Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

This whole wheat bread recipe is the recipe I use for our daily bread. Easy and forgiving for a beginner. As with all my whole wheat recipes I use a hard white wheat for the best results.

Ingredients

1 cup warm water

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 T Vital Wheat Gluten

3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

2 T butter

1 T active dry yeast

Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

Add warm water, egg, sugar, salt, gluten, and flour to your bread machine. Water should not be hot enough to burn your hands. Between 110- 120 degrees is perfect. I know that my hot tap water is just about right. If you are not sure check the temperature the first couple of times with a thermometer.

Cut butter into 4 pieces and place one in each corner of your machine. Make a little well in the middle of your dry ingredients, add yeast to this well.

Set your machine on dough and run the cycle. I check my dough after about 5 minutes of kneading. If the dough seems to dry or wet add a tablespoon of water or flour accordingly.

Knowing the correct feel of bread dough is something comes with practice. When I first started making bread I almost always made my dough too dry. I'd suggest erring on the wet side.... but not too sticky. Usually the measurements I list with this recipe work just about right.

When the machine is done, remove your dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead a 5 - 10 times. Form into a smooth loaf and place in an oiled bread pan. Let rise in a warm place about 10 - 15 minutes.

This time will vary. The dough will approximately double. It should just reach the top of the bread pan. Remember the dough will rise more as it bakes. Don't let it rise too much or your bread will be too airy and crumbly.

I let my dough rise right in the oven. I have a gas stove and it works well for me to turn on the oven just until I hear the pilot light turn on.

If you have an electric oven turn it on just enough to throw some heat in and then turn it off. Leave the door closed and the oven will stay warm and the bread will rise nicely.

When the dough has risen turn the oven on 350 and bake until a nice golden brown. This will take about 20 minutes.

The dough in the front pan of this picture is actually my 6 grain whole wheat bread. The dough in the back pan is this recipe.

Notes:

I usually make one loaf in my bread machine and then make another batch in my kitchen aide mixer with the bread hook at the same time. Add the ingredients in the same manner as the bread machine.

I keep an eye on them and coordinate my mixer with the machine.

The bread machine is programmed to knead for a specific length of time and rest the dough for a length of time. I simply take my cue from it and run the mixer at the same times. Then I can bake both loaves at the same time.

Whole Wheat Recipes

Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
This is the recipe I use for our daily bread. Super easy and forgiving for a beginning bread maker.
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Homemade pizza crust is so much tastier than what we call the cardboard crusts from the store.
Recipe for Whole Wheat Bread
This recipe is whole wheat with a 6 grain mix and sweetened with honey.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can even pretend they are healthy when you use whole wheat!
Whole Wheat Pancake Recipe
I usually double this recipe for my family of 5.
Dinner Roll Recipe
Regular whole wheat rolls, or add herbs for a special meal.
Moist Banana Bread Recipe
I like to keep some of this in the freezer. Serve with coffee and butter or homemade jam.
Focaccia Bread
An Italian Flat Bread. Wonderful with soup or stew.