I love my Pinterest boards so much because it is where I pin all my favourite recipes I find online, like this bread recipe. I am so glad that it turned out great! The recipe calls for an initial use of 4 cups of flour and gradual addition of flour until an elastic dough is formed. I found that 3 tablespoons of additional flour is enough to form an elastic dough. The recipe yields two big loaves, but I made 10 buns and one loaf of bread.
Honey- Whole Wheat Bread
Recipe from RecipeGirl
Yield: 2 loaves / (1 loaf and 10 buns)
Prep Time: 30 min + rising time
Cook Time: 25 min
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 to 5 cups bread flour (I use regular all-purpose flour, and I use 4 cups + 3 tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 packets active dry yeast (.25-ounce envelopes) / 4 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 cup honey
1 2/3 cups water
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
additional flour, as needed
4 to 5 cups bread flour (I use regular all-purpose flour, and I use 4 cups + 3 tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 packets active dry yeast (.25-ounce envelopes) / 4 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 cup honey
1 2/3 cups water
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
additional flour, as needed
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the the whole wheat flour, 4 cups bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
2. In a medium bowl, combine honey, milk, water and butter, and heat to between 105 and 110 degrees in the microwave (I heated the mixture on a stove).
3. Stir the liquids to melt the butter and add, all at once, to the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl (I cooled the mixture a bit until lukewarm before adding to the flour and yeast mixture, since I don't have a thermometer).
4. With the dough hook installed on your stand mixer, mix the dough. Add more bread flour by the Tablespoon, as needed, until the dough comes together and clears the bowl (I ended up using 3 tablespoons). Mix for 5 minutes with the dough hook and remove to a lightly floured counter surface.
5. Knead by hand until no longer sticky, adding flour as necessary. Form the dough into a large round and place in a large, greased bowl.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel, let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes (or until about doubled in size). Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it in half. Roll each half into a 10 x 12 rectangle and roll each up like a cigar. Pinch the seams. Roll on the counter-top to make a uniform log and place each roll in an oiled 9x5-inch bread pan seam-side up. Shake the roll to oil the bottom, turn the pan over, catch the dough and reinsert it into the pan, seam-side-down.
7. Return the pan to a warm place, cover lightly with a clean dishtowel and let rise an additional 30 minutes or until at least 1 inch above the pan top. Bake in a preheated 400°F/ 200°C (I baked mine at 180°C for 25 minutes for both batches of buns and loaf) oven for 25 minutes, or until the center of the bread tests 190 to 200 degrees. Remove the bread from the pans and let them cool on a rack.
2. In a medium bowl, combine honey, milk, water and butter, and heat to between 105 and 110 degrees in the microwave (I heated the mixture on a stove).
3. Stir the liquids to melt the butter and add, all at once, to the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl (I cooled the mixture a bit until lukewarm before adding to the flour and yeast mixture, since I don't have a thermometer).
4. With the dough hook installed on your stand mixer, mix the dough. Add more bread flour by the Tablespoon, as needed, until the dough comes together and clears the bowl (I ended up using 3 tablespoons). Mix for 5 minutes with the dough hook and remove to a lightly floured counter surface.
5. Knead by hand until no longer sticky, adding flour as necessary. Form the dough into a large round and place in a large, greased bowl.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel, let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes (or until about doubled in size). Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it in half. Roll each half into a 10 x 12 rectangle and roll each up like a cigar. Pinch the seams. Roll on the counter-top to make a uniform log and place each roll in an oiled 9x5-inch bread pan seam-side up. Shake the roll to oil the bottom, turn the pan over, catch the dough and reinsert it into the pan, seam-side-down.
7. Return the pan to a warm place, cover lightly with a clean dishtowel and let rise an additional 30 minutes or until at least 1 inch above the pan top. Bake in a preheated 400°F/ 200°C (I baked mine at 180°C for 25 minutes for both batches of buns and loaf) oven for 25 minutes, or until the center of the bread tests 190 to 200 degrees. Remove the bread from the pans and let them cool on a rack.
Tips:
*If you don't have a stand mixer, you can mix and then knead the bread by hand. It'll be a bit of a workout, but it's worth it.
*To create a nice, warm place for your loaves to rise, turn on oven for 60 seconds and then turn it off. Turn the oven light on too. The temperature should be just about right for your loaves to rise nicely. (don't forget to turn off the oven!)
*Want a buttery component to it? Brush butter onto the top of the loaf as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let it soak into the loaf, then remove the loaf from the pan to cool.
*If you do not plan to consume both loaves right away, they freeze beautifully. Wrap loaf with foil as soon as it comes out of the oven- just foil, nothing else- the wrapping-while-hot trick retains the moisture so when thawed it's very fresh tasting.
*Over-kneading and adding too much flour may result in a drier, denser loaf. Be careful.
*To create a nice, warm place for your loaves to rise, turn on oven for 60 seconds and then turn it off. Turn the oven light on too. The temperature should be just about right for your loaves to rise nicely. (don't forget to turn off the oven!)
*Want a buttery component to it? Brush butter onto the top of the loaf as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let it soak into the loaf, then remove the loaf from the pan to cool.
*If you do not plan to consume both loaves right away, they freeze beautifully. Wrap loaf with foil as soon as it comes out of the oven- just foil, nothing else- the wrapping-while-hot trick retains the moisture so when thawed it's very fresh tasting.
*Over-kneading and adding too much flour may result in a drier, denser loaf. Be careful.
Source: RecipeGirl.com (adapted from "PeteFL" via Cooking.com Forum)