Our everyday, 100% whole wheat, freshly milled sandwich bread
Posting my freshly-milled, 100% whole wheat sandwich bread recipe…this one is an adaptation of my everyday sandwich bread that I posted here way back in 2007. Unfortunately the photos in that post are broken, but it was a white bread with wheat bran added in for interest and nutrition. Once I got my KoMo Fidibus XL in 2014, I switched over to 100% whole wheat bread. My family never even minded, because the bread still came out soft, fluffy, and mild-tasting due to using white whole wheat. Make sure your wheat berries are golden and plump. I’ve had some bad berries that made dense, poorly-risen bread. Achieving a good elastic windowpane is key with this bread, as well.
Makes four loaves, but recipe can be cut in half. We slice when cool and freeze until needed, removing slices and letting them thaw for a few minutes on the plate.
3.5 lbs wheat berries (I like 1 lb kamut, then the rest in hard white wheat)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
4 cups water (cold or room temp…I use cold filtered from the fridge dispenser)
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp instant yeast
4 tsp salt
Grind wheat berries. Put water, melted butter, sugar and yeast in bowl of stand mixer (I have a 7 qt Viking professional. If you’re using a smaller mixer, I recommend halving the recipe). Add a few cups of the flour and beat with the flat beater or dough hook at low to medium speed until well mixed. Add a few more cups of flour and the salt. Beat at low to medium speed until well mixed. Continue adding flour a cup or two at a time. If using the flat beater, switch to the dough hook when the dough gets thick. After the rest of the flour has been added, knead using the hook until the dough passes the windowpane test. Oil the bowl, cover and let proof for about 1 to 1.5 hours. Divide into four pieces (about 1.5 lbs each) and form each into a tight loaf. (I flatten, then roll up each piece, adding plenty of tension to the outside of the loaf as I’m rolling it.) Place in greased 9x5 pans, cover loosely, and proof for about 35 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375° while the loaves are rising. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until internal temp of 195° is reached. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack, covered with a kitchen towel.
Comments
Lovely whole wheat sandwich loaf, the crumb looks lovely and even just as it should.
Benny
Thanks so much!
Such a beautiful loaf and the butter and sugar with the whole wheat= YUM! I don't have a miller so I would only be able to use store bought whole wheat- does this affect the necessary hydration? I want to try it out.
It might be different with storebought ww flour, but I’ve never tried it, so I guess the only way to find out is by experimenting! I’d split the recipe down by half so it’s less of a risk, and add just enough flour to get it to leave the sides of the bowl. Then knead to windowpane. I think it could be pretty easy to add too much flour with storebought ww, so err on the side of less.
HI. I've been a bit late getting back to your post. I love the look of your loaves. I've been experimenting with Debra Wink's 100% whole-wheat sandwich loaves. I mill the wheat and found that through trial and error that red wheat performed the best as it was about 14% protein. My first attempt was a failure, however, DW messaged me with some recommendations and mentored me through to success. Debra Wink's 100% whole-wheat sandwich bread | The Fresh Loaf
Cheers,
Gavin.
That’s so cool that you got your wheat berries straight from the farm! I tried hard red with my family early on in my milling days, but it didn’t go over too well, lol. So for us, hard white it is. 🤣 And I love that you were able to make some tweaks and end up with success! Happy baking, Gavin!