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Honey Whole Wheat Loaves

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This recipe has just enough honey to bring out the natural nutty sweetness of the wheat, and it’s easy enough for a novice baker yet yields a bread that will have you feeling like you needn’t ever buy it from the store again. If you mix this recipe up in the morning you can have fresh bread by lunch time. We usually eat one loaf fresh and freeze the other. With some local cheese (I used Sequatchie Cove’s Coppinger) this makes an enviable grilled cheese. Just ask my jilted other half who did not get a grilled cheese because I cruelly made it in his absence.
Course bread
Keyword bread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cup warm water 105° F – 115° F
  • 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 1/2 to 3 2/3 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 Tbsp barley malt syrup or malt extract
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a standing mixer whisk to blend 1/2 cup of the water with the yeast and honey. Allow the mixture to rest until the yeast is creamy, about 5 minutes.
  • Combine 3 1/2 cups of bread flour and all of the whole wheat flour in a bowl, set aside.
  • Fit the mixer with the dough hook attachment. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cup water, oil, barley malt, and about half of the flour to the yeast, and mix on low speed, add the rest of the flour mix, and increase the speed to medium mixing until the dough comes together, stopping to scrape down the hook and bowl as needed. If it doesn’t come together add up to 2 Tbsp more white flour. Add the salt and continue to beat at medium speed for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough will still be sticky.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Place it in a large lightly oiled bowl. Rotate the dough to coat lightly in oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rest at rom temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
  • Oil or butter two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pans.
  • Deflate the dough by lightly punching it and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 9″ by 12″ rectangle, with the short side facing you. Fold the top of the dough 2/3’s of the way down then fold again so that the top meets the bottom edge. Seal the seam by pinching. It takes me a bit of vigorous pinching to seal it. Turn each roll so that the seam is centered, facing up. Tuck the ends of the roll in just so that the loaf will fit in the pan. Pinch to seal these seams.
  • Turn the rolls over, plump and shape with your hands, and place seam side down in the loaf pans. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in size again, about 1 hour. While they rise center a rack in the oven and heat to 375° F.
  • When risen (a finger should leave an impression when the dough is poked) bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into the bottom of the loaf reads 200° F. Remove from pans and let cool on racks.
  • Once cooled the bread can be wrapped and stored at room temperature or tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to a month. To thaw let sit, still wrapped, at room temperature.