Baking Whole Wheat Bread - The Whole Process

Making whole wheat bread requires special procedures and it is important to know about it. Homemade whole wheat bread is characteristic for its texture and noticeable taste. It also contains important nutrients to keep you slim, healthy and fit. Some people use only pure whole wheat flour - but still, they do not achieve the essential firmness. It's possible to get a pretty tough bread if you decide to follow your own rules. Here I present some tips proven by the experts.

The Basic Factors

For the best 100% whole wheat bread, you are going to need following 3 things. First tip: either use enough high protein flour, or else add some wheat gluten into the bread dough when making it. Secondly, avoid putting flour in for a long time before it is needed. Third tip: knead your dough constistently and without stopping. You will find that using a food processor helps you with the kneading process, since you get to save more time and effort. You can also use your hands or a mixer with a dough hook to get the job done.

Developing strong gluten in order to get a soft crumb and nice texture is essential, as whole wheat flour is heavier then white flour. The higher protein content you have, the more gluten available. Avoid adding too much flour or you risk creating loaves that are hard as a brick. The continuous kneading mentioned before will help the gluten to form a strong and consistent matrix.

Here's The Recipe

The amounts for making one full loaf are: 2 tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, 3.5 cups of 100% whole wheat flour, 1 tablespoon of oil, 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, 1 package of dry yeast, 1 tablespoon of liquid lecithin and warm water. Always use ice water when kneadling the dough with a food processor. Later, when you master the procedure, you can start experimenting by adding extra ingredients, e.g. nuts or seeds.

The recipe mentioned above results in a loaf weighing about 1 1/4 pounds. The amount is perfect to be baked in a pan of size 8.5 x 4.5 inches. This pan is ideal compared to metal or glass pans. Metal is the best material because it allows the bread to bake evenly and you get a perfect outside crust. This type of pan is also easy to clean.

The Process

There are various processes to make 100% whole wheat bread which will has a crumb and soft texture. The process is basically the same, no matter if you use your own hands or a food processor. The 4 processes included are the mixing process, the kneading process, the rising process and the baking process.

Why Not Use a Bread Machine

You can also use bread machines that help you with the exact amount of every ingredient added in a certain order. You can have the machine operate independently to do the four processes. That is great when you have a dough with white flour. But perhaps it is not too great for dough using only 100% whole wheat flour. Whole wheat bread requires more rising time and kneading time. Do make the effort to check out the bread machines. They are surely a major help.