Honey whole wheat bread
Homemade whole wheat bread is a nutritious staple with a rich, nutty flavor and hearty texture.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups warm (not hot) water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons olive oil or corn oil
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
Activate Yeast: In a small bowl, combine warm water and active dry yeast. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, honey, and olive oil (or corn oil). Once the yeast mixture is ready, add it to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Combine Flours: In a separate bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. Gradually add this flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until the dough begins to come together.
Knead the Dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
First Rise: Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
Shape the Dough: Once risen, punch down the dough to release air. Divide it into desired shapes (loaves or rolls) and place them in greased baking pans.
Second Rise: Cover the shaped dough with a towel and let it rise for another 30-45 minutes, until puffy.
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bake: Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Cool: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy your freshly baked homemade bread!Directions:
Pour the water into a bowl of a standing and sprinkle the yeast over top. Let this stand for a few minutes until the yeast has dissolved. Stir in the milk, honey, and oil.
Add two cups of all-purpose flour and the salt, and stir to combine the ingredients. Add the rest of the all-purpose and whole wheat flours. Stir to form a shaggy dough. Let this stand for 20 minutes to give the flour time to absorb the liquid.
Remove the dough from the bowl and on a floured surface, knead the dough for 8-9 minutes. If the dough is sticky against the sides of the bowl or the counter, add extra flour a tablespoon at a time until it is no longer sticky. The dough is kneaded when it is smooth, feels slightly tacky, forms a ball without sagging, and springs back when poked.
Clean out the mixing bowl and cover it with a little oil. Form the dough into a ball and turn it in the bowl to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This dough won't double quite as dramatically as other recipes, but the dough should look visibly puffed.
Sprinkle a little flour on the counter and turn the dough out on top. Divide the dough in two and shape each half into a loose ball. Let the balls rest for 10 minutes.
Grease two 8x4-inch (or 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch) loaf pans or film them with non-stick cooking spray. Shape each ball of dough into a loaf and transfer to the loaf pans. It's important that the surface of the loaves be stretched taut; this helps them rise and prevents an overly-dense interior. Let the loaves rise a second time until they start to dome over the edge of the pan, 30-40 minutes.
Heat the oven to 425°F about halfway through the second rise.
Next, turn down the heat to 375°F , place the loaves into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Finished loaves will be dark golden-brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool completely before slicing.