Whole Grain Bread Recipes

Multigrain Bread

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup 7 grain flour
3-6 cups bread flour
2 cups warm water (85°-90° F)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar
3 packets of yeast

In a large bowl, combine flours and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine sugar, yeast, warm water, and olive oil. Allow to set for 5 – 10 minutes.

Pour contents of small bowl into large bowl and mix. Add additional bread flour until dough pulls away from the bowl. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes - Until smooth dough is formed.
Shape dough into a ball and place in large bowl coated with olive oil and set in a warm draft free spot to rise 1 hour.

Punch the dough down and reshape into ball and allow to rise a second time for 40 – 60 minutes.

Preheat oven, 350° F

Divide dough into two loaves and place in well oiled bread pans. Allow to rise 30 – 45 minutes.

Bake bread in center of oven. Bread needs to bake 30 – 40 minutes or until internal temperature reads 200° F - bread will be a light brown to medium brown color when done.

Cool for completely prior to storage.

 

Simple Whole Wheat Bread

3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup honey
5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not over bake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely

 

Organic Whole Wheat with Oats and Pecans

Mildly sweet and slightly crunchy, our version of whole wheat oatmeal bread is great for tuna sandwiches. Cut in thick slices, it's perfect for French toast. Shape it into rolls for a dinner party or a family picnic. For variety, add one and a half cups (seven and a half ounces) of golden raisins to the dough and shape half of it into twists; crusty and delicious, they're good for breakfast-on-the-go and afternoon snacks. This versatile bread is sure to become one of your favorites.

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup (2 ounces) very warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
3 3/4 cups or more if necessary (18 1/2 ounces) organic whole wheat flour
2 3/4 cups (12 1/2 ounces) organic unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups (6 ounces) organic old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) Sponge Starter
2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) cool water (75 degrees F)
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) honey
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) molasses
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) Canola oil (or other vegetable oil)
2 cups (8 ounces) pecan pieces, toasted
Additional rolled oats for topping
Two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans, oiled

Place the yeast and warm water in a large bowl and stir with a fork to dissolve the yeast. Let stand for about 3 minutes.

Whisk the whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, oats, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Add the sponge starter, cool water, honey, molasses, and oil to the yeast mixture. Mix with your fingers for 1 to 2 minutes, just long enough to break up the sponge (the mixture should look milky and be slightly foamy). Add the flour mixture to the bowl and stir with your fingers to incorporate the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl and folding the dough over itself until it gathers into a shaggy mass. Don't be concerned if the dough feels very sticky at this point.

Lightly flour a work surface. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, until it becomes compact and elastic. It should be very moist but not mushy. If it feels too stiff to knead, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a soft, malleable dough. If it's sloppy wet and impossible to knead, add another 1/4 to 1/3 cup (1 1/4 to 1 2/3 ounces) of whole wheat flour. Shape the dough into a loose ball and let it rest, covered with plastic wrap, on the lightly floured work surface for 20 minutes. (This rest period is the autolyse.)

Flatten the dough and stretch it gently into a rectangle about an inch thick. Spread the pecans and raisins evenly over the dough. Fold the whole mass into an envelope and knead and fold it gently until the nuts are well distributed, about 2 to 3 minutes. If the dough resists, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue kneading. Some of the nuts may pop out of the dough, but they can easily be incorporated again after the first rise, when the dough has softened.

Shape the dough into a loose ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, along with any loose nuts. Turn the dough to coat the top with oil, and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature (75 to 77 degrees F) until it has doubled in volume, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (You can also refrigerate this dough overnight and shape it and bake it the next day: Let it rise for 1 hour at room temperature, or until it looks slightly puffy but not doubled, before refrigerating. The next day, let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature before shaping it.)

When the dough has doubled, loosen it from the bowl with lightly floured hands and gently pour it onto a floured work surface. Press any loose pecans into the dough and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a log. Spread the oats for topping on a flat plate or baking sheet. Use a pastry brush or a plant sprayer to lightly moisten the top of each log with water, and then roll the tops of the loaves in the oats. Place each loaf seam side down in an oiled 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Cover them with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 2 hours, or until they have doubled in size (a finger pressed into the dough will leave an indentation).

Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a baking stone in the oven to preheat and place an empty water pan directly below the stone.

When the loaves have doubled, place the pans on the baking stone. Quickly pour 1 cup of very hot water into the water pan and immediately shut the door. After 1 minute, using a plant sprayer, mist the loaves quickly 6 to 8 times then shut the oven door. Repeat the misting procedure 1 minute later.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the loaves sound slightly hollow when tipped out of the pan and tapped on the bottom. The sides and bottom of the loaf should feel firm and slightly crusty. If the tops are browned but the sides are still somewhat soft, place the loaves directly on the stone to bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer the loaves from the pans to a rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.