Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

Its Recipe time! Ever made your own bread? Thought it was too much work? Well Im here to tell you its not! Not only is making your own Whole Wheat bread healthier because its doesn't have the preservatives & all that other stuff but you know whats in it, you can make it to your own specifications & taste & with a bag of whole wheat flour you can make as many loaves as you like! I found this easy recipe by King Arthur Flour.com I recently bought a bag of 100% Whole Wheat flour,  it has 14% protein & its All natural.  It retails for about $4.95.

This recipe is easy but make sure you have a couple hours on hand & honestly that isn't even bad, for a couple hours your just waiting for the dough to rise, this is simple, you can make the dough & go on about making dinner like I did or doing other housework.  You can also use honey ( which I used),Maple Syrup or Molasses in your bread. Ill paste what the recipe says about using the different variations.

tips from our bakers

• Why the range of water in the dough? A lot depends on the weather, the season, and how you measure flour. You'll need the lesser amount of water in the summer; or when it's humid/stormy; if you measure flour by weight; or if you sprinkle your flour into the measuring cup, then level it off. You'll need the greater amount of water in winter; when it's dry out, and the humidity is low; or if you measure flour by dipping your cup into the canister, then leveling it off.
• The liquid sweetener you choose makes a difference. Molasses produces the darkest loaf, one with old-fashioned flavor. Honey yields a lighter, milder loaf. Maple syrup makes a less-sweet loaf — unless you use real maple syrup, in which case it'll be similar to a loaf made with honey, albeit with a faint hint of maple.
• If you're someone who tends to taste whole wheat as somewhat bitter, try substituting 1/4 cup of orange juice for 1/4 cup of the water in this recipe. A bit of orange juice tones down whole wheat's somewhat tannic taste.- King Arthur Flour
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• Also I wanted to note, The recipe called for Vegetable oil, We no longer use Vegetable oil in our house so I used Canola Oil which worked fine in the bread. I let mine bread bake for a good 45-50 mins because our oven takes a little longer. Once you make this recipe though you can easily tweak it to your liking .  I really enjoy this recipe. The bread is a little heavier then store bread but you can taste a major difference. The flavor is better & its so yummy when fresh out of the oven! This is now a staple in our house, I doubt Ill buy store bread again unless I'm lazy with baking! Now time for the recipe & a few pics! Enjoy & let me know if you made your own bread before & if you used this recipe.

• Hands-on time:	12 mins. to 23 mins.
  Baking time:	35 mins. to 40 mins.
  Total time:	3 hrs 17 mins. to 5 hrs 3 mins.
  Yield:	1 loaf 1 to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water* 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup honey, molasses, or maple syrup 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Premium 100% Whole Wheat Flour 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons of the water in the recipe 1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dried milk 1 1/4 teaspoons salt *Use the greater amount in winter or in a dry climate; the lesser amount in summer or a humid climate.

1) In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine programmed for "dough" or "manual.") Note: This dough should be soft, yet still firm enough to knead. Adjust its consistency with additional water or flour, if necessary.

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2) Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or large measuring cup, cover it, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

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3) Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8" log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours, or till the center has crowned about 1" above the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

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4) Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. The finished loaf will register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.

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5) Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. If desired, rub the crust with a stick of butter; this will yield a soft, flavorful crust. Cool completely before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

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Yield: 1 loaf.

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nutrition information

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Serving Size: 1 slice Servings Per Batch: 16Amount Per Serving: Calories: 150 cal Calories from Fat: Total Fat: 3.5g Saturated Fat: Trans Fat: . Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 200mg Total Carbohydrate:24g Dietary Fiber: 3g Sugars: 5g Protein: 5g.

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* The nutrition information provided for this recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information.

This is the dough after I let it rise for an hour.

 This is the finished bread! ( The hole is just me using a fork to make sure its done, no worries)

 This is the finished Product! I cut into slices, ready to be used.