Ingredients:
Original Recipe: 4-6 Loaves
(see note at right)
6 cups Warm Water (110-115 degrees)
2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
2/3 cup Sucanat or Honey
2 Tablespoons Real Salt Sea Salt
3 Tablespoons Lecithin (optional)
2 Tablespoons Gluten (optional)
1 cup freshly ground Flax Seed (optional)
2 Tablespoons Instant Yeast
14-18 cups freshly milled Whole Wheat Flour, divided
3 Loaf - Half the original recipe:
3 cups Warm Water
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
1/3 cup Sucanat or Honey
1 Tablespoon Real Salt Sea Salt
2 Tablespoons Lecithin (optional)
1 Tablespoon Gluten (optional)
1/2 cup freshly ground Flax Seed (optional)
1 Tablespoon Instant Yeast
7-9 cups freshly milled Whole Wheat Flour, divided
Recipe adapted from: The Grain Pantry
*See 
below for helpful tips.
Instructions
Mill your flour
Start by Milling your whole wheat grains (berries) into flour.
- One cup of grain will produce about 1-1/2 cups flour; so, simply divide the total cups of flour needed by 1.5 to get the number of cups of grain you will need to mill. (These amounts are approximates.) Example: 9 cups flour needed - divided by 1.5 = 6 cups grain to be milled.
- For added protein and nutrition you can add dried beans
Hard White Wheat Berries & Dried Baby Lima Beans in with your grain when milling. I like to use navy or baby Lima beans. Simply add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of dried beans per every cup of grain. Have no fear, once you bake the bread you won't taste the beans.
- If you do not mill your own flour yet, simply replace the needed flour with unbleached all-purpose or bread flour. See Getting Started Milling to learn about milling your own flours and corn meals.
- If using a standard stand mixer (like a KitchenAid) use the 2-Loaf recipe.
Look at that - whole grain in - freshly milled wholesome flour out.
Doesn't get any fresher or easier than that!
Flax Seed
Now would be a good time to grind up your flax seed in your Mini Mill, blender or coffee grinder. To benefit from all the nutrients of the flax seed you should grind it fresh every time.
Measure your ingredients
- Gather and measure out all your ingredients before you begin; this will help alleviate forgetting something (Which I have done, like the salt. That was some boring bread!)
- This recipe uses instant yeast so we don't have to do two rises. Saves lots of time. See Ingredients page for more details about yeast types.
In your large mixer bowl (I use the Bosch Universal Plus Mixer), with the dough hook in place, add:
- Water
- Oil
- Sucanat
- Salt
- Lecithin
- Gluten
- Flax Seed meal
- Half the flour
- Instant Yeast (on top of the flour)
Notice there are only 9 ingredients, three of which are optional. The point is you don't need all those crazy ingredients in your bread.
Turn to speed 1 or 2 on the Bosch (medium speed for other stand mixers) and mix until smooth, about a minute. Cover bowl and allow mixture to rest for about 10 minutes. Because we are using instant yeast, this resting gives the yeast a few minutes to "activate".
Now, start adding the remaining flour; 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, then STOP adding flour.
Start your timer and knead until gluten is fully developed, about 6-8 minutes. (If kneading by hand may take 8-10 minutes.)
Even if the dough pools to the bottom of the bowl, do not add more flour. Dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Adding too much flour will make heavy dough and will produce what I call "brick bread"; a dense heavy loaf.
Form the Dough
With olive oil on your hands and your work surface, removed dough from bowl and place on a nicely greased surface.
- Try not to use flour on your work surface. Using flour adds more dry back to your dough and can make your dough heavy and dense; again creating "brick-bread" (unless your dough is super-duper sticky).
- Use a dough cutter or sharp knife to cut dough. Bread dough does not like to be torn. (Forgive, my pic is a little blurry.)
- When baking multiple loaves at the same time, it is best if all loaves weigh the same for even baking. See Bread Making Tips for more info.
Hand knead dough a few turns to form a smooth ball.
then divide & weigh dough into portions for what size loaf pan you have. (It doesn't have to be exact, but try to get it close.):
- Pan 8" x 4" = 1 lb dough
- Pan 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" = 1 lb 10 oz dough
- Pan 9" x 5" = 1 lb 12 oz dough
I love these bread pans!!! They are USA Aluminzed Steel with a silicone coating. You never have to grease them. My favorite size is 9" x 5"; more like a standard loaf of bread.
Press dough into a simple thick rectangle the width of your pan; then roll dough up as you would a sleeping bag; pulling back gently with each curl.
Pinch the seam, tuck under the ends and transfer your beautiful dough to a well greased pan. Butter, olive or coconut oil will do. (If using a USA pan - no need to grease. Love that!)
Rising the dough
Cover with plastic wrap or a light damp towel. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free location: on the counter or in the oven with just the light on. Rise dough till double, about 30 minutes to an hour or more.
For best rising results, place bread pan on some type of rack if rising on the counter. Because most counter surfaces are naturally cool, the top of the dough may rise leaving the lower part dense. So, the key is to have circulation all the way around your pan.
Bake
Remove plastic wrap/towel and place in preheated 350 degree oven. Bake 30-40 minutes; until internal temperature is at least 190 degrees.
Remove pans from oven and place on cooling rack. Cool for about 5 minutes. (Longer will cause bread to become soggy.)
Remove loaf from pan and continue cooling on cooling rack.
For a softer crust, as soon as you remove pans from oven cover with a light damp towel. Continue to cover after you have removed loaves from their pans.
Delicious, 100% Whole Wheat Bread
that is soooo good for you & tasting!
Cool completely before storing.
To Store: Cool completely, then place in a bread bag or wrap in plastic wrap. I have found that using a zip-top plastic bags seems to cause my bread to mold within a couple of days. Fresh bread may be stored in the refrigerator, but that can tend to cause the bread to go stale.
To Freeze: Securely wrapped loaves may be stored in the freezer. To thaw: Leave wrapped and place on a cooling rack.
Other Dough Uses: Dinner Rolls, Hoagie Rolls, Cinnamon Rolls, Pizza Rolls and much more.
For More Info: Bread Making Tips & Ingredients pages
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