Basic 100% Whole Wheat Bread

I remember the first time I tried to make whole wheat bread in my breadmaker. Like most people, I had just purchased my breadmaker and simply followed a recipe in the booklet that came with it. To say that the result was disappointing would be an understatement. With enough bricks like that I could have built a house.

Years later, I challenged myself to make great-tasting whole grain bread in my breadmaker. By that time I was alittle better educated in the art and science of breadmaking, and I understood that some experimentation would be required. The loaf you see here is the result. I consider this to be the basic recipe upon which most of my other whole grain bread recipes are built.

It is comprised of 100% whole wheat flour  which I grind myself. I purchase the wheat in a 50lb bag for about $30 from a local ‘prepper’ store. I grind the flour at the point and moment of use. Two cups of wheat grain makes about three cups of flour.

I use SAF instant yeast and store it in the freezer. This recipe uses 1-1/2 teaspoons of yeast so pour that amount into a small cup, put the large container back in the freezer, then set the small bowl in a warm spot to come up to temperature. My favorite trick is to soak a washcloth in water and heat it in the microwave for two minutes. I then set the wahscloth on the counter and place the small bowl of yeast on it for about 5 minutes.

You will probably need to adjust the amount of water. I live in Phoenix, AZ where it is very dry and almost always have to add extra liquid to published bread recipes. If you live in a more normal climate you will probably find that 1-1/4 cup of water is sufficient.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups warm (approximately 90F) water
3 tablespoons honey
12.75 ounces (by weight) whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup King Arthur Flour Bakers Special Dry Milk
1-1/2 tablespoons King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Bread Improver
1-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Put the ingredients into the breadmaker pan in the order shown above. I set the Zojirushi breadmaker to the Basic Wheat cycle and let it go. When it’s done remove the pan from the breadmaker and set it on a cooling rack to cool for about 15 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and let it continue to cool.

Most of the other whole grain breads found on this website can be made by simply adding 1/2 cup of the other grain(s) of your choice and adjusting the water upward by about a 1/4 cup.