My Whole Wheat Bread

 Just out of the oven and smelling wonderful is my whole wheat bread. Since my husband likes a darker crust, this one is for him.

I have been baking bread for over 12 years now and it is part of my life. But the loaves I made many years ago, well shall I say they were not the best looking or tasting breads.  As a matter of fact my husband and children used to call them "Elly May" loaves (a.k.a. The Beverly Hillbillies) or door stoppers. Since then I've developed a wonderful bread recipe that is bullet proof, even for a beginner. You will absolutely love it.

 It is very important that you sift your flour every time, not with the old fashion hand-sifter; the holes are too big.  Use a very fine sifter, like a strainer. After you sift the flour, pour what is left in the strainer (the bran) back into your sifted flour. You just want to bring loftiness into your flour to eliminate the need for enhancers or gluten.  My grandmother was a genius in the kitchen; she always sifted whenever she did anything with flour.

Here is my recipe :  Gabriele's Whole Wheat Sunshine Loaf
                              
4 cups whole wheat flour (sifted)
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 to 3 teaspoon instant yeast

5/8 cup rice milk or water
3/4 water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
3 tablespoon honey

Put wet ingredients into the bread machine pan first. Add the dry ingredients, except the yeast. Make a little small hole in the flour with your finger and spoon the yeast into it. Start the dough cycle.

 I use a bread machine on a dough cycle and then knead and shape the dough. After that, move the dough into a greased bread pan for oven backing (ceramic works best).  I let it rise for 30 min. in the oven with the oven light on; that is just enough warmth for the dough to rise.  I also cover the dough with a cloth while rising.  Then, when it's risen I don't have to move it again and risk the pan being bumped. Bumping is very bad; the bread will fall into itself. After 30 min. I take off the cloth and turn on the oven.  My oven takes 6 min. to pre-heat.  After the over is pre-heated, I cover my loaf with a piece of aluminum foil which keeps the loaf from getting too dark. I bake it on 350 degrees for 45 min.
Take it out of the pan right away and place onto a cooling rack, otherwise it will get too moist.

There it is!  Guaranteed to be the best 100% whole wheat bread you've ever had, (according to my husband).  Don't forget, there's no preservatives in this bread and it has a shelf life of only 2-3 days on the counter, a week in the fridge..

For a nice alternative to plastic bags or containers to store your bread, click this link for a home-made solution from my friend Amy.  http://gabrielsgoodtidings.blogspot.com/2010/10/bread-bag.html