My good friend Rebecca makes the most perfect whole wheat bread in the world. She got the recipe from her friend in Utah, and I got the recipe from her. Rebecca is known for her bread, and everyone who tastes it always wants the recipe. I make 4 loaves once a week. Usually the minute it comes out of the oven, the kids and anyone else that are over drops what they are doing to head for the kitchen for a hot steamy slice of bread with butter and maybe some honey or homemade freezer jam. Then we are usually left with just 3 loaves. (If I had a Bosch I would be able to make at least 6 loaves, but I've got a cute Kitchen Aid and can be happy with 4).
Why the juice cans you ask? They are my bread pans. The friend in Utah passed the tip along that baking the bread in the cans allows you to be able to fit many loaves in the oven at once. My kids love the "round" bread so much that the "can pans" are the only ones I use for our bread. Great tip! Fun bread!
There are 2 ingredients that you may not have in your pantry yet, but are a must have for this recipe... 1. Dough Enhancer (pictured) that you have to buy at special places- (I get mine at the Harvest House here in town.) I think a place like Trader Joes would have it (a store that we unfortunately do not have anywhere in Idaho). 2. Wheat Gluten (that I buy in the bulk section at Winco- you know, open 24 hours, bag your own groceries, huge bulk-food section- probably called something else in your town).This bread is so quick and easy to make! After a few batches, you'll feel like a pro! Good luck and ENJOY! (Email me for advice or moral support if needed!)
Rebecca's Infamous Whole Wheat Bread
4 Loaf Recipe
6 c whole wheat flour
2 T yeast
½ c wheat gluten
-Mix for 1 minute
Add:
4 c HOT water (not hotter than 110 degrees)
-Mix for 1 minute
-Cover and let dough sit for 10 mintutes.
Add:
1/3 c olive or grape seed oil (canola works too)
2/3 c honey
2 T dough enhancer
1 T salt
-Turn on mixer and add 3-5 cups more flour, one cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides and isn’t super sticky. (Better to add too little flour than too much). Keep mixing (knead) for 7-10 minutes.
-Preheat oven to 170 deg. and grease pans.
-Lightly oil hands and divide dough into 4 equal portions, place into pans.
-Place pans into warm oven for 25 minutes to rise. Then without even touching the pans, turn the oven up to 350 deg. and bake for 20-25 minutes.
-Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. ENJOY!
6 Loaf Recipe
9 c whole wheat flour
3 T yeast
¾ c wheat gluten
-Mix for 1 minute.
Add:
6 c HOT water (not hotter than 110 degrees)
-Mix for 1 minute
-Cover and let dough sit for 10 minutes.
Add:
½ c olive or grape seed oil (canola works too)
1 c honey
3 T dough enhancer
1 ½ T salt
-Turn on mixer and add 3-5 cups more flour, one cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides and isn’t super sticky. (Better to add too little flour than too much). Keep mixing (knead) for 7-10 minutes.
-Preheat oven to 170 deg. and grease pans.
-Lightly oil hands and divide dough into 4 equal portions, place into pans.
-Place pans into warm oven for 25 minutes to rise. Then without even touching the pans, turn the oven up to 350 deg. and bake for 20-25 minutes.
-Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. ENJOY!
*Angela’s Little Tip- This can be easily converted into a scrumptious roll, cinnamon bread/roll dough just by adding the 3-5 cups of white flour at the end instead of whole wheat.
I can't wait to try this!!
ReplyDeleteSo are those cans the large juice cans you get down the isle with juice bottles, juice boxes,etc.? They look like soup cans in the picture so I was just wondering what size they really are:)
I'm one of those cooks/bakers that you have to tell me everything or I'm sure to do it wrong!!!:)
Thanks in advance,
Jaime
Hi Jaime- You are right, they do look like soup cans from the angle I took the picture. :) Yes, they are the ones you find in the juice isle. Like V-8 or pineapple juice. You'll see 'em! Just open and dump the juice into a pitcher. Let me know how it turns out! Let me know what your kids think!! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOh, and they are the large cans. You can also use smaller ones, like the Hunts spaghetti sauce cans. I use them too for a smaller loaf- makes great snack slices!
ReplyDeleteI still haven't made this, I need to make the time to go get those "special" ingredients. But soon, soon!! I will post when I do!!
ReplyDeleteOh, and thanks for clearing up my confusion with the cans:)
i love the can idea!! My kids won't eat crust so that eliminates the crust! YAHOO!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU SO MUCH!
challis
ok, three questions.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know when the bread is ready... whether it needs 20 mins. or 25?
Also, how do you keep the dough from riding up onto the dough hook and above?
And is there a good way to get the dough divided evenly? It seems I always end up with one smaller loaf.
Oh, one more: Do you dump the bread out right away or let it cool in the pans some? You must use a lower rack to keep the bread from touching the element?
Thanks!
challis
Hi Challis! I just set the timer for about 22-23 minutes. It's always harder to tell when whole wheat bread is done because of it's darker color, of course!! I have under-baked it before and it was a little doughy, so the next time I would leave it in a couple minutes longer. You just have to set your timer and experiment, becasue everyone's ovens are a tiny bit different.
ReplyDeleteI usually let the bread sit in the pans for only a minute or two, then I take a spatula and gently run it around the upper inside of the pan to just loosen it, then with both hands I kind of dump the bread out, shaking the pan up and down a little. and I put the bread sideways on a cooling rack. But I always take one of them right to the cutting board to try a slice with butter!!
Do you have a Bosch or Kitchenaid or other mixer? I have a Kitchenaid. You can only do the 4-loaf recipe with it. Dough does get onto the mixing arm, but I am usually near by and just take a wooden spoon to get it off during kneading time. Whole wheat tends to clean off easier for me than white flour (with a wet rag). Yeah, wish I had a Bosch!!
I do move my oven rack down a notch to bake with the cans, or it will touch the element! And I use my convection option on my oven. (I don't think it make too much difference if you don't have convection though.)
Oh, one more thing... I've noticed that I fill my cans about 1/2 full of dough before rising.
I hope all this helps! Feel free to email me any time if you have any trouble. (link on left sidebar.) Once you do it once or twice, you'll be a pro. Good luck! Let me know how it goes.