Very Simple 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Here is my favorite bread recipe - 100% pure whole wheat bread. I learned to make this about eight months ago from my friend Nyla and I now make it every five days or so. We no longer buy any store bought bread products and not only do we save money (less than $1 a loaf for this bread), but this is so much better for your kids. It's supper easy, fast, soft, moist and so healthy! I prefer this over any bread machine bread and it's so easy, you don't need a bread machine anyway! Following are some pictures of the process and the actual recipe follows below.

Ingredients gathered: Whole wheat flour, yeast, salt (I use sea salt), molasses, olive oil.

After ingredients are mixed and the dough is kneaded for 10 minutes it's ready to rise in a warm place (I prefer my oven warmed up on pre-heat and then shut off once I put the dough in).

After the dough rises for one hour it should be twice its size like this dough in the bowl. I'm now ready to roll it out and shape into loaves like below.

Carefully rolling out the dough and shaping into two loaves, pinching the ends closed.

Into the pans and ready to rise for 30 minutes.

After it rises for 30 minutes and ready to go into the oven to bake.

Yummy bread, ready to eat.

Here is the recipe:

1 tbs honey
3 tbs yeast
1 1/3 cup hot water (about 120 degrees)
Another 1 1/3 cup hot water
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup oil (olive or the healthy omega 3 oil from Smart Balance)
2 tsp salt
approx. 7 cups whole wheat flour

Put honey and yeast in large bowl (I use Kitchen aid mixing bowl). Add 1 1/3 cup hot water from tap and let it sit for 5 minutes until it bubbles. Use mixer and add the other 1 1/3 cup water and slowly add oil while mixing on low. Add molasses and salt. Start adding flour. My mixer will only mix about 4-5 cups flour so I add that amount, remove from mixing stand and add the rest of the flour and stir with wooden spoon. Once dough is not so sticky, dump out on counter and continue to add flour as needed and start to knead dough. Knead for 10 minutes or until elastic. It's really important to knead the dough long enough or it won't rise as high and it will come out dense. It's also important not to add too much flour. The dough should still be slightly sticky when done, although not to the point where it will coat your finger when you touch it.

Once it is kneaded and ready, place dough ball into well oiled large bowl, cover with towel and put in warm place for one hour to rise. I like to warm-up my oven to 170 degrees while kneading and then turn it off and stick it in there to rise. It should double in size.

After 1 hour remove, punch down dough, and put on slightly floured surface. CUT dough in half (do not tear the dough) and gently roll out dough into rectangle shape, about 6 inches wide by 14 inches long or do. Then roll up the dough and pinch the ends together. Turn it seam side down into well-oiled bread pans. While doing this, heat your oven back up to about 170 degrees, turn off and put bread pans, covered with towel, back in oven to rise. Let rise for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove from oven or warm place, heat oven up to 375 degrees and bake bread for 30 minutes.

That's it! This is so easy and so inexpensive that anyone can do it. However, I will admit that the first few times I did it it did not rise as high or get as soft. It took me about 3-4 times of making it to get it right, so don't give up if it doesn’t come out right your first try. Let me know if you have questions! Enjoy!