Whole Wheat Bread Loaf
Bread has been the big monster in my baking repertoire [if that is what it is ;)] The YEAST beast was too big to handle. It’s not as if I didn’t try, I did. Though the results were not encouraging enough, I did make another attempt to bake a pizza dough but THE monster didn’t froth & foam up & I threw away all the ingredients in the trash. After that no more Yeasty Beasty for me!
Till I came across this post by Anushruti. I was planning to travel to Mumbai for a week around that time & I asked her where does she buy her yeast, etc & she gave me the golden words ‘Mauripan- Instant Yeast’. I didn’t find it in international/ gourmet stores across Mumbai or Pune but I found it online on www.gourmetco.in/ I ordered COD to be on safer side as I had not heard or used this e-comm earlier. The only grouse is that that they charge INR 75/- delivery for any order less than Rs. 750/-. Well my order was for only Rs. 60 for 60g of Mauripan – Instant Yeast :(
But the result was fantastic, for the first time I saw what it means that yeast will proof, dough will rise, I can go on & on… :)
I added powdered milk to give lighter texture as wheat breads are generally denser. Also I slightly increased the quantity of yeast. In my first attempt I wanted to produce something V would eat without nit-picking! Well I was wrong, he didn’t nit-pick, he loved it. He couldn’t keep praising the bread all day, all week! Now he wants me to bake a french loaf using the same recipe, phew men have no control over their wants!
I also used canola oil in place of butter or ghee as mentioned in the recipe. I felt it was a good substitute, hardly any flavor of it’s own thereby it didn’t affect the flavor of the bread. A colorless & odorless oil works best in baking in my opinion.
Bloggers talk about the wonderful smell of baking bread filling up the kitchen/ home. Well I am not sure what is the smell of baking bread, though my house was filled with smell of yeast, which I am not sure till now whether I liked or not. But that’s me! Don’t let it discourage you, the bread didn’t taste of yeast at all.
I felt that sugar is a bit low, so if you want you can increase the sugar by 1/2 Tbsp. We prefer less sugar so for us it worked.
Whole Wheat Bread
Recipe Source – loosely adapted from Divine Taste
Ingredients –
- 1 – 1 1/2 Cups – Water*, lukewarm
- 1 Tbsp – Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp – Canola Oil
- 3 Cups – Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp – Instant Yeast
- 1/4 Cup – Powdered Milk
- 1 tsp – Salt
- sesame seeds & quick cooking oats for sprinkling (optional)
Method –
- Place 1 Cup lukewarm water in a bowl and stir in brown sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over it & leave the bowl undisturbed for about 10 minutes until bubbly.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, powdered milk & salt. Add in oil & yeast mixture. Combine till the dough starts leaving the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased flat surface or counter. Lightly grease your palms & knead the dough using the heel of your hands for about 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more water if required. Dough should be soft yet firm enough to knead.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl, coat the dough with oil. Cover with a cling film. Allow the dough to rise in a warm corner till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of the kitchen.
- Once the dough has risen & puffy, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface. punch it down using your fist & knead it lightly for a couple of minutes. Shape it into an 8″ log**.
- Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2″ X 2 1/2″ loaf pan and cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. You can use a shower cap here.
- Allow the dough to rise for another 1 to 2 hours or till the center has crowned about 1″ above the rim of the pan.
- Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 200 C. On the risen dough, brush milk & sprinkle sesame seeds & oats.
- Bake the bread for about 30-35 mins.
- The bread should hollow when tapped. Cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan & then turn over the bread.
- Rub a stick of butter over the crust, if desired. The butter will soak in yielding a soft, flavorful crust & a beautiful satiny finish.
- Slice when completely cool. Serve toasted or as a sandwich.
* Use greater amount of water in winter. Lesser in summer or humid weather.
** How to Shape a Loaf of Bread
- Lightly flour a table top or counter. Start by shaping the risen dough into a round. Let it rest for few minutes after you this to give gluten a chance to relax. This makes shaping a lot easier.
- Using the heel of your palms, gently flatten the round into a rough rectangle.