KAF 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Happy July everyone and more importantly, happy summer! (I can't believe it's summer already. I keep asking people what they're doing for summer before realizing, oh wait, it is summer!) This loaf of bread was the last thing I baked in SFW before moving to the new apartment, which really does end a two year "era" of baking there. It seems fitting that the last thing I baked was a loaf of bread, my favorite thing to make. Normally, I don't eat bread during the week, so I have to hold myself back from baking it, but because the move was coming up and there really was no food in the fridge, I made an exception. Especially since it was going to have to be whole wheat, as I had a bag of it still in the fridge. The recipe I used was the 100% Whole Wheat Bread Baker's Companion. I made this bread once before when I was in Bar Ilan and my notes accompanying it say, "Really great bread-nice subtle flavor. Not squishy but not at all dense. Perfect w.w. loaf- go to recipe, keeper! Omitted walnuts and seeds. Made by hand, used scale." This bread really is a great whole wheat loaf but this time I made it in the mixer and the rise and texture were even better than I remembered. I did leave out the nuts and seeds again and of course as I always do these days, use the scale. I can't really remember a time when I didn't pull out the scale to bake... This recipe remains a quick, easy and most importantly, great whole wheat bread recipe. Give it a try. This bread is off to Yeastspotting!

100% Whole Wheat Bread
adapted from the Baker's Companion

1 1/2 cups water
3 tbsp oil
5 tbsp honey
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Place all of the ingredients into the work bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment.

Mix on medium until all the flour is moistened. Let rest for twenty minutes.

Switch to the dough hook and mix for about 7 minutes or until it is smooth and supple.

Grease the dough and allow it to rise for an hour, covered.

Shape it into a log and place it into a greased 8x4 inch pan.

Allow to proof until the dough has risen about two inches over the pan. Towards the end of proofing, preheat your oven to 350.

Bake the loaf for about 45 minutes, tenting it with aluminum foil for the last twenty minutes of baking.

Remove from the oven, turn it out of its pan and cool on a wire rack. To store, place in a plastic bag and seal.