Whole-Wheat Bread
Photo Credit : Heath RobbinsWe wanted a “go-to” whole-wheat loaf on which we’d be proud to serve a turkey sandwich. Who better to ask than the bread folks at King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont? We found this recipe in King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking (Countryman Press, 2006; $35)–a book to which we turn again and again, and it’s never let us down. “One hundred percent whole-wheat sandwich bread is everyone’s fiber-rich goal,” notes P. J. Hamel, who wrote many of the collection’s recipes, “but what a challenge to bake a great-tasting, high-rising, tender loaf. I find that a touch of orange juice enhances the wheat’s rich, nutty flavor. And potato flakes add a pleasant degree of moistness, while ensuring optimum ‘sliceability.’ “
Yield:
1 loafIngredients
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup (8 ounces) warm water (105-115 degrees)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3 cups traditional whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons (1-1/4 ounces) sugar
1/2 cup dried potato flakes (or 3 tablespoons potato flour)
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
2-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
Vegetable oil
Instructions
In a large bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer with hook attachment), combine ingredients (except oil); then knead until dough is soft and smooth, about 10 minutes by hand, or 3 minutes in a mixer. Cover and let dough rise until volume doubles, 1 to 2 hours.
Oil an 8-1/2×4-1/2-inch loaf pan lightly. Deflate dough gently and knead once or twice, shaping it into an 8-inch-long log. Place into the prepared pan, seam side down. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise until volume doubles, 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours.
Heat your oven to 350°. Bake bread about 30 minutes. Remove and tent with foil. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes until bread is golden brown and a thermometer reads 190 degrees. Let cool a few minutes; then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
