Whole Wheat Bread From Baking With Julia Recipes

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD FROM « BAKING WITH JULIA »

Steps:

• Pour ½ cup of water into the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook and add the yeast and honey. Whisk to blend and allow the mixture to rest until the yeast is creamy, about 5 minutes. Combine flours. Add the remaining 1¾ cups water, the oil, malt extract and about half of the flour mixture to the yeast. Turn the mixer on low to mix the flour and mixing on low add the rest of the flour. Increase the speed to medium beat until the dough comes together. Add up to 2 tb more flour if the dough does not come together. Add the salt and continue to beat and knead at medium speed for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can also mix the dough in the machine for half that time and knead by hand on the lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be a tad sticky even after proper and sufficient kneading. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Place in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough around to cover with oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest at room temperature until it doubles, about 1 ½ hours. Oil or butter two loaf pans (8 ½ by 4 ½). Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half and shape each part into a rectangle to fit into the loaf pans. Cover the pans with an oiled plastic wrap and allow them to rise at room temperature until they double in size growing over the tops of the pans, about 1 hour. While the breads rise, centre a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 F. When the breads are fully risen bake for about 35 minutes, or until they are golden. You should get a hollow sound when you rap the bottom of pan. Remove the loaves from their pans as soon as they come from the oven and cool the breads on racks.

SIMPLE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
• Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
• Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.

JULIA CHILD'S WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 cup of the water into a bowl and mix with yeast and sugar til foamy.
• Let sit for 5 minutes until creamy.
• Put the yeast mixture, rest of the water and 3 1/2 cups of the flour into the mixer with the dough hook.
• Mix slowly until blended then add the rest of the flour.
• Increase speed and scrape down the sides til the dough comes together.
• (If it doesn't add a tbsp of flour at a time til it does.) Add salt and mix at medium speed for 10 minutes (or do half in mixer and half kneading) til dough is smooth and elastic.
• Back in mixer add butter 1 tbsp at a time (dough may come apart, but mixing will pull it back together).
• Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball then place in a large buttered or oiled bowl.
• Turn dough so it is completely coated in the fat, then cover in plastic for 45 minutes to an hour, til it has doubled in size at room temperature.
• Butter 2 loaf pans.
• Deflate the dough, cut in half and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll out into a 9 x 12-inch rectangle.
• With the short end facing you, fold the dough into thirds like a sheet of paper to go into an envelope, creating a roll.
• Pinch the seam closed, and pinch the ends enough so it will fit in the loaf pan.
• Drop in the loaf pan seam side down, and repeat.
• Cover the loaves with buttered plastic wrap and allow to rise again in a warm place (80°F) for 45 minutes, until they double in size.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F and put the rack in the center of the oven.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes til they are honey brown.
• Immediately turn out of pans onto a rack to cool.
• Once almost completely cool, they can be cut.
• Store in a brown paper bag for a day or two.
• Once cut, turn cut side down onto a cutting board and cover with a kitchen towel.

EASY 100% WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Mix the warm water, honey, and yeast in a stand-mixer bowl until mixture becomes foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add half the whole wheat flour, olive oil, and salt to the mixture. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until incorporated. Let sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Mix with a dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly adding the remaining whole wheat flour, increasing the speed to high. Mix on high until the batter is combined and not sticking to the sides of the bowl, about 7 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Flour a surface to work the dough.
• Place the dough onto the floured work surface and shape into a loaf. Use more flour if necessary. Place into the prepared loaf pan.
• Let shaped dough sit in a warm place until it has risen over the top of the pan, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until top of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a wire rack. Let cool an additional hour before slicing; otherwise it will feel doughy.

GOLDEN WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• In small bowl combine yeast with 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees) and stir to dissolve. In a medium bowl combine whole wheat flour, bread flour, bran and salt. Add yeast mixture and 2 cups cool water (75 to 78 degrees) to dry ingredients; mix by hand to make a granular mass. Knead about 2 minutes; dough should be very loose and sticky. If necessary add 1 to 2 tablespoons cool water.
• Oil a large mixing bowl and a sheet of plastic wrap; set aside. Transfer dough to a very lightly floured work surface and knead until somewhat cohesive, 3 to 4 minutes, using as little flour as possible and using a scraper to lift and turn dough. Return dough to bowl and place oiled plastic wrap over surface. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
• Return dough to work surface and knead again 6 to 7 minutes; dough should be soft and loose. Return to oiled bowl and cover again with oiled plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature for one hour.
• Knead dough while still in bowl, gently deflating it with your fingertips. Fold in thirds like a letter, then bring ends in and turn over so seam is underneath. Let rise again for one hour.
• Repeat folding and turning process, and let rise again until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When dough is fully risen, an indentation made by poking your finger deep into the dough will not spring back.
• Sprinkle a large baking peel generously with cornmeal, or line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Divide dough into two equal pieces, shaping each into a tight boule (slightly flattened ball). Place loaves on peel or pan, leaving about 4 inches between them to allow for rising. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise again until nearly doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. If loaves begin to grow together, put in oven before they touch.
• Thirty minutes before baking, heat oven to 450 degrees. Place small cast-iron skillet on floor of a gas oven or lowest rack of an electric oven. Place oven rack two rungs above pan. If using a baking stone, place it on the rack. Fill a plastic spray bottle with water.
• Score a tic-tac-toe pattern with a sharp knife or razor blade on top of each loaf. Slide loaves into oven. Mist loaves 6 to 8 times, pour 1 cup hot water into skillet and quickly close oven door. After 1 minute, mist with water again, and close oven door.
• Bake 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue to bake until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, another 13 to 18 minutes. Place on a rack to cool.