Mels Kitchen Cafe
INGREDIENTS
- 12-15 cups wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1000 mg Vitamin C, crushed
- 6 1/2 cups very warm water
- 2/3 cup oil
- 2/3 cup honey or sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl (or stand mixer, like the almighty Bosch), mix together 5 cups of wheat flour, yeast, vital wheat gluten and Vitamin C. Add the warm water and mix well. Add the oil and honey (or sugar) and mix again.
- Cover the bowl and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Add the salt and start the mixer (or mix by hand), adding the remaining flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl to form a soft dough. You may not need to add all of the flour! Judge the dough by feel not by the amount of flour you've used. It might be slightly sticky but should hold it's shape.
- Let the dough knead for 7 minutes in the stand mixer (or 15 minutes by hand). Form into 5 loaves (for the 8 1/2 X 4-inch loaf pans) and place into greased bread pans. Let rise until the bread is 2 inches above the top of the bread pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (I like to let the bread rise 1 inch above the top of the pans and then put the bread in a cold oven and turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake the bread for 32 minutes).
Megan, This bread is incredible! I still can believe it is entirely whole wheat flour. It's so light a fluffy and versatile. Not too sweet so I still eat it with other savory flavors. I used it for french toast too and it was so fluffy and good. This is a golden recipe. One for the ages!
ReplyDeleteActually, it really does remind me of the bread my great grandma used to make. :)
Where did you buy your vital wheat gluten?
ReplyDeleteWonderful! At least when you use the right yeast...I really prefer the flavor development in a double rise yeast, and so have traditionally only purchased active dry yeast (which is what I used the first time I made this bread). The second time I made it, I decided to go for the fast time and bought some rapid rise yeast. This is NOT the same thing as instant yeast. That second batch was dense and gross, as the yeast never really got a chance to do it's thing. So word to the wise: either make sure you have instant yeast OR follow the traditional double rise method. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, Megan, I would try making 4 loaves instead of five to get taller, more sandwich-like loaves. I halved the recipe and made just two loaves, and they were a good size.
Thanks for the great recipe!