TIRED OF MAKING WHOLE GRAIN BRICKS? THIS RECIPE IS GREAT FOR THE BEGINNING WHOLE GRAIN BAKER WHO IS JUST STARTING TO MAKE BREAD FROM WHEAT THEY GROUND THEMSELVES. THIS RECIPE WAS SHARED WITH US BY OUR FRIEND DARLA AFTER WE MADE PLENTY OF BRICKS OURSELVES.
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 cups freshly ground flour
- 4 tsp yeast (we like Red Star)
- 2 cups warm water 115 degrees F
Mix coconut oil, honey, fresh ground wheat flour, yeast, and warm water in a large mixing bowl. Mix until wet, cover, and let sit 30 minutes.
- 2 cups fresh ground oat flour
- 1 cup store bought flour or fresh milled soft white wheat flour
- 1 tbsp sea salt or real salt
- 1/2 cup wheat gluten
Uncover and mix in fresh oat flour, store bought white flour (or fresh ground soft white wheat flour), salt and wheat gluten. The standard ratio of gluten to flour is 1 tablespoon of gluten per cup of flour in the recipe.
Add up to another cup of flour (one tablespoon at a time) until dough is tacky but doesn’t stick to your fingers. Machine knead for 3.5 minutes then let dough (and your mixer’s motor) rest for 10 minutes and knead another 3.5 minutes.
OR: Hand knead for 10 minutes minimum until the dough begins to push back at you when you push down upon it. That means your gluten strands are properly forming. When ready, the exterior of the dough should have the tackiness of the sticky part of a Post-It Note.
Split your loaf in half. Roll gently to approximate size of pans. Place into two greased loaf pans, cover with a cloth. We prefer the 2x4x8 pans from Dollar Tree which give a nice pillow-top loaf. Place in a draft-free location and let rise until doubled in size. This process depends on the day, the heat, the humidity. It may only take 30 minutes for it to double or it may take an hour.
Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, cover top rack with aluminum foil to protect the bread tops. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from baking pans to cooling rack. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.