Whole wheat goodness

I've been tinkering around, and I think I've found the recipe that works for me.


This loaf is made using the method in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, but I wanted a version that was wholly whole wheat and yet was kind of light.

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cups very warm water
1 1/2 cups milk, warmed and then cooled enough so that it doesn't kill the yeast
1/2 cup honey
2 pkg. rapid rise yeast (I figure with whole wheat, I want to throw everything I've got at it)
5 Tblsp. olive oil
1 Tblsp. salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

Mix it up (I like to start with the water, honey, and yeast so that I can watch the yeast begin to foam).

Cover the bowl (but not air-tight) and let it rise 2-3 hours, or until doubled.

This batch makes three loaves. I usually bake one right away, and I form the other two and freeze them so that I can bake them later. You can also leave the dough in the refrigerator for a few days and bake the loaves when you want them.

To form the loaves, keep your hands wet and pull the dough around, rotating the loaf, four times. The Artisan Bread site has very good instructions.

Place the loaf in a buttered loaf pan or just set it on some cornmeal on a pan. In the picture above, I dusted the loaf with a little more whole wheat pastry flour and sliced the top three times.

After the loaf has sat around and rested (it just went through a lot), turn the oven on to 350 degrees and wait at least 20 minutes. You want it hot.

Put the bread in the oven, and add some hot water in a pan for steam. (I know I'm not doing this part right, which is another good reason to visit the website.)

Bake for 40-50 minutes, depending on your oven.

Cool the bread on a rack.

Enjoy!