I'm pretty sure I've been making bread off and on since getting married. I started off using a recipe that was 2/3 white flour and 1/3 wheat. It was a delicious recipe, but as I've learned more about healthy eating, I've been trying to find a good recipe that uses 100% whole wheat flour. It's been a bit of a frustrating process. I had a recipe that we all liked, but it usually got crumbly if it wasn't used very quickly. Then another recipe was never consistent and often came out with huge holes in the middle. I tried my hand at sour dough for a while and while it was delicious bread, the time it took to care for my starter and then make the actual bread was just too much. I mean making bread in and of itself is a time commitment. If it weren't for the hefty price tag of over $3 a loaf (and that's cheap for good bread), I would just buy bread from a local bakery here, but I just can't justify that long term. And well, I just don't really like the bread off the shelf from the store. So, it was simply necessary for me to find a good recipe. And I did! Everyone has different desires for their bread. We like ours to be fairly dense and hearty, but not crumbling apart. This recipe is just that. It reminds me of those delicious whole grain baguettes you can get with your meal from Panera Bread. It's perfect for toast, sandwiches, and even makes great bread crumbs. And the best part, (aside from the taste) is that it requires no needing or double rising. It goes directly from being mixed to the bread pan with no rising needed in between. Delicious and fast. What more could you want?
5 1/3 cups water
4 teaspoons honey
8 teaspoons yeast
1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon honey
10 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons ground flax meal
1/4 cup millet (optional, but it gives it more of that rustic crunch)
2 Tablespoons oats
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Combine water, yeast, and 4 teaspoons honey and let sit until the yeast is dissolved and the mixture is foamy. Stir remaining honey into yeast mixture and stir until dissolved. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine 5 cups flour with salt, flax, and millet. Pour in a little more than half the water mixture and mix until well combined. Alternate remaining water with remaining 5 cups of flour and mix well until dough is evenly mixed. The dough will be very wet and elastic like. Grease three 9x5 bread pans well and divide the bread dough between them. Let dough sit in a warm place until just more than doubled in size. Carefully place bread in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes. I usually cover the loaves lightly with foil after 20 minutes to avoid over darkening. Bread is done when it has a hollow sound when tapped. Cool completely before storing.
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