I always struggled with whole wheat breads because they were so heavy, and the taste was just, well, too wheat-y! I love this recipe because it makes a loaf that is light, both in flavor and texture, but it is still whole wheat! I think the secret is the soaking. In warmer climates this bread may rise faster, but in my experience it’s best to consider this a 24hour recipe: start it in the evening, let it soak overnight, and then the following morning finish the mixing, and allow the risings all day long, baking in the evening.
Makes 4 loaves
A
12 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups warm water
1/2 cup ACV (apple cider vinegar—plain white vinegar can be substituted in a pinch)
Mix together and then cover bowl with a damp towel and set aside to soak overnight. This will be a very thick mixture, and awkward to mix. Just go at it with a wooden spoon until it’s consistent in texture. (I also recommend getting out the butter for part C, as you will want it to be soft in the morning.)
B
1/2 cup very warm water
4 tsp yeast
1 tsp honey
1 tsp baking soda
In a small bowl or cup, add ingredients together in the order listed. Mix and set aside for a few minutes while you prepare part C.
2/3 cup butter (room temperature)
2/3 cup honey
1 Tbs salt
yeast mix from B
In another bowl, mix together, adding yeast mix last (make sure it has begun to bubble before adding it).
Leave kneaded bread in the bowl, cover with towel, and let rise until double. (I find that in my cool climate my bread likes a couple of hours per rising.)
Punch down dough, and let rise until double again.
Divide into loaves, place in pans, cover and let rise until double.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
3 comments:
Jenny, do you do your raising (or is it rising?) on the counter-top? I find that preheating the oven to its lowest setting then turning it off and putting the dough in with a pan of freshly boiled water makes for a really quick rise time. I don't know if it'll help with your Alaskan temps or not, but I just thought I'd share anyway. And thanks for the recipe, can't wait to try it! :O)
I have a nice big stoneware bowl that I usually make my bread in, so I'm able to put that in a warm oven, and yes, sometimes I do my rising in the oven. At the time that I made this post I was living in a (furnished) apartment in the middle of nowhere and didn't have my bowl, so I was stuck with plastic which obviously couldn't go in the oven!
Regardless, I still find that longer (gentler?) rise times seem to make for a fluffier bread. :)
Hello,
Found your blog while searching for Soaked Wheat Bread. I only soaked mine for about 17 hours... My family loved it. Thanks for posting :-)
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