What is the secret to making whole wheat bread?

[Mommieeeee]

I have made the realization that for my family's health, I need to make more things from scratch. I am in the process of trying some bread from the book that PlaidDad recommended, Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day. Of course, I used whole wheat flour, as that is all my dh can have, so it came out a little doughy.

 

Every time I make bread and used whole wheat flour, it never comes out right. I SO want this to work.

 

Can anyone hold my hand and direct me through Whole Wheat Bread Baking 101?

[Amy in NH]

I'm not sure about artisan bread, but I can tell you why plain old whole wheat flour doesn't work for regular kneaded bread. Bread flour has extra gluten added to it, while whole wheat flour doesn't have enough gluten to make good bread on its own. Try adding gluten to your recipe, and see if that helps. I add 3/4 cup, plus 3 Tbsp dough enhancer, to my 4-loaf whole wheat bread recipe. HTH!

[SnowWhite]

Amy, where to you buy dough enhancer? I bought King Arthur Whole White Wheat flour, and at the website the recipe calls for that (dough enhancer) but I've not found it at the grocery. Am I overlooking it or do you have to get it somewhere special?

[Mommieeeee]

Yes, please do tell where to get dough enhancer. Also, what the heck is it? I know that you don't put it on the dough to make it look pretty...

[Amy in NH]

It is stuff that the yeasties like, to help make the bread rise better.

Here is a recipe for dough enhancer that I got from the old board. It works great!

 

DOUGH ENHANCER

 

1 C nonfat dry milk

2 C wheat gluten

2 tsp powdered ginger (you will not taste it)

4 Tbsp powdered pectin (canning supplies section of the grocery store)

4 Tbsp unflavored gelatin

4 Tbsp lecithin granules (health food store)

1 Tbsp ascorbic acid crystals (Fruit Fresh - also in canning supplies)

 

Mix together in a bowl & store in the fridge. I store mine in a mason jar in the freezer.

Use 2-3 Tbsp per batch (I use 3 Tbsp for 4 loaves of fresh ground whole wheat dough)

[abreakfromlife]

I finally got my whole wheat bread to turn out b/c I ended up using half regular flour, half wheat......my problem is that it doesn't make for good sandwiches. Does anyone have a good recipe for good sandwich ww bread?

[GSMP]

You can purchase the gluten which is the dough enhancer. It is either labeled vital gluten or just plain gluten.......usually where the flour is kept.

[beansprouts]

I finally got my whole wheat bread to turn out b/c I ended up using half regular flour, half wheat......my problem is that it doesn't make for good sandwiches. Does anyone have a good recipe for good sandwich ww bread?

 

The gluten will help your bread hold together for sandwiches. You can use 1 1/2 tsp per cup of ww flour. This way you won't need the white flour at all.

 

My favorite website for bread recipes is breadbeckers.com

[abreakfromlife]

 

The gluten will help your bread hold together for sandwiches.

really? nice! This has been driving me nuts. I thought it was just finding the right recipe. Real good bread is so expensive - it will be nice to not have to buy it. Now to convince myself to turn on the oven in 90 degree weather :lol:

[H.S. Burrow]

I have been attempting to make healthier sandwich bread. I have been using 2 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour (I grind from wheat berries) and 2 cups all purpose flour...along with other ingredients in recipe (honey, yeast, salt, oil, water)and I have been adding wheat gluten.

 

My bread is TOO dense for sandwich bread.

 

What am I doing wrong???? Please help me!!

[beansprouts]

really? nice! This has been driving me nuts. I thought it was just finding the right recipe. Real good bread is so expensive - it will be nice to not have to buy it. Now to convince myself to turn on the oven in 90 degree weather :lol:

 

(I've been buying bread lately for that reason...) :o

[beansprouts]

I have been attempting to make healthier sandwich bread. I have been using 2 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour (I grind from wheat berries) and 2 cups all purpose flour...along with other ingredients in recipe (honey, yeast, salt, oil, water)and I have been adding wheat gluten.

 

My bread is TOO dense for sandwich bread.

 

What am I doing wrong???? Please help me!!

 

Any chance your yeast is old? How many times are you letting it rise? I allow the mixture to rise until double in the bowl, then I take it out, form my loaves, and allow it to rise until double again. When the dough is warm and the yeast is fresh it takes 30 - 45 minutes for the dough to double. You can almost watch it rise.

[Amy in NH]

I have been using 2 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour (I grind from wheat berries) and 2 cups all purpose flour...along with other ingredients in recipe (honey, yeast, salt, oil, water)and I have been adding wheat gluten.

 

My bread is TOO dense for sandwich bread.

 

What am I doing wrong???? Please help me!!

 

 

Is this for one loaf? My recipe calls for 10 cups of fresh ground flour for four loaves, which works out to 2-1/2 C per loaf. Maybe you're adding too much flour?

 

Are you using hard or soft wheat berries? That would make a difference. You really should be using hard wheat for bread making.

 

The dough enhancer makes a difference, too.

[caitlinsmom]

http://naturallysimple.blogspot.com/2007/11/oh-perfect-bread.html

 

 

Bread is a picky thing and weather, humidity, and temperature can effect it a TON. Your June bread will always be a bit different than your Dec bread.

[H.S. Burrow]

My yeast is a new jar - kept in fridge - and I use a thermometer to make sure the water temp is 120 - 130 degrees as recommended on the jar. The vital wheat gluten is also new and in the fridge. I let both come to room temp before using. The yeast gets all bubbly in the warm water and then I add it to the rest of the mix.

 

I am using hard red berries - ordered from Montana Wheat.

 

I let it rise until double, punch it down, knead, form loaf, put in pan and let rise again 30 - 45 minutes and bake for 1 hour at 350.

 

The recipe I use was given to me by a local lady who has had no problems with it. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if they like really dense bread...they're out of town, so I can't ask her!!

[beansprouts]

My yeast is a new jar - kept in fridge - and I use a thermometer to make sure the water temp is 120 - 130 degrees as recommended on the jar. The vital wheat gluten is also new and in the fridge. I let both come to room temp before using. The yeast gets all bubbly in the warm water and then I add it to the rest of the mix.

 

I am using hard red berries - ordered from Montana Wheat.

 

I let it rise until double, punch it down, knead, form loaf, put in pan and let rise again 30 - 45 minutes and bake for 1 hour at 350.

 

The recipe I use was given to me by a local lady who has had no problems with it. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if they like really dense bread...they're out of town, so I can't ask her!!

 

It sounds like you are doing everything right. In fact you are more careful about some details than I am. Maybe it is time to try a new recipe?

[H.S. Burrow]

it's time for a new recipe! I am going to try the one that caitlinsmom posted the link for. That one calls for 1 1/2 Tablespoons of yeast and mine calls for 2 teaspoons of yeast...maybe that's part of the problem??

 

I also have an Amish cookbook that has a homemade bread recipe, but it calls for all purpose flour. If I add 1 Tablespoon of gluten per 1 cup of whole wheat flour, can I sub half of the all purpose flour for whole wheat flour?

 

Thanks for your help!!

[Ellie]

You can get it from Kitchen Specialties and Granary.

 

This is the "official" Bosch bread recipe. If you make it by hand, you'd need to let the dough rise twice (you only need to let it rise once if you're using a Bosch).

[GSMP]

You should always proof your yeast. Especially if purchase the little envelopes. I buy the 3lb bag at Sams and keep it in the freezer.

 

The best website for any bread or baking question for that matter is this one....http://www.baking911.com/

 

It will answer just about any question you could come up with about baking. There are tutorials and pictures.

 

This is my go-to website when something doesn't turn out.

[beansprouts]

it's time for a new recipe! I am going to try the one that caitlinsmom posted the link for. That one calls for 1 1/2 Tablespoons of yeast and mine calls for 2 teaspoons of yeast...maybe that's part of the problem??

 

Oh, Goodness YES! You need more yeast. I didn't even see that. I wonder if your neighbor meant to tell you 2 TBS instead of 2 tsp? I use 4 TBS in my recipe which takes about 6 - 7 cups of flour.

[Carol in Cal.]

Use butter for the fat--it has a conditioning effect and makes the dough rise a little more in the oven.

 

Buy the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book and follow the instructions in A Loaf for Learning several times, using the higher amount of butter for the fat. LKBB is JUST whole grain, for ALL of its recipes.

 

I found that adding more water than that recipe called for, and also letting the dough 'rest' in the bowl after mixing, before kneading, for about 20 minutes, really helped a lot.