Old Fashioned Whole Wheat Bread

Yummy yummy in our tummy!! I found the recipe for this awesome whole wheat bread about a month ago via Pinterest from a website called Deals to Meals and I made a few modifications.  I made it hoping my family would like it because frankly I am sick of paying for bread. I had to find a recipe that wasn't baked in the bread machine because they come out too crusty and giant for my little ones. This size is perfect for little hands and hearty but yet moist. 

So, thankfully this recipe isn't in the bread machine nor do you have to hand knead it. I hope you enjoy it and it becomes a family favorite for you as well. 

This recipe makes 2 loaves. I use a stoneware loaf pan and a regular metal pan. 

Ingredients:

3.5 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 Tbsp yeast

2.5 cups hot water (I use very warm water from the tap. If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast)

1 Tbsp salt

1/3 cup oil (I've used olive oil and coconut oil and both worked fine)

1/3 cup honey or 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 Tbsp lemon juice

2 1/4-2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Directions:

1. Combine first two ingredients in stand mixer with a dough hook. 

2. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; let rest for 10 min. This is called sponging.

3. Add salt, oil, honey (or sugar) and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute.

4. Add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. 

5. Beat for about 6-10 minutes, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This makes very soft, non sticky dough..

6. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to your lowest setting (mine is 170F) and place an oven safe container with some water on the bottom rack. 

7. Turn off mixer and place dough onto a greased surface (truth us I spray a section of my counter with cooking spray). Divide dough into 2 loaves and placed in OILED bread pans.

8. Turn oven off just before you put the loaves in. Let rise in warm oven for 20-30 minutes; until dough is at or almost at top of pan. 

9. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven on to 350F and bake for 25 minutes. 

10. Remove from pans and cool on racks. 

When I put the dough in the bread pans, I squish it into the corners of the pan so that it is even on the bottom of the pans. Next time I make it I will take a picture of what they look like before I put them in the oven. 

Let me know if you are able to do this in a bread machine on a dough cycle. I am interested if it turns out the same!!

Happy Baking!!

Amanda