The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book_ A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking - Laurel Robertson [171]
Basic Whole Wheat Bread
TWO-POUND LOAF
2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) honey
1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) warm water (90–100°F)
3 tablespoons butter or oil
3 ½ cups + ½ cup whole wheat bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast
1 ½-POUND LOAF
1 ½ tablespoons honey
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (9 fluid ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons butter or oil
2 ½ cups + ½ cup whole wheat bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons yeast
ONE-POUND LOAF
1 tablespoon honey
¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) warm water
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1 ¾ cups + ¼ cup whole wheat bread flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast
In this recipe, we present general instructions that show how to adjust to the special requirements of whole wheat flour when making bread in machines.
If your machine does not begin with a preheat period, fill the bucket with very warm water and let it stand while you gather all your ingredients, then pour water out. This will help maintain the warmth the yeast needs.
Measure honey and water in a clear liquid-measuring cup, and stir to dissolve honey completely. Add oil. If you choose butter instead, add it after the flour.
Put all ingredients except the extra ½ cup flour into bread machine’s bucket according to the manufacturer’s protocol. If you use butter, add it in ½″ pieces in the corners. Start machine.
If you have not made this recipe before in this machine with this flour, watch the mixing and first part of the kneading carefully. If the dough looks flabby or gets gooey under the paddle, add the reserved flour a little at a time, until the dough makes a firm ball. It must be firm (quite a bit firmer than nonmachine dough!) or the loaf will collapse when baking begins, and sometimes before. It’s fine to encourage the mixing with your rubber spatula, though given time the machine will usually gather in all the odd bits of flour.
When the loaf is done, remove the bucket from the machine. Turn the loaf out onto a soft towel and gently extract the (hot!) paddle if it is stuck in the loaf. Wrap the towel around the loaf while it cools. The towel lets the loaf cool more slowly, softening the crust and giving the center of the loaf a chance to firm up so that slicing doesn’t mash and mangle.
ABOUT SOME OTHER INGREDIENTS
Milk, included in any form, benefits machine bread greatly: it boosts gluten strength, mellows flavor, and provides a thin, pretty golden-brown crust. Professional bakers suggest that up to half the liquid measure can be milk or buttermilk without making other changes; or add equivalent amounts of powdered milk when you add the flour. Usually ¼ cup of powder is the equivalent of one cup of milk, but check the label. See this page for tips on using soymilk.
We usually call for honey, but other nutritive sweeteners also feed the yeast and provide a different mood: molasses, maple syrup, date sugar, apple juice concentrate. Substitute as part of the liquid or dry measure, as appropriate.
Eggs add protein and other nutrients to bread. They usually make the loaf lighter and its flavor milder; the bread will be drier, and stale more quickly. Count eggs as liquid.
Fresh milk, eggs, or soymilk spoil when kept long at room temperature, so don’t include them when you make timed loaves (more below). If you use powdered milk, limit the delay to a few hours, and put a layer of flour between the liquids and milk powder. Buttermilk powder has advantages over regular powdered milk, especially in timed bread.
TIME DELAY
Once you’ve got your measurements just right, “Basic” is an ideal recipe to put on the timer. All ingredients should be at room temperature, or cool if the delay is long. Be careful to place