Whole Wheat Bread
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons honey
Place water, yeast, and honey in a large mixing bowl and let sit until yeast dissolves and becomes frothy; this only takes a few minutes.
3 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
Add flour and vital wheat gluten to water mixture, mix 1 minute, and then let stand for 10 minutes.
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons oil
1 to 2 cups whole wheat flour
Add salt, oil, and remaining flour, starting with smaller portion. Test stickiness of dough during first few minutes of kneading, adding more flour only as needed. The dough should feel “tacky” and start to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for 10 minutes.
Oil hands and form into 2 loaves. Gently oil tops of loaves and place in greased pans. Cover and let loaves rise until double in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Notes:
This recipe is designed to be made, using an electric bread mixing machine, e.g. Bosch, but if one is not available, don’t let that stop you. Just remember, keep the dough soft and tacky; don’t be afraid to get your fingers sticky--it is a common tendency to add too much flour when kneading by hand which results in heavy bread. You may need to increase kneading and rising times.
Vital wheat gluten is the natural protein found in the wheat endosperm. It contains 75% protein. A small amount added to yeast bread recipes improves the texture and elasticity of the dough. Use 1 teaspoon of vital wheat gluten per cup of all-purpose white flour, 1- 2 teaspoons per cup of bread flour, or 1-1/2 to 3 teaspoons for every cup of whole grain or rye flours. Vital Wheat Gluten can be found in grocery stores in the baking section.
This recipe is from my mom who got it from her sister-in-law many (many) years ago. My mom has been making whole-wheat bread her whole life, beginning at about age 8. Her recipes have varied slightly over the years.