Kiersten’s Blog

I have had some requests for my whole wheat bread recipe lately.  Okay, it’s really my mom’s recipe.  I posted it about a year ago but have since changed my blog, so here it is again.  In much trial with a lot of success (and some error) I have learned that additional gluten really does make a difference and so does the kind of wheat you use.  It NEVER turns out as good when I use hard red wheat.  When I use hard white wheat (I grind it myself), it turns out moist and yummy.  I made bread a week ago and it’s still really good, not too crumbly at all.  Enjoy!

I use my trusty KitchenAid mixer to mix the dough.  You can use whatever you have, even your muscles if you like.  I’m not strong enough to use elbow grease.  I LOVE my KitchenAid!  I usually use about 9 and a half to 10 cups of whole wheat flour.  (Sometimes I’ll use all white flour and throw some soaked cracked wheat in or make cinnamon swirl bread instead.)  Mix 4 cups of hot water (I use the hottest I can get from my tap), 1/2 cup powdered milk, 1 tablespoon of salt and 5 heaping tablespoons of sugar (I usually use brown sugar for brown bread and white sugar for white bread.  Don’t ask me why, I don’t know) until dissolved.  Add about 4 cups of flour.  Add 1/2 cup of melted margarine or butter (I use butter).  Add a bit more flour (maybe 3 cups).  Then add 1/4 cup gluten and 2 tablespoons of yeast.  If you don’t have instant yeast, reduce the amount of water by 1/2 cup in the beginning so you can use 1/2 cup of warm water to soak the yeast in.  I have had better success with the instant yeast.  Add the rest of the flour.  Don’t add too much.  Keep your kneading attachment on and let the dough knead for 5-10 minutes longer, until it’s smooth and elastic.  If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour and knead a little longer.  Then transfer the dough into an oiled bowl and let it raise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.  I let it raise in my oven.  I’ll preheat it to 100 and then turn it off.  After it raises (about twice the original size) divide it into 3 balls.  Let it rest for 10 minutes.  Punch it down and form into loaves.  Raise in greased pans for about 20 minutes or less.  While they’re raising, preheat the oven to 400.  Bake on 400 for 13 minutes, then turn down the oven to 350 and bake 13 more minutes.  Take them out of the pans right after they come out of the oven.