur traditional whole wheat bread flour. I use corn meal for the final rising coating. Sometimes I add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to the initial mix.

What do you think the extra 1/4 t. yeast does?

I just love I can get a loaf of bread with using just 1/4 t. yeast. It sure has cut down on my yeast consumption.

[bethzaring]

The main bread I make for slicing, toast, croutons, sandwiches, etc, is one from the instruction booklet for my bread machine, a Zojirushi. I have to modify the technique to get the bread to work. I use the machine to knead the bread, through THREE cycles and then remove the dough from the machine and let the dough raise the traditional way.

Here's the ingredients:

2 cups water, tempered to about 95*F
5 cups whole wheat flour, I use King Arthur Traditional WW bread flour
3 T. sugar
2 T. dry milk
2 t. salt
4 T. vital wheat gluten
2 T. oil
2 t. baking yeast, I buy it in bulk from KA and keep it in the freezer

Add all ingredients to bread pan and start machine. I hang around the kitchen for this 1/2 hour and when the machine stops the knead cycle, I start it again. Put the dough through 3 knead cycles. Then remove bread from the machine and place in an oiled bowl. Raise until doubled in bulk, punch down, raise again until doubled in bulk. Remove dough from bowl and shape dough for baking pans. This recipe makes too much dough for my bread pan, so I end up making a variety of things from the extra dough;4 rolls or four hamburger buns, or a small loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. Let rise about 35 to 40 minutes and then bake at 350*F for about 45 minutes.

[bethzaring]

My all time most requested breakast and requested recipe is this one for whole grain pancakes. It is unusal in that the recipe requires no sugar and the technique is a bit different from regular pancakes. It also calls for much less baking powder than regular pancakes. I freeze the leftovers and DH gets them in his lunch box.

Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes

2 eggs
1 3/4 cups buttermilk or yogurt

2 cups whole wheat flour, or any combination of whole grain flours like buckwheat, ground oats, what ever
1 t. soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

2 T. oil

Beat the two eggs with a whisk in a large bowl until frothy. Stir in buttermilk. If using thick yogurt, dilute it to buttermilk consistency with water or milk.

Mix together dry ingredients and briefly stir into beaten egg mixture. Stir in the 2 T. oil. Heat and oil griddle. Fry on hot griddle.

Sooooooo easy to make!

[skilletlicker]

Here is a the King Arthur 100% whole wheat recipe. I've made this many times and it is a soft and slightly sweet sandwich loaf. I like to knead by hand for 20 minutes instead of 6 - 8 minutes as called for in the recipe. It is better the second or third day than most homemade whole wheat bread.

It is a pretty easy recipe to follow with no long preferments but here are three ways I've learned to mess it up.

1. Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Graham Flour is not an acceptable alternative flour.
2. This is kind of a wet sticky dough. Don't force too much flour into it while kneading.
3. It's easy to let this rise too long in the baking pan (overproof).

[bethzaring]

I just had my bread machine start the dough for my regular whole wheat bread and was thinking about any tips. I think it is important how you handle the flour. I fluff up the flour before measuring. I just stick the 1 cup measuring cup into the bag of whole wheat flour and scoop up some flour, several times, and let it fall back in the bag. Then I measure out the cups of flour from the "sifted" flour and use a straight edge to get a level cup. It seems to be important to get the flour aerated and to measure it carefully.