Whole Wheat Bread

This wholesome and hearty whole wheat bread has a lovely tender crumb. A versatile bread, it makes great sandwiches and toast.

Course Bread

Cuisine Canadian

Keyword bread, whole wheat bread, yeast bread

My Island Bistro Kitchen My Island Bistro Kitchen

Ingredients

¾ cup scalded milk (no less than 2%M.F.)
1/3 cup shortening, room temperature
6 tbsp molasses
2 tsp salt
1 cup lukewarm water
½ cup water (110°F)
2 tsp granulated sugar
4 tsp active dry yeast
1 large egg, room temperature, beaten until frothy
4¼ cups whole wheat bread flour
Apx 2¼ - 2½ cups white bread flour
2 - 3 tsp melted butter for brushing tops of hot loaves (optional)
Vegetable cooking oil

Instructions

Assemble and measure out all ingredients before beginning. Mix the entire 4¼ cups of whole wheat bread flour and 2¼ cups of the white bread flour together in a bowl. Set aside. Reserve the remaining ¼ cup of white bread flour called for in the recipe should it be needed while kneading the dough.
In saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring milk to the scalding point (180°F), stirring frequently to prevent milk from scorching. Do not boil the milk. Remove from heat and stir in the shortening, molasses, and salt until the shortening has melted. Add 1 cup lukewarm water. Let mixture cool to 100°F or a little less.
While the milk mixture is cooling, place ½ cup of warm water (110°F) in two-cup measuring cup or bowl. Stir in 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over the water and quickly, but gently, stir in the yeast. Let yeast stand, undisturbed with no stirring, for about 10-12 minutes, or until yeast is foamy and bubbly.
Once the milk mixture has cooled to at least 100°F and yeast is foamy, beat egg until frothy in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Stir down yeast. With mixer speed set to low, add the milk mixture and stirred-down yeast. Beat on medium-low speed for approximately 30 seconds. With mixer on lowest speed, gradually add 1 cup of flour until the flour is blended into wet ingredients. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 20-30 seconds.
Switch mixer attachment to dough hook and gradually, at lowest mixer speed, add approximately 4 cups of the flour mixture, about one cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Beat on slow speed to blend ingredients then increase speed to medium and beat for 20-30 seconds after each flour addition. Scrape the bowl, as and if necessary, to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Mixture will be very sticky at this point. (NOTE: If, at any time, the mixer starts to labour and struggle in this process, stop mixing in the flour by mixer and knead dough entirely by hand.)
Transfer mixture to greased work surface. With hands greased with a small amount of vegetable oil, begin kneading the dough by hand, continuing to add the remaining flour called for in the recipe, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pliable, generally about 8-10 minutes. Periodically re-grease hands and work surface with the vegetable oil as necessary. When dough has been sufficiently kneaded, it should be tacky but should not be peeling away and staying on either hands or the work surface. If the dough is still sticking, knead in some (or all) of the reserved ¼ cup of white bread flour. Form dough into a round shape. (Note: If you have a very large heavy-duty mixer, the dough could be completely kneaded by mixer; however, if you have a standard-sized household stand mixer, it will be difficult to get the dough perfectly kneaded in its entirety by mixer with the quantity of flour called for in this recipe and it will be hard on the mixer so is not recommended).
Grease a bowl large enough to allow the dough to double in size. Grease all sides of dough with vegetable oil to prevent it from drying out and transfer dough to prepared bowl. Cover the top of the bowl loosely with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Cover bowl completely with a towel or lightweight blanket and place in warm, draft-free, location to allow the dough to rise until it doubles in size, about 1½ hours.
Prepare two 9”x5”x3” loaf pans by greasing pans (including rims) well.
When dough has risen to twice its original size, grease the work surface with vegetable oil. Deflate the dough by making a fist and punching down the dough in the bowl. Turn flattened dough out onto greased surface. Divide dough into two equal portions and, using a light touch, loosely form them each into a round or slightly oval shape, seam side down. Place dough shapes about 4” apart, cover with a tea towel, and let dough bench rest for about 12-15 minutes.
Shape each portion of rested dough into an oval loaf shape and place, seam side down, in prepared pans. Cover loaves loosely with a tea towel and place in warm, draft-free, location to rise again for about 1 – 1¼ hours, or until doubled in size.
About 20 minutes before bread is expected to be ready to be baked, position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
Transfer loaves to oven and bake for approximately 32-35 minutes, or until bread is nicely browned on top and loaves sound hollow when tapped. Immediately transfer bread from pans to wire racks to cool. If desired, gently brush tops of the hot bread with melted butter as soon as the loaves come out of the oven and have been transferred to wire cooling rack.
Cool bread completely before cutting and serving.

Recipe Notes

Yield: 2 loaves

NOTE 1: Bread flour is recommended for this recipe; however, regular whole wheat flour and all-purpose white flour may be substituted (cup-for-cup). Results may differ with substituted flours.

NOTE 2: Dough may be completely mixed and kneaded by hand for this recipe but it will take longer.

NOTE 3: Bulk fermentation and final proofing times given in the recipe are general guidelines only. The length of time for these processes is largely dependent on the temperature of the location – i.e., the dough is likely to rise faster in warmer environments than in cooler ones.