This bread is one of my main staples. I eat it at least once, sometimes twice a day. It has really helped with weight loss as it is very filling and chuck full of nutrients. The dough doesn’t need to rise in the bowl, only in the pans so it can be made from start to finish in less than 90 minutes, wheat grinding included.
Whole Wheat Bread
Yield: 5 loaves
Time: 1 1/2 hours
Recipe adapted from Deborah Bracken
6 C hot water
2/3 C sugar (or honey)
2 T salt
2/3 C oil
2 T dough enhancer
5 heaping T vital wheat gluten (wheat gluten and dough enhancer can be purchased at most Walmart stores. It’s usually found on their new Food Storage Isle)
3 heaping T yeast (I use active dry if you use instant yeast you only need 3 T)
12-15 C freshly ground wheat flour (approx. 10 C wheat kernels)
1. Grind up your wheat. This is my Kitchen Mill that grinds the wheat into flour. You can buy them online for about $150. Pricey? It is worth it! Wheat kernels are said to last for up to 30 years. I get a lot of peace of mind knowing that I have a lot stored up in case we come upon hard times.2. While the wheat is grinding away put the first six ingredients into your mixer. Make sure the water is hot.
Dough enhancer and wheat gluten used to be difficult to find, but now most grocery stores carry them. I have even found them at Walmart recently on their food storage isle. If you are not planning to go through them very quickly I would store them in the freezer.
3. After the wheat is ground add 3 cups into your mixer and let it mix on low for 1 minute.4. Add the yeast.
5. Keep adding the flour one cup at a time until the dough scrapes the edges of the mixer clean.
6. Mix on high for 10 minutes.7. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 5 minutes.
8. Spray 5 medium sized loaf pans with cooking spray. 9. Separate the dough into 5 equal parts and place in the pan. Pick each loaf up and smack it to get the air bubbles out. My twin boys always come a runnin during this part saying “Hey I want to spank that bread too!”
10. Round each loaf into a ball and place it back in the pan.
11. Put in a warm 170 degree oven and let rise for about 20 minutes, or until the dough has risen 1 inch above the edge of the pans.
12. Turn oven up to 350 degrees, leave the loaves in while the oven temperature rises. Bake for 25 minutes. (The 25 minutes includes the time it it takes for the temperature to rise)
13. Let the loaves cool on a wire rack. After about 5 minutes you can slice into a loaf for that first wonderful slice of hot bread from the oven. There’s nothing like it! Delicious. I store the remaining loaves in freezer.
Now just a word about mixers. I have tried this recipe in my Kitchen Aid…and the poor thing just doesn’t have the strength. The dough is too heavy. The Bosch is really the only thing to use here, it works like a champ. My mother has had her Bosch going on 25 years now and it is still running well. They are a wonderful investment. One I couldn’t do without!
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
I love this recipe. But without a convenction oven, I was finding the centers of the loaves a little too doughy by the time the outside was done. I've had better luck with letting it rise on the counter and then baking it at 350. Someday I'll get a convection oven. Great recipe, Jamie.
What type of yeast are you using? Active Dry (Fleishman's) or Instant (SAF)?
I'll have to try this – we go through ww bread like crazy. Love homemade, can't keep up.
P. S. Don't knock beans in cookies/cakes/brownies – Asian cultures use bean puree for sweets all the time and it's delicious!
2/3 c of sugar??? That makes it a cake, not bread..but otherwise it's good recipe, thanks.
Dear Anon,
Please take the time to think about your comments. 2/3 cup of sugar is 16 teaspoons, which is 224 calories of sugar. This is DIVIDED between FIVE loaves of bread. Each loaf has then 44.8 calories from sugar, which is certainly a reasonable amount, especially since I doubt you sit down and eat an entire loaf of bread in a sitting! Seems to me you read the ingredients and didn't bother to study the rest of the recipe. Shame on you.
I just made this at a friends house who is teaching me about wheat, using food storage, etc. I love it. It is so easy, all written out for me. The bread looks amazing and tastes so good. I am so excited to make the next batch, which may be tomorrow because this is so yummy I will have it eaten all up tonight.
Melissa,
Woo Hoo! So glad it turned out well for you! Thanks for letting me know!
~Jamie
Needless to say, I have been making a lot of bread lately (my stomach thanks you, the hips and thighs..not so much). I am so happy that you posted this one! I made it with honey and it was so soft and yummy…I think I ate most of the batch! Thank you for sharing this delicious taste of heaven with butter and honey on it!
Hi Jamie,
I am giving this recipe to everyone. I wondered if you could put the easy to print tab on this recipe. I am a fan and love it. This is the only one I make. Thanks for sharing. Amy Dansie
Amy,
Thanks for asking. I have added the print button. It's taking me a while to get the button on some of these older recipes! Thanks for passing it along! Hope you are feeling well this week!
~Jamie
I only have a KitchenAid mixer. Any suggestions on making this bread? I'd really love to try it.
Also, is it possible to use store bought wheat flour without the dough enhancers/VWG?
Love your site!
Wendy
luv4alina@yahoo.com
Wendy,
Thanks for your question.
Unfortunately a Kitchen Aid Mixer has a pretty hard time with this recipe. The dough is just too heavy. I have a friend who cuts the recipe in half and uses her KA, but it still doesn't turn out quit as fluffy and light. For wheat bread, the Bosch mixer is really the best choice.
Also, I think you could use store purchased flour and be just fine.
Good luck!
~Jamie
Jamie,
What kind of wheat kernels do you recommend, and where do you buy them at? I got a Nutrimill for Christmas, but don't know where the kernels are sold!
Thanks!
Aimee
Hi Aimee,
I buy Hard White Winter Wheat. You can actually buy it at Costco. Also, some Western Family grocery stores carry it when they have their case lot sales. Good luck!
~Jamie
This is a great recipe!!! I have made it twice this week. I slice it after it has cooled and wrap and freeze it. AWESOME!!! thanks for sharing
I have made whole wheat bread for about 25 years. This is my favorite recipe so far. LOVED IT and wish I had it many years ago. Thanks!!!!
Just made this bread today for the first time. I've been wanting to try it for some time, and I am glad I didn't forget about it! I found this site only a few months ago. This is the third bread recipe I have tried from this site, and all have been great! Thank you for sharing this and so many other delicious recipes!!
Melaniejo,
Good for you! I'm so happy it turned out well.
Thanks for letting me know.
~Jamie
Have you ever turned this dough into rolls? If so, did it turn out for you? If so, how long did you bake them? Thanks again for sharing such a yummy recipe! This bread is addicting.
Hi Melaniejo,
Funny you should ask about rolls made out of this dough on this very day. I let my kids roll some of the dough into teddy bear shapes just this afternoon. They rose up just like rolls would and they were very good. They need to be baked for about 15 minutes. Good luck. Hope you love them!
~Jamie
Thanks for your quick response, Jaime. Glad I asked the day I did! I'm looking forward to enjoying this recipe in roll form!
I'm making your honey wheat pizza crust right now, and can't wait to try your bread recipes too! Just a quick question (probably a dumb one…)– since I'm new to the bread-making world, do you keep your yeast in the fridge?? I got a giant package from Costco, and don't want it to “go bad”!
Thanks– love your site!!
Just used my brand new Bosch to make this bread this week. Love the bread and my Bosch. My kids have been going for the homemade bread over the store-bought bread in the pantry. Can't wait to make it again!!
Yes, keep your yeast in the fridge.
I have look everywhere for the dough enhancer. Do I have to use that? What do I do if I don't use it? Or can you think of anywhere else I can find it? I can't wait to make this.
I have a problem making homemade bread. On the outside it looks done cooking, nice golden brown, but once I cut into it it’s doughy inside. Thoughts? Advice? Help!
One more question…does 1/2ing this recipe work okay? I’m still trying to learn how to make bread and would hate to waste all those ingredients if it doesn’t turn out.
Denise – Halfing works fine! Just be patient, bread always seems to work out okay when you are patient
As for the bread not cooking all the way through, are you letting it rise? Are you baking it at the right temperature?
I love my wheat gluten! My children will only eat homemade bread, they grew up on a recipe very similar to this and they love it!! We may be guilty of eating 1/2 a loaf right out of the oven
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