Let me explain how making whole wheat bread works

Making whole wheat bread requires special procedures and it is important to know about it. Homemade whole wheat bread is characteristic for its texture and noticeable taste. It also contains important nutrients to keep you slim, healthy and fit. Many people decide to use just whole wheat flour, but their bread does not have the right firm quality. It’s possible to get a pretty tough bread if you decide to follow your own rules. Below here you will find tips that were proven to work by experts.

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Whole Wheat Bread Making – Basics

For the best 100% whole wheat bread, you are going to need following 3 things. Firstly, always use the right amount of protein flour for making your bread. As an alternative to that, you can put vital wheat gluten in to your bread dough. Second, avoid adding flour a long while before you need to. Third, knead consistently and nonstop. Using a food processor could help you with kneading, saves you time and energy. You can also use your hands or a mixer with a dough hook to get the job done.

Developing strong gluten in order to get a soft crumb and nice texture is essential, as whole wheat flour is heavier then white flour. The higher protein content you have, the more gluten available. Make sure you don´t add too much flour – you would be risking your loaves being too tough. The continuous kneading mentioned before will help the gluten to form a strong and consistent matrix.

Whole Wheat Bread – Further Details

The Recipe

The amounts for making one full loaf are: 2 tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, 3.5 cups of 100% whole wheat flour, 1 tablespoon of oil, 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, 1 package of dry yeast, 1 tablespoon of liquid lecithin and warm water. If you are using food processors to do the kneading for you, always use ice water. Once you master the recipe, feel free to add more ingredients like seeds and nuts.

The recipe mentioned above results in a loaf weighing about 1 1/4 pounds. The amount is perfect to be baked in a pan of size 8.5 x 4.5 inches. This pan is ideal compared to metal or glass pans. The metal can create an ideal exterior crust along the sides, baking the loaf evenly throughout. It is also easier to clean this pan.

The Process

Wanting to make 100% whole wheat bread, you can several processes that create a crusty and soft texture outcome. The process is basically the same, no matter if you use your own hands or a food processor. Simply, the four processes are: the mixing process, the kneading process, the rising process and the baking process.

Using Bread Machines

Another way how to make bread is using bread machines. There are some excellent bread machines such as the Zojirushi bread machine, the Zojirushi BB-CEC20, or the Panasonic bread maker, the Panasonic SC YD250. They do everything in the correct order and help with adding the right amounts for each ingredient that you need to use. You can have the machine operate independently to do the four processes. That is great when you have a dough with white flour. It is not ideal for dough that is 100% whole wheat flour. Whole wheat bread generally requires more rising and kneading times. Do make the effort to check out the bread machines. They are surely a major help.

 

Image by Horia Varlan via Flickr

So how to make homemade bread, and get this beautiful gorgeous tasty smell of fresh homemade bread? Well, do you do it manually or with an automatic bread maker? Maybe the method how to make homemade bread depends on who you are. Are you the type that loves making a big massive mess in the kitchen, scraping the dough off the ceiling, wiping the flour off the doorknobs, and sliding through the oil spill on your kitchen floor?

Or… Do you prefer to take a deep breath and come to the realisation that there is such a thing as an automatic bread maker that does most of the work for you? While you sleep…watch tv…have a coffee…talk about how to make bread to your friends?

I guess you could say we’re all for automation here, so the automatic bread maker is our way to go. But maybe it’s good to realise what you’ll be missing if you didn’t have one! Check out this little video that shows you how to make homemade bread (if you wanted…)

How To Make Homemade Bread (Or Not)

Food for thought Let me assure you that learning how to make bread with a bread making machine is nothing to be ashamed off. This will become obvious when you look at peoples faces as you present them with your own home made bread, nicely sliced on a plate!