Awesome Whole Wheat Bread

This is for you, Jessi!

Had a request for my whole wheat bread recipe. I have been wanting to get back into baking my own bread but I thought my wheat grinder had a part missing. I hauled it to SLC (that makes it sound very cumbersome, doesn't it?) to have it checked out and was cleared to use it. I bought a #10 can of both white and red wheat, some dough enhancer, vital wheat gluten and my Saf Instant yeast (red package--rapid rise, I think) and headed for home. I was set for making my own bread! Oh, and the most important thing--bread pans. I had two but needed more.

I had searched for recipes beforehand and chose one that sounded yummy. Having never worked with vital wheat gluten or dough enhancer before, I didn't know what to expect or even really what I was looking for in a recipe. I didn't understand one part of the recipe, so I just did it how I remember doing it many years ago. It has been so long that Holly doesn't remember me grinding my own wheat but Jaren does!

I got this recipe from tastykitchen.com, the recipe site that Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, started, where the general public can submit recipes. I have used quite a few recipes from this site--I love it! I have adapted just a bit. Here it is:

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup honey

1 Tbsp active dry yeast

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp dough enhancer

1/3 cup vital wheat gluten (if doubling recipe, only use 1/2 cup)

5 cups whole wheat flour

Preparation

In a large mixer (I have a large Bosch that I use) combine the water, yeast and honey. Let sit for a few minutes to give the yeast a chance to start working. Add the salt, oil, vital wheat gluten, dough enhancer and 3 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Continue to add more flour until the dough does not stick to the side of the bowl and does not feel sticky to the touch. You may need to use up to 6 cups of flour. Knead for 10 minutes in mixer. When dough ha finished kneading let it rise once until doubled in bulk. Punch down dough and divide it into 2 pieces and form into loaves and set in greased bread pans. I cover the pans with Press and Seal coated with Pam spray. Turn oven to 350 degrees to heat while the dough is rising in the pans. Let dough rise until about an inch over the pan. Of course you will want to remove the Press and Seal from off the top of the bread. Bake for about 30 minutes. When done baking, brush the tops with a little butter to keep the crust soft, remove from pans immediately and let cool on a wire rack.

ENJOY!

I double this recipe for my family and can get 5 loaves out of it. We eat one immediately, keep one for current use, and freeze the other 3. When doubling, I sometimes use 12 to 13 cups of flour.

I have shared this recipe with a friend that makes her own bread and she couldn't believe it was a whole wheat bread recipe. She doesn't use as much dough enhancer and vital wheat gluten that this recipe calls for. She said hers usually turns out dense and it isn't very good for making sandwiches. These loaves come out soft and fluffy, if you can say that about a loaf of bread! Before I bought bread bags, I just used the Granny Sycamore wheat bread bags that I had at home. I would slice my homemade loaves and put them in those bags. I had Erik and Steve ask on more than one occasion if it was my homemade bread. They thought it looked too perfect to be homemade.

I ran out of the original wheat that I bought. I asked my bread-baking friends where they bought their wheat and was told that Costco had the best prices they know of. I was able to get 45# of white wheat only for around $13. I had already purchased some of the 5 gallon buckets with the gamma lids to store my sugar, flour, and wheat in. I am in love with gamma lids. Sure beats the heck out of those stupid lids that you couldn't use without a crowbar "back in the day!" They are very nice storage containers. I also found smaller sizes (down to one gallon, I think) at a place called Kitchen Kneads on Redwood Road between 7200 S. and 9000 S. if you happen to live in the Salt Lake valley. I thought about using smaller sizes for powdered sugar, brown sugar, and oats.

I also bought some very cute little bread pans and bread bags there. They also sell different wheats and grains there and have many things for food storage.