Baking Whole Wheat Bread
Even though we live in a day of convenience foods, mixes, and microwaves, many homemakers are turning to the almost lost art of baking from scratch, especially, their own breads. Whole wheat bread is a bit more difficult than making the traditional white bread, but the wonderful taste makes it worth the extra effort. If you've never made your own bread before, it may be advisable to begin with an easier white bread recipe.
Before you begin, I suggest you go online and find the right recipe for you. There are recipes for four loaves at a time or more. You'll find a number of whole wheat bread recipes to choose from. But no matter which one you choose you'll still need the basics like yeast, without this ingredient, there is no bread. There are three different types of yeast. One is active dry yeast, there's also instant and fresh. Active yeast is great for making pizzas, but many bakers don't suggest this for all dough recipes. Instant yeast (also known as rapid rise) doesn't have to be hydrated in water, and you only have to use 75% called for in recipes. This type of yeast can be added directly to the dough and is preferred by many bakers. You'll also spend less time waiting for your loaves to rise. Fresh yeast is a little harder to come by now, and doesn't keep well, most professional bakers refrain from using fresh and have switched over to rapid rise or active dry yeast.
Now you have chosen your recipe and picked your choice of yeast, you need to simply follow the instructions. Even when following the directions you may run into problems, such as the loaves rising more than they should, don't worry you can correct this by cutting around the dough to remove the excess, and use it to make rolls. Let rolls rise an extra 30 minutes and bake on oiled cookie sheet. Another common mistake is forgetting to add the salt. I personally leave salt out of many recipes, but when it comes to baking bread it is extremely necessary to enhance the flavor, so always be sure to add this ingredient. Put a big star by the salt ingredient on your recipe card to help you remember.
If you are using yeast that you have to hydrate, be certain of the temperature of the water, if it is too hot, you can kill the cells in the yeast. This is when a cooking thermometer comes in handy. If you come across air bubbles in your bread dough, you can remedy this by pinching together the air pockets together.
If you find you've made an over abundance of bread dough, you can wrap the extra in plastic wrap or in zip lock bags and store in refrigerator. The last main mistake is not watching the baking time, which can result in burning your loaves. The use of a kitchen timer can help. It's a handy little gadget to have through the whole bread baking process. Follow directions, make use of your timer and you should have a delicious loaf of whole wheat bread for your eating enjoyment.
