Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread (2 loaves)
I decided to bake bread today.
Mom told me once that she doesn’t like it because it’s a lot of work and makes a big mess but I disagree. I don’t think it takes so much work, and as for the mess, I just do it all in my largest bowl and always have.
I’m on my third set of Sterilite mixing bowls. It’s less than $5 for the whole set at most Walmarts/Target and this time I got them in aqua. The set I had at my townhouse was white, and the set I had at my first flat was blue. I like these mixing bowls because the come with lids so when I make too much food they pinch hit for storing leftodors.
But I digress. The largest bowl of the set of four is the best one for bread making.
I slung in:
- 1 envelope of yeast
- 1/4 cup unsulkphered molasses
- 1 cup Edensoy vanilla soy milk
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup gluten flour
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
Mixed it all up with a spatula and took a picture before covering it with the top and leaving it on the counter before I took Julia preschool.
It’s not terribly hot at home so I left it on the counter but in horrible weather I’ll let it rise in the fridge. Takes a lot longer that way though.
When I came back from school I punched it down and added…
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 cups whole wheat flour with another 1/2 cup measured out and set aside
I kneaded it all inside the bowl for 3-5 minutes and I slung in the last 1/2 cup of flour. The last 1/2 cup doesn’t get all absorbed so when I could lift the mass in one hand and judged it had absorbed most of it, I set the dough on the lid and dumped out the remaining flour from the bowl into the trash.
Washed the bowl out, oiled it with a paper towel, returned the dough and oiled the lid before snapping it shut. Then I took a nap with the kid.
When I woke up, I punched it down, divided it in half, and set one aside for 30 min to rise in my glass loaf pan.
(I have to buy another one — then I could get two loaves done at once.) Then I went to play online for a while until my timer went off. I turned on the oven to preheat to 375 and set the timer for another 15 min.
Once it beeped again, I threw the loaf pan in there and set it once more for 45 min. Took a shower and played with the kid and came back to a nice loaf.
That blurry part in the middle? The steam still coming out of it. Yum!
The crust is crisp and the middle has a fine texture and is really light.
