Your Go-To Guide for a Simple Whole Wheat Loaf

• Why These Recipes are Excellent
• Ingredient List
• Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Step 1: Activate the Yeast
  • Step 2: Combine the Dry Components and Blend the Flour
  • Step 3: Knead the Dough
  • Step 4: The First Rise
  • Step 5: Loaf-Shaped
  • Step 6: Second Rising
  • Step 7: Baking Sealed Packed With Flavor
  • Step 8: Chill Dispense
• Common Mistakes to Avoid
• Suggestions for the Perfect Loaf
• Storage and Leftovers

Why These Recipes are Excellent

This is more than just another bread recipe; it is a gateway to better sandwiches, accompanying toast, and snacks. And what makes it so exceptional is the sheer simplicity of process and taste. Whole wheat flour mixed with regular bread flour makes for the best of both worlds. Even though the loaf is packed with the nutty flavors and wholesome fiber of whole grain, it has a somewhat light, candid demeanor. Thin slices from this loaf can be put into anything. It takes big sandwiches beautifully, becomes a memorable French toast, and is wonderful simply buttered.

Because I wouldn't subject you to a recipe that I haven't tried and loved myself at home, as it is with many loaves of homemade bread, the lemon juice provides a touch of sweetness to balance out the earthy wheat flavor. This routine is almost therapeutic: kneading, allowing the dough to rise, and then baking. Living in a health-conscious society, you should try everything once. You will make this bread part of your regular repertoire.

Ingredient List

It is important to use high-quality ingredients—the last taste and texture depend on it.

• 2 cups (240g) whole wheat flour
• 2 cups (240g) bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 ½ teaspoons (9g) fine salt
• 2 ¼ teaspoons (7g) active dry yeast (one 1-ounce package)
• 1 1/2 cups (360ml) water, 105-115°F / 40-46°C
• 3 tablespoons (63g) honey or maple syrup
• 3 to 5 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Activate the Yeast

Before doing anything else, set the yeast to wake up. This step ensures that your yeast is live and ready to help your dough expand. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, honey, and active dry yeast. The water temperature is crucial here. If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast; if it is too cold, the yeast won't be activated at all. Use a thermometer if you have one; otherwise, the water should feel like a warm bath—comfortably warm, but not hot. Give the mixture a gentle stir and wait for 5-10 minutes. You'll know that the yeast is active when the top becomes frothy and bubbly. If 10 minutes goes by without movement, your yeast is probably old, and you will need to start over with some fresh yeast.

Step 2: Combine the Dry Components and Blend the Flour

In a different mixing bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, bread flour, and salt thoroughly. Be certain that salt is evenly distributed in order to help control the yeast growth and build flavor. Now add the melted butter to the foam yeast, followed by the flour mixture. If you're using a stand mixer, connect the dough hook and blend on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If you are mixing by hand, use a heavy wooden spoon or spatula to bring the ingredients together until you can't easily stir anymore.

Step 3: Knead the Dough

This is where the magic happens! Kneading helps to develop the gluten, which fortifies the bread and provides it with its chewy consistency.

Using a stand mixer: Increase the speed to medium-low and knead for 6-8 minutes. The dough should start to come away from the sides of the bowl and become smooth and elastic. It will be slightly tacky to the touch but shouldn’t stick to your fingers excessively. If it feels too sticky, add a tablespoon of bread flour at a time until it’s manageable.

By hand: Turn the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by pressing the heel of your hand into the dough, pushing it forward, and then folding it over on itself. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat. Continue this push-fold-turn motion for about 10-12 minutes. It’s a bit of a workout, but you’ll feel the dough transform from a sticky mess into a smooth, elastic ball of edible deliciousness. It's ready when it springs back slowly when you poke it.

Step 4: The First Rise

Lightly oil the large bowl you used earlier (or use a clean one) and put the kneaded dough inside. Turn the dough over once to coat lightly with oil, which keeps a dry crust from forming. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Put it in a warm, draft-free spot in your kitchen to rise. Let it sit for 60-90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. The ideal temperature is about 75-80°F (24-27°C). A turned-off oven with the light on is a great place.

Step 5: Loaf-Shaped

When the dough has doubled in size, gently press it down to release the air. Turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into an 8-inch wide rough rectangle. Starting from one shorter end, roll it up into a tight log. Pinch the seam at the bottom and tuck in the ends to create a neat, oblong shape. This tight shaping is the key to good oven rise and uniform crumb.

Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray. Put the shaped dough with seam down into the prepared pan.

Step 6: Second Rising

Cover the loaf pan loosely with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Let it rise in a warm place for another 30-45 minutes, or until the dough has crested about 1 inch above the rim of the pan. While it's rising, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

Step 7: Baking Sealed Packed With Flavor

Place the loaf pan on the center rack of your preheated oven. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. About halfway through, if you notice the top browning too quickly, simply tent it loosely with aluminum foil. The loaf is done when it's a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the top. For a precise check, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 190-200°F (88-93°C).

Step 8: Chill Dispense

Immediately turn the loaf out of the pan onto a wire cooling rack. It's difficult to feel it between the fingers of your hand, but a complete one-hour cooling period (two hours is even better!) will let the internal structure firm up. Cutting into hot bread produces an unpleasant gummy texture. However, the little bit of patience pays off. Trust me on this one.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• A Dense, Heavy Loaf: This is generally caused by not kneading long enough and/or not letting the dough rise for enough time. When kneading, make sure that dough is smooth and elastic. Also, when allowing it to rise, average the time. Each time it should approximately double in size. Be of equal weight (without having old flour on top to keep it down). Old yeast can also ruin everything, so check what you have beforehand.
• A Dry, Crumbly Loaf: You can get too much flour into the dough when you knead it. Dough should definitely feel a bit sticky. Add flour one tablespoon at a time only if handling becomes unmanageable and stop. And, of course, measure your flour accurately: Do not scoop directly from the bag. Spoon into the measuring cup and scrape off any excess with a straight edge for a more accurate measure.
• Over-Proofed Dough: If the dough is left to rise for too long, especially during the second rising period, it may sink in the oven and become heavy on the bottom with a sunken top. The rule of thumb is to watch for a visual cue: when batter rises about an inch above the top of the pan, baking time has arrived.

Suggestions for the Perfect Loaf

• Variation 1 - Adding Some Texture: For a heartier loaf, add 1/4 cup rolled oats or seeds of some kind (try sunflower, pumpkin) into the flour mixed with salt. Adding some milk can also help to make this loaf richer.
• Tip 2 - Check Your Flour: If your bread is too heavy or tastes a bit flat, try using higher-protein bread flour instead of all-purpose flour for the white flour portion. Bread flour has more than 1 percent higher protein content than all-purpose flour, so it makes gluten, which gives bread elasticity and structure (you get that chewy crust on Italian breads).
• Tip 3 - Make-Ahead Option: If you're on the lookout for ways to save time, the first rise can be done overnight in the refrigerator. After kneading the dough, put it into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Secure it, and once the night falls, let it rise slowly in the refrigerator. In the morning, proceed with shaping and baking as usual.

Storage and Leftovers

How you store your self-made bread will impact how long its taste remains fresh: Store a completely cooled loaf in a bread box or paper bag at room temperature for up to three to four days. Do not put it in a plastic bag on the counter (unless you are eating it right away as some people like to do), as this will cause your crust to soften. For longer storage, slice your loaves and put them in a freezer bag for up to three months. Pull out pieces individually as needed and toast them directly from frozen. Older slices (ones that are a bit stale) make great croutons, breadcrumbs, or a savory bread pudding.

Conclusion

That's it; your homemade whole wheat bread is finished. This is an enjoyable process that can yield memorable results and tends to be a delightfully delicious, healthy, and natural food which you become proud of. The tastes and texture of bread like this made at home are leagues ahead of anything you can buy. Now: eat up, slice it thick, toast it, add the kind of cheese or meat that you like on top, and enjoy! We want to know how your bread turns out and hear about any recipe variations or other creative ideas you may have. Please share them with us using the panel below or by sending mailcott.