I love knowing what is in my wheat bread. I know there is no high fructose corn syrup or preservatives and whatever else they put in store bought "wheat" bread. Also, my bread is made with freshly ground wheat. I bought a Nutrimill a few years ago and I love it because it is quiet, fast and very compact. Also, freshly ground wheat has much more nutritional value than store-bought flour. A lot of the vitamin content of the whole grain is lost to oxidation in the first 24-48 hours after being ground. Whole wheat flour that is packaged for the grocery store shelves has to have a long shelf-life, so preservatives are added, and also natural oils have to be removed so they don't spoil and turn the flour rancid. Also, white flour has had the wheat germ and bran removed, and has very little nutrition left in it, except for the few vitamins and minerals that are added for "enrichment".
Another reason why I make wheat bread instead of white bread is because freshly ground whole grain flour is good for digestion as well as controlling weight and blood sugar levels and also lowering cholesterol. So given all these wonderful things homemade wheat bread does for you, I wanted to share this recipe.
You are going to LOVE it. This bread comes out just beautiful, and moist.Your house will smell amazing and it is also pretty much fool proof.
The last great part of the this recipe is that it will make 5 loafs of bread, or you can make 4 loaves and roll out the 5th loaf into the shape of a large pizza crust.So you can stock your freezer and make dinner all at the same time. It is wonderful to have a pizza crust in your freezer! I found one in my freezer on Sunday and it was a great combination with a salad and some frozen White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookie dough. It was a nice quick and easy dinner. I love having food in my freezer. Sunday was kind of a rough day for our family.
To make this bread every few weeks like I do, you will need a Nutrimill (or an electric wheat grinder) and 4 metal bread pans. It may seem expensive at first, but you will save money in the long run by having these items in your home.
Honey Wheat Bread
Yield: 5 loaves or 4 loaves and one pizza
5 cups warm water
1 cup honey
1 cup olive oil (any oil works)
2 tablespoons yeast
¼ cup gluten
1 cup hot water
12 cups whole-wheat flour
6 cups white flour
1½ tablespoons salt
1 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
I start this recipe by pouring 10 cups of red wheat into my Nutrimill wheat grinder.
Heat 5 cups of water in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour 5 cups warm water, oil, and honey into a large mixer and mix. Add the yeast, gluten, and 1 cup of hot water, then 12 cups of wheat flour. Add 6 cups white flour, then mix for 5 minutes. Add the salt and the sunflower seeds. If the dough sticks to your fingers, add more flour. Depending on the humidity in the air, you may need more flour.
Turn oven on lowest setting (170ºF) . After mixing he dough for 5 minutes, place it on a greased counter and shape it into a big circle. Next, cut the dough into five sections with a knife.
Shape each dough section into a long oval shape and place in greased bread pans. ( I like to make 4 loaves of bread and use the last piece of dough for a pizza. To make the pizza, roll the dough flat, fold over the edges to make the crust and poke all over with a fork. Then let it rise with the bread for 25 minutes. To serve right away, add toppings and bake it at 425ºF for 15 to 18 minutes or until cheese has melted and is golden brown.) To freeze the dough, bake the crust at 500 degrees F for 4 minutes, then when cool, wrap it in layers of plastic wrap and freeze.
Let all the bread dough rise in a warm oven for 25 minutes. Then bake the wheat bread at 350ºF degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Butter the top and then let bread rest for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and cool on a wire rack. Freeze in bread bags or large zip-top bags.
To serve: Defrost bread for 1 minute on high in the microwave, or let the bread defrost on the counter and slice. This bread also makes excellent french toast or a stuffing mix when dried and is delicious when paired with homemade raspberry or apricot freezer jam.
