The Best Whole Wheat Bread
Check out this post for not one, but three, healthy, unprocessed, homemade, delicious whole wheat bread recipes. Homemade bread is worth it!
For the last several years, I’ve been making all of our family’s bread. It seemed like a daunting task at first but now it is such a part of my routine that it barely makes an impact in my day (and the bread is done start-to-finish in about 2 hours or so).
I make a bread every week or so and freeze it after it has cooled. I’ve found that slicing the bread before I put it in a freezer bag makes my life much easier because I can take out a slice at a time and avoid the dry, crumbly, homemade bread phenomenon that my kids despise when I am making their sandwiches.
I simply pull out a slice or two of bread and microwave it for 25 seconds at 50% power. Woila! Tender, fresh bread ready for sandwich making (or for a nice slather of butter and jam).
I know that many of you have your own favorite whole wheat bread recipe. There are so many good ones out there.
I’d like to share with you my favorites. I alternate making these and love them both equally. Both recipes produce a light but sturdy loaf, perfect for sandwiches or just for eating with dinner.
And don’t even get me started on homemade bread for toast in the mornings. Oh, divine.
The first recipe is one perfected by my friend, Mel’s, mom. Her bread has quite a legacy and lives up to it’s fame. I’ve adapted the recipe slightly to fit what I normally have on hand (as in, I never have dough enhancer so substituted gluten and powdered milk).
It is a bit lighter in texture than the second recipe, due to a couple cups of white flour.
The second recipe is one I’ve had for years and mimics the recipe from the notorious Bosch bread mixer. It has less oil than the first recipe and a few other different ingredients (like honey instead of sugar).
Here are a couple tips I’ve found to help with breadmaking:
- I follow Bosch’s recommendations and use instant yeast. Because of this, I only ever let my bread rise after shaping the dough into loaves and placing them in the pans. They rise once in the pans and then I put them in a cold oven, turn it on to 350 degrees and bake for 32 minutes exactly. It turns out beautiful, not burned, loaves. (Note: Remember each oven is different. Experiment around a little, and do what works best with your particular oven.)
- I have a specific loaf pan that I absolutely swear by: The Chicago Metallic Commercial Bread Pan. I’ve done side-by-side baking comparisons with my other non-stick loaf pans, dark loaf pans, glass loaf pans, and hands down, every time the Chicago Metallic pans turn out a perfect loaf. The edges don’t get burned, the bread slides out perfectly without leaving crusty remnants, and they are heavy and durable. Love them. I use the standard 1-pound loaf pan (which is the equivalent to the 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan).
- As long as we are talking brands, let me tell you another product I love for breadmaking: these perfect bread bags. I was sick and tired of trying to stuff my loaves in ziploc bags or other ill-fitting plastic bags. These bags are perfect. I freeze the bread right in them and they are the perfect size. (Incidentally, I also order my vital wheat gluten from King Arthur Flour.)
- I personally like to use white whole wheat flour. I prefer the light texture over red whole wheat but either kind will work in these recipes. I used to grind my flour with a Nutrimill wheat grinder, but now have a Wolfgang Flour Mill. Here is a post on popular wheat grinders and another on wheat/wheat grinding in general for more information.
Granted, bread making can be time consuming but the rewards are worth it when my son heartily exclaims that he doesn’t want to eat the French Toast Sticks at school and would rather have a sandwich on mom’s bread (and this is the kid who hates sandwiches). Hallelujah for the exit of French Toast Sticks in his diet.
Darcy’s Whole Wheat Bread {The Recipe I Use Most}
Ingredients
- 15-17 cups wheat flour, about 80 ounces
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- ½ cup vital wheat gluten
- 1000 mg Vitamin C, crushed, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
- 6 ½ cups very warm water
- ⅔ cup oil
- ⅔ cup honey or sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl (or stand mixer, like the almighty Bosch), mix together 5 cups of wheat flour, yeast, vital wheat gluten and Vitamin C (or lemon juice or vinegar). Add the warm water and mix well. Add the oil and honey (or sugar) and mix again.
- Cover the bowl and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Add the salt and start the mixer (or mix by hand), adding the remaining flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl to form a soft dough. You may not need to add all of the flour! Judge the dough by feel not by the amount of flour you’ve used. It might be slightly sticky but should hold it’s shape.
- Let the dough knead for 7 minutes in the stand mixer (or 15 minutes by hand). Form into 5 loaves (for the 8 1/2 X 4-inch loaf pans) and place into greased bread pans. Let rise until the bread is 2 inches above the top of the bread pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (I like to let the bread rise 1 inch above the top of the pans and then put the bread in a cold oven and turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake the bread for 32 minutes).
Notes
Recommended Products
LuAnn’s Whole Wheat Bread {With my Adaptations}
Ingredients
- 5 ½ cups warm water
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup oil
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
- 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
- 2 cups (284 g) white flour
- 8-10 cups (1136 to 1420 g) whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Lightly spray bread pans with cooking spray and set aside.
- Mix the water, sugar, oil, yeast, salt, gluten and dry milk together in the bowl of an electric mixer or by hand. Add the white flour and mix well.
- Continue adding the whole wheat flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and the dough is soft but not overly sticky.
- Knead for 10 minutes until a soft, smooth dough has formed. Using oil or cooking spray to grease your hands and countertops, form the dough into 4 loaves.
- Place the loaves into the bread pans and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let them rise until the dough has risen about 1 1/2 inches above the top of the bread pan.
- Place the bread pans carefully in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 38 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and turn out the bread onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before placing in bags to put in the freezer.
Notes
Bosch Foolproof Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 6 cups warm water
- 2 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons salt
- ½ cup oil
- ⅔ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
- 12-15 cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Mix 8-9 cups fresh wheat flour and 2 ½ tablespoons yeast together in the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large bowl by hand). Add 6 cups warm water and mix to paste consistency.
- Cover and let sponge 10-15 minutes.
- Add salt, honey, oil, and gluten. Mix by hand or if using an electric mixer, turn to speed 1 or 2 as motor bears down and add additional flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl (be careful not to add too much flour). Let the mixer knead the dough for five minutes. (If using hands, knead for 10 minutes.)
- Use oil or cooking spray on your hands to form six equal loaves.
- Take dough immediately from bowl and fill lightly greased (or nonstick) loaf pans ½ to 2/3 full. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap to keep moist. Let the bread rise until doubled, approximately 1 ½ inches above the top of the pan.
- Place the bread carefully in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 38 minutes. Let cool completely before placing in bags to put in the freezer.
304 Comments on “The Best Whole Wheat Bread”
Thanks for the quick fix! Is it the same recipe as before? I didn’t think there used to be pwd milk in it (I made it as recently as last week, but I am tired with a new baby so maybe I am more in the mental fog than I realized).
Suzanne – I included a note above the recipe that explains the adaptations. It didn’t use to have powdered milk but I use the powdered milk now in place of the 1000 mg of vitamin c.
Suzanne – Darcy’s recipe is the one in the recipe box. I didn’t realize the title had changed – I’ll change it back.
Am I going crazy- I can’t find Darcy’s WW bread recipe! I’ve made it several times now and I thought it was on this page- but now I don’t see it. When I search it doesn’t come up either. Any clues?
Thanks!
Hi Melanie-
I LOVE your website and use it weekly as a go to for trusted recipes. I was hoping that you would do one more Whole Wheat Bread post and do it for just two loaves. I live in Rwanda, have a tiny oven and a regular KitchenAid mixer. I don’t know for sure, but I figure there are a lot of folks who want to make your bread, but don’t want or have the capacity to make or room to store, 4-6 loaves. Could you post one that is scaled down? Thanks.
Julie, yes, I do reuse the bags…probably at least 2 or 3 times per bag. I use the bread bags from kingarthurflour.com and most recently these from amazon.com ( although you have to buy them in bulk):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MDM6TY/ref=wms_ohs_product
Thanks for your amazing blog! Love it! I also love the idea of making 4-6 loaves of bread at a time. What kind of bags do you freeze them in? Ziploc? And do you reuse your bags? I don’t mind using disposable bags, I just don’t want to go through 4-6 per week. I would love to hear what you do.
I am interested in starting to make our sandwich bread and bagels from scratch, (you inspired me to do it) and I think it will be very fun! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
I love your Bosch recipe and it, along with your yeast tutorial, turned me into a bread-making superhero in no time. I had a hard time committing the time to the weekly endeavor, though, so I just got a breadmaker this week. I tried the whole wheat recipe that came with it, and it was NOT GOOD. So I adapted your recipe and it turned out AWESOME! Hallelujah, I am free from bread-buying forever!
Mystery solved! So, I followed your advice to not roll up the dough to form the loaves. I also paid closer attention to making sure the loaves were doubled before putting into the oven rather than measuring 1 1/2 inches above the pan. This time I made them, they were better– no holes. However, they were quite a bit shorter than my previous loaves (approximately 1lb, 4 oz. each for raw dough). I think I was way over-proofing to get to the 1 1/2 inch mark. Today I made another batch and made five loaves (approximately 1lb. 9oz each), proofed to the 1 1/2 inch mark and baked for 29 min. and they were perfect. No holes, really soft, not burnt, regular sandwich sized bread! I guess I was on the lower end of the flour amounts, and it just wasn’t enough for 6 loaves. It’s silly how happy it’s making me to have figured this out. I’ve been giving away bread all afternoon I’m so excited. Hopefully I can replicate in the future. Thanks for your advice, Mel.
Hey Beth, I have to admit, I’m completely baffled as to why you would be getting that air channel through your bread! I have to admit I haven’t made the Bosch recipe in a while now (I usually stick with Darcy’s whole wheat bread recipe) but I’ll make it next time (probably next week if I haven’t had my baby yet) to see if the same thing happens to me. If the bread is rising fine and not flattening (which would indicate either over rising or it needing more flour), the only other thing I would suggest is forming the loaves differently. Perhaps taking the dough in your hands and rolling the sides to the bottom to form a smooth loaf (as compared to pressing it into a rectangle on the counter and rolling it up). If I come upon another solution, I’ll let you know!
I’m bummed, Mel. After making Lu Ann’s recipe for over a year, I decide to try out some of your others. I love the taste and texture of the Bosch recipe, and I like that it’s 100% whole wheat. Unfortunately, every time I’ve made a batch (three times), there is a large channel or space running through the top third of the bread. These aren’t air bubbles under the crust that you can see from the exterior; these loaves look perfectly normal until you cut into them and there is this huge whole in each slice. It still tastes amazing (hence my relentless pursuit to figure this out), but is not great for sandwiches and makes me feel like I can’t give a loaf away. I know you’re about to have your baby and probably busy, so I tried to figure this out on my own but to no avail. I’ve never had this issue with Lu Ann’s recipe and I feel like I’m shaping the loaves the same way. Do you have any idea why this would happen? Has it happened to you? Thanks!
Thanks SO much for these great recipes and all the great tips on products. After 4 batches of the first recipe in the past few weeks, I am committed to making all of our bread. I bought the pans you recommend and LOVE them. I did want to give you a money saving tip on the bread bags. I was kind of frustrated that King Arthur Flour wanted to charge me $17 in shipping alone for ONE package of 100 bags…but I was also frustrated with trying to fit the loaves into bread bags that were too short. Then I found this deal on Amazon.com. For what King Arthur wanted to charge me for 100 bags (including shipping), I got 1,000 bread bags with free shipping, since I do Prime. They feel very sturdy, and are 2 inches longer than King Arthur’s. Here’s the link if any of you want to give them a try:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MDM6TY/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details
Thanks again for all the recipes and tips!
Hi Carlie – sorry you are having issues with your bread! I’m not sure exactly what you mean by whole grain flour (is it like a 7-grain blend?). That could be part of it…you may need to supplement or substitute part of it with whole wheat or white flour. But another thing to consider is that sometimes if my bread flattens in the oven I’ll realize it was probably a bit underfloured or I let it rise too long before putting it in the oven and then it deflates. Both of those things can make a big difference.
Mel Help!!! I have made Luann’s recipe a few times and it has never turned out right. This last time I tried it I had just bought a wonderful new mixer and it turned out softer and fluffier than before because I used less flour with this machine. However my loaves totally sank!!! The tips went flat and flush with my pans. Could this be because I have been using whole grain flour instead of whole wheat? I need to make some more but I am starting to get frustrated. I want mine to look like yours!!!!
I halved LuAnn’s recipe & tried it yesterday. My mixer could not handle it. The bread looks & tastes pretty good, but I’m sure it’s not quite right. Anyway, I’ve found the new mixer that I want & convinced my husband that we need it. :o) I’m on the lookout for a 30% Kohl’s coupon code & it will be mine. Then, I will try the bread again! We eat plenty of sandwiches so I’m very excited about the possibilities!! Will let you know how the next batch goes when I get my new toy!!
Carlie – thanks for checking in! I don’t use dough enhancer so I’m not sure how much you should add. My suggestion would be to look at the flour amounts in the recipe you already have that calls for the dough enhancer and compare the flour amount to the recipe you want to use and add the right amount of dough enhancer (decreasing or increasing from the recipe you currently have). Good luck!
Hi, I am new to your blog but I am totally in love. I just bought a mixer that is just like the Bosch and I was given a wheat bread recipe when I bought it that calls for dough enhancer. I like the idea of this stuff and was wondering if you knew how much I should add to your Bosch recipe? Or do you have one that calls for it?
I’ve been trying to make bread, on and off again, for a couple of years now. FINALLY, after following all of your suggestions and getting a new oven, I have made some of the best bread I have ever tasted! THANK YOU! I used Darcy’s recipe, made 2 one pound loaves and 2 pound-and-a-half loaves and they came out perfectly. Thank you again!
Jessi – my guess is that the dough might have been overfloured. It’s pretty easy to overflour, especially if kneading by hand, and can definitely make it so the bread doesn’t rise very well. I think you are kneading for long enough – so next time, try adding a bit less flour. If the dough is sticking to your counter while kneading, try using cooking spray or a bit of oil to help it not stick instead of flour. Good luck!
I tried to make the LuAnn’s recipe. I had dough in four bread pans, and they did not rise too much over the top of the pan. I let them sit overnight (which I’m thinking I shouldn’t have done?), and baked two loaves in the morning. These came out in a rectangle form and didn’t really look like a “loaf” of bread. I took the dough from the other two loaves I didn’t bake and kneaded them some more (by hand as I don’t have a mixer or anything like that). These did rise a little bit more. I baked them, but they turned out similar to the previous two loaves. They were rectangle in form and just didn’t look like a loaf of bread. I did try them, and thought they tasted really good, but the bread was more dense and not as fluffy as bread normally is. I kneaded for about 30 minutes the first time. And an additional 15 minutes with the last two loaves. Are they not rising because I didn’t knead enough? Or maybe overfloured? I thought I had the flouring down, but maybe not! I did follow your tutorial; but it’s still kind of a guessing game! Help! 🙂
I just tried Darcy’s recipe. I loved that I could make both the English Muffin bread on here and this recipe and they baked the same time. This is an amazing whole wheat bread recipe. The bread is moist and fluffy. I did use white whole wheat that I had just ground. It is delicious!!! I’m love that my family is eating more whole grains and from scratch items and loving it at the same time! Thanks again!
Thanks Mel! I haven’t made that one yet. But made an easy 5-Ingredient, 5-Step Wheat Bread instead. LuAnn’s will be next. I will just go ahead and leave out the milk powder and see what happens. 🙂 That recipe doesn’t call for a Bosch maker right? Thank you!!
hello! i just discovered your blog and i am in love! can’t wait to try this recipe tonight! though, on the LuAnn’s Whole Wheat Bread recipe. can i just omit the dry milk? my daughter is allergic to dairy. thank you!!
Jennifer – did you make the bread? Sorry for not responding earlier. I’m not sure how the bread would turn out without the milk but it should be ok. The other option is to make one of the recipes (like Darcy’s whole wheat bread) that doesn’t call for powdered milk at all. Good luck!
The dough was stiff when I shaped it into loaves, not soft/sticky at all. I added more flour when I was mixing because it was still sticking to the side of the bowl, but my kitchen aid was also having a hard time with it and I stopped it early because it wasn’t keeping up.
Denise, have you seen the step-by-step wheat bread tutorial that I did? It is located here:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/05/whole-wheat-bread-step-by-step.html
It might help you identify how much flour you need to add. It sounds to me like your dough was overfloured and so it didn’t properly rise. That may also be the reason your mixer was having trouble kneading it. I always err on the side of adding less flour because it can be added later. My dough is soft and quite sticky, although it will clear the sides of the bowl. Check out the tutorial and let me know if you have any other questions!
Denise – thanks for the nice comment – I love hearing from moms of boys!
About the bread, usually heavy, brick-like loaves are due to a couple of factors: potentially too much flour and/or the bread needs a longer kneading time to help develop the gluten. What was the texture/softness of the dough when you shaped it into loaves? Did it leave a sticky residue on your hands or was it a fairly stiff ball of dough?
I love making bread and have no problem making white bread, but have always struggled and failed at making whole wheat. I tried your Bosch recipe this morning and it didn’t work at all. I have six heavy bricks on my counter right now. What am I doing wrong??
On a separate note. I am also a mom to four boys and I love your blog! You have so many wonderful recipes that I have tried and I cant wait to try more! Thank you.
I made your bread and loved the texture. I like to have a little sweeter flavor to my bread. Can I had more sugar or honey (I used honey in my recipe) to make it sweeter? If so, how much?
Jolayne – yes, you could definitely add more sweetener to taste. You’ll have to experiment with how much – especially since I like the bread’s sweetness with the amount in the recipe. I’d start with a few tablespoons more and see how it goes.
Made Darcy’s bread today … SO good! I bought the bags, clips and vital wheat gluten at KAF and bought 3 Chicago metallic pans. I feel so accomplished. 3 loaves of bread–though 1 1/2 are already devoured). Thank you!!
Great to know! Thank you–can’t wait to try them.
Emily – if halving Darcy’s bread recipe, I would make two loaves (if you are using the 8 1/2 by 4 inch bread pans). The Bosch recipe, if I remember right, halves perfectly for three loaves.
I noticed in earlier comments that you said you can halve the Darcy’s recipe. But it makes 5 loaves, so if you halve it, how many loaves would you make? I bought the Chicago metallic pans you use. 🙂
What about the other 2 recipes? Can they be halved? I am only asking because I have a small Kitchenaid and it can’t handle these recipes. I am wishing on a star for a Bosch, but until then … 🙂
I have been doing some research the past several days, because I would really like to start baking my own bread. I am so glad to have found your site! Right now, I’m only baking for two as my baby is only 7 months old and won’t be eating bread quite yet. I was wondering, how long will the bread keep in the freezer?
Hi Rachel – I keep my bread in the freezer for up to a month. It seems to do great in that timeframe!
Hi, Mel!
I’ve been practicing with Darcy’s wheat bread for about 6 weeks now. Thank you for your tips for the problems I was encountering earlier. I can say that my family loves this bread–even the 4 kids aged 3-9! I think that speaks volumes. My bread even impressed my mother, who has been baking wheat bread for decades!
I tried substituting vinegar for the Vit C, as was suggested, but I don’t think it was good. Instead of having to crush up a Vit C tablet every time, I bought Fruit-Fresh, which is ascorbic acid=vitamin C. I use 1 tsp of it and I think it works well. Regarding flour amounts, I had used up to 18 cups of freshly ground flour, but after your suggestions I tried stopping at 13 or 14, even though it is extremely wet and hard to form loaves. I just looked at your tutorial on forming loaves and I think that will help me next time. Thank you for your help- it turns out great bread! We go through the 5 loaves of bread every 4 days. (My little boy lives on PBJ sandwiches)
Soy lecithin makes a very soft bread, and I think usually if you use lecithin you don’t use oil. Lecithin can also be used in place of oil in all other recipes such as pancakes and quick breads. My extended family uses it and loves it.
I have a question on the wheat gluten. I have been making bread for at least 15 years and I have never used wheat gluten. Is it really necessary if you are using fresh ground wheat? I always used freshly ground wheat flour, and I put my warm water and wheat flour in the bowl and mix it with my beaters until it turns shiny and “gloppy.” Then I add everything else, the honey, oil, salt, flour and yeast that I have proofed in a measuring cup. The bread recipe that I have is almost exactly the same as your last recipe, “Darcy’s bread recipe,” and it is by far my favorite bread recipe. I usually use my beaters on the warm water and wheat flour, then knead it by hand, just because I don’t feel like getting my Bosch out.
Kim – if you are successfully making bread without gluten, I’d say you don’t need to change your ways. I use it because a) the kind I buy is all-natural so I feel fine using it and b) it helps me feel like the bread is no-fail. Basically, from the little I know about it, gluten helps develop…well…the gluten without having to knead for a really long time. Obviously bread bakers have been making bread for years, especially in older times, without it but I think it is widely used now that it is more available.
After looking at Darcy’s recipe, I thought I’d share one more thing. You can sub the vitamin c tablet for a tablespoon of vinegar to get the same results.
Just wanted to share a tip that has helped me never to have overdone bread. Instead of the amount of time telling me when to take out my bread, I always use an instant read thermometer to test the temperature in the middle of the bread. I just slide it in at the edge so the little hole isn’t noticeable. When the bread registers 200 degrees, I take it out. Every oven is different, so knowing the temp you need can help achieve perfect loaves every time.
Can I purchase vital wheat gluten at the store? Does it need to be ordered?
Cami – yes, vital wheat gluten is available at most grocery stores near the flour. I order mine online at kingarthurflour.com because I like their products but you can find it locally, most likely.
Thank you, Mel. The next time I try it I will keep your suggestions in mind. I’ll form the loaves when they are stickier and I’ll shorten the bake time. The first time I made it I halved the recipe and the bake time was just right. One other difference I just thought of: the time it came out over done, there was a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of the oven and the bread 2 shelves above it. The first time I baked it, the pizza stone wasn’t in the oven. I wonder if that could have made a difference in the heat. I have a convection bake option which I used all 3 times.I guess I’ll have to experiment with all these things.
Have you ever tried a bread recipe that calls for soy lecithin? I have not, but I was told it helps make good bread.
Hi Catherine – oh, yes, the pizza stone will absolutely make a difference in baking the bread because of the heat radiating from the stone. A while ago I read an article in Cook’s Illustrated where they actually tested out cakes baked in an oven where a pizza stone was in the bottom (because several people had asked whether they could just leave their pizza stones in the oven all the time, even when baking other items) and the results showed a huge difference in the cakes baked in the oven with the stone and ones baked without the stone. The cakes baked with the stone were dry and burned on the bottom and had fallen in the middle – so I’m sure it would have an effect on bread baking, too. I’ve never used soy lecithin because it is hard for me to find in my average grocery stores but I have seen it in other recipes.
I have made Darcy’s Wheat Bread 3 times in the last 2 weeks. The best result was the first time. It was the most moist, non-crumbly wheat bread that I’ve ever had. But each time it has taken a lot more flour than the recipe calls for. I’ve measured very carefully and followed the directions for each step. I can’t figure out why. I ground my own wheat (I think it is white wheat) in my K-tech grinder when I made the bread. When I baked today, instead of 10 cups of flour, it took 18! And I had to make it into 6 loaves. It only took 30-35 minutes to rise one inch above the pan. Then I put it in a cold oven, turned it on and set the timer for 32 minutes. It was quite over done. Now, I could have tried to form the loaves when it was at 15 cups, maybe they would have worked. But that’s still one and a half times the amount on the recipe. Do you have any ideas?
Hi Catherine – don’t be overly worried about how much flour you are adding. I always use a guideline amount of flour on yeast doughs because the real test is the look and feel of the dough. This tutorial on yeast has more information about that. Have you always baked it in the cold oven? Even the first time? If it was overdone at 32 minutes, I’d suggest cutting back the time even more. Each oven’s temperature will vary and if yours happens to bake hot, you’ll want to decrease the time so your bread isn’t dry and overbaked. I am planning on doing a step-by-step tutorial on this very bread recipe next week and I’ll have pictures to show what my dough looks like, but until then, I’ll let you know that my dough is extremely sticky when it is finished kneading. It clears the sides of the bowl, but just barely. It sticks all over my hands but when I form it into loaves, with the help of a little cooking spray on the counter, it magically comes together into beautiful loaves. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Catherine – also, I meant to mention that whenever I use freshly ground wheat, I always have to add a lot more than the recipe calls for. Coming right out of the grinder it is much fluffier and less compact that wheat flour from the store or home-ground wheat flour that has had time to settle.
Hey Mel, this is kind of a weird question, but what oils could I substitute for canola and vegetable oil? I’m trying to cut out all genetically modified foods in our diet. Do all oils work the same? Peanut oil?
Loved seeing the cowboy cookies on your blog! I feel famous:-). I hope people love them as much as we have.
I was asked to do a healthy cooking class/presentation for enrichment in a couple of weeks and all the things I will be sharing come from your site. THANK YOU!
Hi Bri – I’ve never used an oil other than canola in these breads so I’m not sure how the result would be if you modified. I’m not sure if all the properties in other oils (olive, peanut) work the same. You might try googling the issue – I’m sure there are others much smarter than I am in this area. Let me know if you try another variation! And good luck with your presentation – sounds like fun!
Hey Melanie – I’m pretty sure I overfloured the dough and thats the reason my bread didn’t rise into pretty loaves. The dough was sooo sticky that I kept adding more until (I thought) I was getting the right consistency. I’m going to give it a go again (without adding more flour) and see how that goes – I’ll keep you posted 🙂
ps- If you do end up doing a step-by-step bread tutorial, you’ll at least have one happy bread baker in Minnesota 🙂
Hey Melanie – just wanted to let you know I tried your recipe for Darcy’s whole wheat bread! While it tasted wonderful (and was outstanding warm with jam!!), I had problems getting it to rise properly – it looked more like a flat “rectangle” then a what a typical “loaf” of bread should look like. I used instant yeast, and let it rise in the loaf pans for maybe an hour and a half, but it never really seemed to rise over the pan. (It did rise though) Since I didn’t have any vitamin C tablets on hand, I used a vital wheat gluten with vitamin C already added in – could this possibly be the problem? All in all however, it was a success and I am definitely going to try it again – I’m on a mission to get it “right”!! Any tips? Thanks!
Hi Hilary – no, the gluten with added Vitamin C shouldn’t have made the difference in the bread. Do you think you might have overfloured the dough? That is a classic cause for bread not rising well (that and too hot of water that kills the yeast – although if that happens, the bread won’t rise at all). My dough is extremely sticky when it is done kneading. So sticky that I have bread dough covering my fingers after removing it from the bowl, although it has enough flour to clear the sides of the mixing bowl. After splitting it into loaves and shaping, it comes together and isn’t as sticky, but it is definitely a very, very soft dough. Conversely, if it is too sticky, it will also not rise very well because there won’t be enough flour to give it substance and structure. It is a fine line between a soft, sticky, tender dough and an overfloured dough. I hope that helps a bit! I’ve actually been thinking of doing a step-by-step how-to when I make bread next in case it could help someone.
Just found your website and I have to say I LOVE it!! You have inspired me to try my hand at baking bread! Quick question though, for a novice bread-baker, which recipe would you suggest I try first? They all look wonderful!
Hi Hilary – I would suggest Darcy’s whole wheat bread. You can even leave out the vitamin c pill to make things easier. It is an easy, delicious recipe. Let me know how it turns out if you make it!
Thanks! When making Darcy’s recipe do you guys let it rise in a bowl and punch it down as mentioned above if you use instant yeast, or with instant do you skip that step and put it directly into the bread pans and let it rise? Also, can I cut down the sugar in the recipe or is that needed for the yeast to be fully active? I am new to breadmaking, so that you for your help.
Ali – if you use instant yeast, you don’t need to let the dough rise in a bowl first. You can mix the dough, knead it, and then immediately form it into loaves and let it rise in the loaf pan. You could probably cut down on the honey – you need a little to help the yeast activate but you could experiment with amounts.
Can anyone tell me if for the last wheat bread recipe I can halve the recipe…? My mixer can’t handle 10 cups of flour but could handle 5…or will that screw things up? Also, about how long does it take the bread to rise? Thank you!
Ali – yes, you can definitely halve the “Darcy’s Whole Wheat Bread” recipe. When I make the bread, it usually rises for about an hour in the pans until it is 1-2 inches above the rim of the pan.
Hi! Mel,
I have made the French rolls twice. We love them. Now I am ready to make the whole wheat bread. I was just wondering why the dough does not get raised twice- once in the bowl and then again in the pans. Also, how would you recommend splitting the dough into the loaves? Do you use a knife?
So grateful, Ann
I just wanted to chime into this discussion and say I made Darcy’s ww bread today and it was really good. But, like Mel has said, it’s not so much the amount of flour measured as getting the right texture of the dough. I think I ended up using around 14 cups of flour to get the right texture. It is very soft and yummy! The vital wheat gluten is very helpful in getting a good texture I think. I used mostly red wheat freshly ground, but I added a few cups of bread flour to get a good dough, so it’s not 100% whole wheat. Red wheat is a lot heavier and I prefer mixing when I use it. You probably wouldn’t have to add any white flour to freshly ground white whole wheat. Just my 2 cents.
Hi Mel. I’ve been diving into bread/roll making here recently. I’m wondering how necessary the vital wheat gluten is. Is it more of a flavor thing and I could leave it out, since I don’t have it on hand? Or, is it more of a vital component to the bread turning out well? I’d hate to ruin my first atempt. Thanks for your help, and as always, sharing your great recipes!
Hi Ciara – the gluten basically helps the dough to remain elastic and tender. It definitely isn’t necessary but if you choose not to use it, you’ll probably want to increase the kneading time by 10-15 minutes by hand or 5 minutes by mixer. The kneading is what develops the gluten in the bread. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck – I know you can do it!
No I did not make it yet, didn’t want to waste/ruin four loaves of bread. Thanks! I will be making it tomorrow, hopefully! I did make the parker house rolls again -so good!