I think I'm going to give up on the whole wheat bread and try to get white bread right first

[eridani]

I had this fantasy of grinding cheap bulk wheat to make sandwich bread, but I'm going to put it on hold. Another couple of loaves like bricks. The rising seemed to go OK, but the loaves actually shrank during baking to about half the size of the loaves after rising in the pan. Since I;m using a KitchenAid dough hook, I used the resipe straigh from their book. I substituted 1/3 cup of gluten for part of the flour, and used 4 1/2 of the recommended 5-6 cups of flout to try to keep the dough moist. The pan was 3 1/2 inches tall. I used the pan of water in the oven trick also.

Whole Grain Wheat Bread

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar, divided
2 cups warm water (105°F to 115°F)
2 packages active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup powdered milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup oil

Dissolve 1 tablespoon brown sugar in warm water in small bowl. Add yeast and let mixture stand.

Place 4 cups flour, powdered milk, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and salt in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 15 seconds. Continuing on Speed 2, gradually add yeast mixture and oil to flour mixture and mix about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Stop and scrape bowl, if necessary. Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time,and mix until dough clings to hook* and cleans sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Knead on Speed 2 about 2 minutes longer.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf as directed on page 70. Place in greased 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake 30 minutes longer. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.


*Note: Dough may not form a ball on hook. However, as long as hook comes in contact with dough, kneading will be accomplished. Do not add more than the maximum amount of flour specified or a dry loaf will result.

[troubleinwinter]

1. "their book"

Which book is this? Artisan in 5?

Are you using home ground flour?

[eridani]

7. The book of recipes that came with the KitchenAid

Yes, I'm using home-ground flour.

[troubleinwinter]

8. I would think then, to go with a recipe that some here

have had success with?

I really don't know, I have not done WW, and most certainly know nothing about home ground flour. But just checking around on WW recipes, the one you posted seemed somewhat different.

Maybe a tried & true recipe, and if that doesn't work, maybe it's a flour issue? Seems WW is a challenge.

I certainly don't know. But I find the issue interesting and do learn from it. Thanks for responding and hope you find the solution.

[Warpy]

2. Even the perfectly made whole wheat loaf

is not going to be anything like commercial sandwich bread. In fact, I've found WW bread more ideally suited to open face sandwiches toasted quickly in the toaster oven.

WW bread is always going to be dense and a little crumbly because the bran breaks up the gluten threads you work so hard to develop.

What you might do is make the recipe again exactly as it's written with no substitutions and see what happens. I know, I see recipes as suggestions, too, but just this once...

Just be aware that you're not going to get the same type of loaf that you get from white flour.

My own experiment is sitting in the kitchen right now, the biga in one bowl and a "soaker" (dough without yeast) in another. Supposedly that allows the bran to absorb the maximum amount of water and results in a better texture, we'll see.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. You may what to try half white/half WW loaves.

Also, if it's available in your area King Arthur has White Whole Wheat Flour (it's milled from white wheat rather than red wheat, thus the name.) The product is much closer to a white flour in the way it behaves in bread.

I agree with Warpy that it's difficult to get a good sandwich bread from an entirely whole wheat recipe. The best ones that I've made started with a sponge.

[Lucinda]

4. Here is one to try if you decide to keep playing with wheat

http://www.recipezaar.com/Wholesome-Homemade-Honey-Whole-Wheat-Bread-32607


I haven't made it yet, but I have it bookmarked. It's getting rave reviews at recipezaar. It's always a good idea to read the reviews too because a lot of people post tweaks.

A search at recipezaar will produce a bunch more well rated recipes.

[hippywife]

5. I feel your pain.

While I know I'll never get a really soft wheat loaf this one came the closest. Bill loved it:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Amish-Soft-Honey-Whole-Wheat-Bread-229232

[housewolf]

6. Good idea!

homemade whole wheat bread is a challange... I think it's a good idea to start with white bread and build up some successes for yourself, build some confidence and get a sense that you know what you're doing - that you know about the correct consistency of dough, how to shape and form loaves, how to get the flavor that you want... and then move on to experiementing with whole wheat once you're happy with the white bread that you're making. It's possible, I know you can do it, and there is a lot of support here from excellent bread bakers.

[hippywife]

9. I just came across the pics for the bread

I made with the recipe I posted above. All in all it really wasn't a bad recipe.