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By Root 686 0

yeast, one cake is the equivalent of one packet. Moist or dry, if the yeast is not fresh—within its expiration date, and properly stored—it cannot raise your bread.

More about yeast.

OIL OR BUTTER

Make sure it is fresh: rancid fat will spoil your bread. We strongly recommend storing both oil and butter in the refrigerator.

More about fat in general. More about butter.

WATER SALT & SWEETENERS

Any water that is good to drink—not extremely hard or soft—will do fine. Normal table salt is adequate for baking. For sweetening, we usually call for honey, but if you prefer something different there are many possibilities, and within bounds, they will all work.

More about water, salt, and sweeteners.

You Will Need

EQUIPMENT

china cup or mug

chef’s thermometer mixing bowl (3 to 4 quarts)

small mixing bowl

1-cup dry measuring cup

liquid measuring cup

set of measuring spoons

rubber spatula

dough cutter or spatula

kneading board or other flat surface

rolling pin (optional)

greased metal loaf pan 8″x4″

Thermometer

Yeast performs best when it is dissolved at the right temperature. Also, to time your rising accurately and come out with the best bread, you need to know the temperature of your dough and of the place it will rise. Both of these are so important to good baking that we really do recommend using a thermometer. The “Chef’s” kind, with a metal spike and an instant-reading dial that registers from freezing to boiling, is the most practical we have found.

Measuring cups

You’ll need both kinds: dry—usually opaque plastic or metal—where you level the cup at the top to get the proper amount; and wet—usually glass or clear plastic with the amounts marked on the side—where you fill the cup only up to the mark you need.

Mixing bowl

Your mixing bowl can be of almost any sort. We like to use a thick crockery bowl that can be prewarmed and will hold the heat. Plastic is not bad, but once it is scratched the dough will stick to it. If you use a metal bowl, be particularly careful to protect your dough from drafts. Save your wonderful seasoned wooden salad bowl for salads; dough will leach the oil and seasoning right out of the wood.

Kneading board

You will want a place that is comfortable and steady for kneading the dough. For most of us that’s a tabletop, but you can use any smooth surface at least 1½ by 2 feet. If you use a breadboard, setting it on a damp towel will help it stay put.

The height of the place you knead is important. You should be able to rest your palms flat on the surface with your elbows slightly bent. Proper height makes your kneading more efficient and less tiring, so take the time to adjust the place you’re going to work so that you’ll be comfortable.

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons warm water (90 ml)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast (⅛ oz or 3.5 g)

3 cups whole wheat bread flour, finely ground (450 g)

1 teaspoon salt (5.5 g)*

⅓ cup cold yogurt (80 ml)*

⅔ cup hot tap water (160 ml)*

2 tablespoons oil (30 ml)

1½ tablespoons honey (25 ml)

for greasing the pan: the lecithin and oil mixture, or vegetable shortening.

*If you don’t want to use yogurt, use

1¼ teaspoons salt

1 cup lukewarm water

Loaf pan

Whole-grain breads bake better in the middle-sized, 8″x4″ pans than in larger ones, and this recipe (like most of ours) provides the right amount of dough for that size. We suggest metal pans only because glass and pottery pans often require special treatment.

This recipe is enough for only one loaf because that amount of dough is easy for beginners to handle. If you want to make two, just double all the measurements and the kneading time. All the other timings remain the same.

1. Preparing the Yeast

Warm your china cup or mug by rinsing it with warm tap water, and then measure the warm water into it. Follow the directions on the yeast package, if there are any; otherwise, let the water be slightly warmer than body heat, from 105 to 115°F. Test with your thermometer. Sprinkle yeast into the water while stirring with a spoon,