The Tastiest Whole Wheat Bread
I've mentioned before (quite emphatically) in my Focaccia Bread Recipe post that my favorite food is bread. And I don't discriminate when it comes to different bread types. Okay, I obviously have my favorites, like sourdough bread and challah and focaccia and bagels and - fine, maybe I can't pick a favorite - but all bread is good in my book. Even whole wheat bread. Just as yummy.
When most people make whole wheat bread, they mix half white flour with half whole wheat because they reckon that using 100% whole wheat flour will make their bread too dense and tasteless (it's not an unfounded concern). And when stores advertise their bread as "whole wheat" or "whole grain," unless "100%" is written expressly before the word "whole," there's a big chance that the bread has more white flour than whole wheat flour in it. A BIG chance.
Well, this bread, as mentioned in the title, is 100% whole wheat. And it isn't dense or tasteless. It's light. And flavorful. Which I think has a lot to do with the fact that there's a specific type of oil in this recipe - olive oil. It's pretty cool how tasty and delicate olive oil can make bread.
I like under-baking my cakes and cookies so they'll stay soft and chewy. I also like under-baking my breads a teeny bit so they're nice and doughy. But I also thoroughly enjoy bread with a crispy crust. And I don't have to pick between the two. I achieve both a doughy center and a crispy crust by under-baking my breads and by removing my breads from their baking pans and placing them directly on the oven rack a few minutes before I take them out of the oven. I get whatever I want when it comes to bread. I'm so spoiled.
Oh, and if you're one of those people who've always wondered how to form bread into a nice loaf shape, here are some instructions:
the tastiest (100%) whole wheat bread
Yield: 2 loaves
3 packets instant/active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
Pinch sugar
3 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup olive oil
2 eggs
6-7 cups whole wheat flour (I used closer to 7)
2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil and dried herbs, for brushing
Dissolve yeast in warm water and pinch of sugar and let rest until foams.
Add in the rest of the ingredients, in the order written. Knead in machine with a dough hook or by hand.
Place dough (will be sticky) into an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in warm spot till doubles in size (1+ hours).
Preheat oven to 375F.
Shape dough into loaves (see visual instructions above) or into rolls. If making loaves, brush loaf tins with oil. If making rolls, grease or line the baking sheets.
If desired, brush loaves with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs, or simply brush with beaten eggs for shiny finish.
Bake until bottoms browned (check after 20 minutes for loaves, less for rolls).
I can't remember where I got this recipe from. It was taken years back from the vast world known as Google. I've adapted it a bit, but I'd love to give credit where credit is due; if anyone recognizes this recipe, please let me know :)
On a completely unrelated note, math:
Photo from Memes Dot COm
