Baking Whole Wheat Bread – The Entire Process.
It is important to understand the special techniques in making whole wheat bread. The whole wheat bread that you make at home has a very specific taste and texture and importantly it contains all the nutrients helping you to stay fit and slim. Some individuals use 100% whole wheat flour but fail to acquire the right firmness. It’s possible to get a pretty tough bread if you decide to follow your own rules. Here are some tried and proven tips from the experts.
The Basic Factors
You will need three things to achieve perfect 100% whole wheat bread. 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. Secondly, avoid putting flour in for a long time before it is needed. Third, kneading the dough has to be consistent and done non-stop. It is helpful to use a food processor, as it saves you effort and time. Do not hesitate to use a mixer or even your hands – it will also help you 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. You get more gluten if you have higher protein content. Make sure you don’t add too much flour – you would be risking your loaves being too tough. Kneading the dough consistently supports the gluten with forming a consistent and strong matrix.
Now For 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. It is better to use this pan than using glass or metal. Metal is the best material because it allows the bread to bake evenly and you get a perfect outside crust. It is also easier to clean this pan.
Do You Understand The Process?
There are various processes to make 100% whole wheat bread which will has a crumb and soft texture. You can knead using a food processor, your hands or the mixer, but the process is radically the same. There are always four processes: mixing, kneading, rising and baking.
You Can Use Bread Machines
You can also use bread machines that help you with the exact amount of every ingredient added in a certain order. You can have the machine operate independently to do the four processes. That is great when you have a dough with white flour. But perhaps it is not too great for dough using only 100% whole wheat flour. Whole wheat bread generally requires more rising and kneading times. Make sure to have a look at what bread machines can do, as they are fantastic nowadays.
