Freshly baked bread is one of life’s little pleasures. All you need to make a delicious loaf of bread is just a little flour, yeast, salt, water, some basic baking equipment, and, of course, some time. The result is always very rewarding!
Which Ingredients to Use
To make this easy whole wheat bread, I used a mixture of hard wheat flour (for this recipe, low-gluten Zea flour fills that role) and some regular flour. Using hard wheat flour is important as it has more protein and creates a good structure inside the loaf while also giving the loaf a better shape. The mixture of the two flours is important so the bread does not become dense, heavy and crumbly. A couple of spoonfuls of honey complement the earthy flavor of the whole wheat flour, and, a little olive oil ensures that the finished product remains nice and soft.
How It Comes Together
If you have a stand mixer the dough comes together in seconds. If you do not, all you will need is a bowl and a sturdy spatula to mix all the ingredients. Once the dough comes together into a ball, it should feel soft and sticky. Do not add more flour to the dough; as long as you can handle it, this is the right consistency.
The next step is very important: empty your dough onto a well-oiled bench and knead it until it is no longer sticky. The olive oil will make your kneading tidy and help produce a smooth loaf. Allow the dough to rest until it doubles in volume. Knead it some more then place it in a loaf pan for the second (shorter) rising.
Once the bread has risen the second time, it is ready to bake. That is when your kitchen will start smelling amazing and within 30 minutes the bread should be ready.
Allow it some time to cool down before slicing and enjoying!
- 1 pkg. active dry yeast (2¼ tsp.)
- 1 cup warm water (110°F)
- 2 TBSP. honey
- 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
- 1¾ cups whole wheat flour (I used Zea flour)
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 med. egg white, beaten
- --- coarse sea salt & sesame seeds for topping (optional)
- Using a 2-cup glass measuring cup dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the honey. Let stand until foamy, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the olive oil.
- In a stand mixer equipped with the dough hook attachment blend the whole-wheat flour, 1¼ cup of the all-purpose flour, and the salt until combined.
- Pour in the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until the dough forms a ball. The dough should be slightly sticky; if it is too wet, add some of the remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time (you can also use a food processor, or, just a bowl and a wooden spatula). Empty your dough on a well-oiled bench and knead it until it is not sticky anymore. Shape the dough into a ball and turn it over in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
- After the first rise, punch down the dough to deflate it and knead briefly again on a lightly oiled bench or surface to shape into a smooth, 10-inch-long oblong loaf. Place the dough in a greased 10”x5” loaf pan. Cover loosely with a cloth and let it proof again until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Brush the top of the bread loaf lightly with the egg white. Sprinkle some sea salt and sesame seeds, if using. With a sharp knife, cut three, ½-inch-deep slashes on top of the loaf. (This slashing is necessary to release some of the trapped gas, which can deform your bread. It also makes the top of your bread look attractive.)
- Place a small pan (e.g., an 8” cake pan) filled with 1 cup of water in the corner of the lowest shelf in the oven. Slide the bread loaf pan right onto the middle rack of the oven and close the oven door (the steam from the water in the small pan will help to keep the oven moist and allow the bread to rise more, instead of forming a crust right away.)
- Bake the loaf for about 30 minutes, or, until the top is a deep golden brown (the internal temperature of the bread will be around 190°F). When you remove the loaf from the oven, you will hear it crackle for a while. In baking terms, this is called "singing" and it is exactly what you want. Place on a rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing and enjoying. This bread is even better the next day, sliced and toasted, as it brings out the nutty flavor of the whole wheat flour!
About the Zea flour
For this recipe I collaborated again with Demetra Organics, an up-and-coming company that supports a growing community of farmers in Greece who produce a highly nutritional, low-gluten, ancient grain called Zea. Not only does this company help stimulate the local economy by providing a sustainable way of life to families involved in agriculture, but it also has a goal to help promote a healthy lifestyle for all its customers.
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