Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Tips for Better Whole Wheat Bread

Use white wheat rather than red. It has a milder flavor. I buy Prairie Gold from Wheat Montana Farm & Bakery 1-800-535-2798

I use a Nutrimill wheat grinder. It can be purchased at http://www.harvestessentials.com/ for $249.95.

Freeze any excess wheat that you grind so you do not lose any of the nutrition.

I make my dough in a bread maker. I bought the Sunbeam Programmable Breadmaker for $42.22 at Wal-Mart.

You can make dough for two loaves in a Kitchen Aid Mixer and six loaves in a Bosch Mixer.

Dough Enhancer really makes a difference in your bread. I use Blue Chip Baker Dough Enhancer that I bought online for $6.99. You can purchase it at www.cooksquarters.com/consumables.htm

Use the recipe on the back of your dough enhancer. My recipe is:
1 1/3 cups warm tap water
2 tsp dough enhancer
3 Tbsp oats
2 Tbsp dry milk
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp gluten
3 cups whole wheat flour
2tsp yeast

Always start with water in a bread maker. Flour should be second last. Yeast is always last. This is important in a breadmaker.

Add 3 Tbsp of rolled or steel cut oats for added nutrition if you like. You can not taste it and is a way to use up some of that food storage.

Measure your honey after the oil to prevent sticking to your measuring spoon.

Mix the gluten with a cup of flour before adding it to your breadmaker. Gluten is what will keep your wheat bread from becoming crumbly. It also will make lumps of chewy spots if you do not mix it with some four. You can purchase gluten online at www.cooksquarters.com/consumables.htm for $8.99.

Roll your dough out flat on a plastic cutting board to prevent sticking. I got mine at Sam’s Club for $10. Then roll dough into a loaf and place it in a loaf pan.

Let dough rise for 30 minutes covered with a towel.

Bake for 28 minutes at 350°.

If your crust is too hard lower the temperature of the oven.

Bread bags can be bought online for easier storage at http://www.cooksquarters.com/ $7.50 for 100.
Warning: If you leave warm bread unattended, this could happen to you.