100% Whole Wheat Basic Bread

1 loaf and 6 rolls of whole wheat

Cook for a long time had bugged me to make whole wheat bread.  I hesitated, mostly because I didn't care for the whole wheat taste.  The taste, in my opinion would over power what ever was on the slice of bread and eek through.  Then my father asked if I could make him some whole wheat as well.  By this time I had become more curious and adventurous in bread making.  I wanted to see if I could find or make a recipe for 100% whole wheat that I would actually like.

After trying a few different recipes, I settled on one that I found tolerable.  It did begin to grow on me, though I still hands down prefer bread made with bread flour.  One day I read that you can replace the oils of quick bread (banana and such) with apple sauce.  Again the experimenter kicked in and I wanted to know if this would work with yeast breads.  I didn't see why not but who knows, maybe the apple sauce would interfer with the yeast in some way.  After scouring the internet and finding nothing, I went ahead and tried it.  It worked just fine, not a noticeable difference in taste, texture, or rising but less calories (you do know how many calories is in and eighth of a cup of oil right?).  Originally the recipe called for honey as well, that went about a month ago when I made a couple of loaves and forgot the honey.  Oops!  Didn't even notice anything, I simply remember later that day that I hadn't added any honey.

100% Basic Whole Wheat Bread

by Sheena Badger-James

Prep Time: 1 hr 40 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients (1 loaf)

• 2.5 teaspoons yeast
• 1 to 1.25 cups lukewarm water
• 3.5 cups 100% whole wheat flour
• 1.25 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 cup apple sauce
• 9 by 5 loaf pan

Instructions

1. Mix the yeast into the some of the water, about a 1/2 cup, cover and let sit for 5 minutes or until bubbly.
2. Meanwhile, mix your whole wheat and salt togeather into your mixing bowl. Create a small dip into the flour, like a little cup, to pour the water and yeast mixture.
3. After your yeast is activated, bubbly, pour into your small dip in flour, add in the apple sauce. Mix in some of the flour with your yeast, water, apple sauce mix until you form a paste. Let sit for 20 minutes.
4. Add in most of the rest of your water and mix until you form a mostly smooth ball of dough. Add more water as you need it. If too moist add in some more flour, but avoid this if possible. You are looking for a dough that holds together, firm, and a bit sticky.
5. Kneed until fully smooth.
6. Put in a warm (75 degrees F or above) moist place and let rise for 45 minutes or until double.
7. Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.
8. If making two loaves split dough in half, if only one skip this step.
9. Form a brick or log of sorts and place into your baking pan.
10. Set oven to 350, I also put my oven rack in the slot one lower from the middle but middle will work fine as well.
11. Let rise for another 45 minutes.
12. Bake for 30 minutes
13. Let sit on a cookie rack, I also spread oil/butter over the crust to help soften.

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