Whole Wheat Bread

This is another recipe from my mom, Heather Stephens Bullough, aka “the Bread Queen.” She worked hard to earn this title. I remember as a young mom, she made bread often and was constantly working to improve her recipes and technique. The internet hadn’t yet become the mainstream tool that it is today, so she consulted cookbooks and asked friends and neighbors for their recipes and tips on baking better bread. Wanting to provide her family a healthy diet, she especially wanted to perfect her whole wheat bread, which can be tricky and wasn’t as common at the time. She went through a few rounds of unsuccessful bread “bricks” as she evolved her recipe into something reliable and delicious. Luckily for us, we got to enjoy the soft, tasty results of her hard work for many years to follow, and from a young age grew to prefer her flavorful whole wheat bread over white bread in general.

As kids, we knew it was bread-making day when she pulled out the wheat grinder and began scooping cupfuls of hard red wheat into the mill. I remember watching the little kernels dance and jump as the grains swirled down into the noisy grinder to be transformed into fresh flour. Later, we had to tiptoe around the kitchen as the bread baked to ensure there were no loud thumps or bumps near the oven which may disrupt the baking bread from rising properly. When the golden loaves came out hot and tall and perfect, we would all cheer and sniff the warm yeasty aroma, then wait for an agonizingly long time as the bread cooled a bit. Finally, we would scramble for the first still-steaming slices, each topped with a melting pat of butter. The first loaf was usually more than half gone within fifteen minutes of slicing.

I appreciate my mom’s dedication to perfecting her whole wheat bread recipe. Of course because I was frequently a direct beneficiary of the fabulous results, but also because she taught me some important lessons through her example. First, I learned that that healthy eating is important enough to work for it as a priority. Second, don’t be afraid to try something new–or to face the failures and hiccups that will inevitably come during the process of learning and mastering a skill. (And the kitchen is definitely a safe place when it comes to making mistakes!) Finally, involve kids in the cooking and baking process, so they can understand and appreciate the beauty of where their food comes from, and so they’ll be more willing to try new foods themselves.

Over time, in making this bread for my own family, I have made a couple of small changes to the original recipe, including adding vital wheat gluten (per my mom’s suggestion several years ago) and lemon juice (something I learned from a friend). Whole wheat bread often yields a more crumbly crumb than white bread because it is more difficult to adequately develop the gluten in the whole grain flour on its own. The addition of vital wheat gluten helps strengthen the bread so you get a nice firm crumb–perfect for sandwiches, toast, etc. Many bakeries add this to their whole wheat bread, so why not use it at home too? I buy vital wheat gluten in bulk at WinCo, but I know other local supermarkets carry it as well.

The lemon juice contains ascorbic acid, which boosts the activity of the yeast, helps enhance the flavor, and also strengthens the gluten structure of the dough. For a whole grain bread with a short rise like this one, I think it’s helpful. I also like to add oats to the dough, which contribute to a hearty, chewy texture that I love in a whole grain loaf, but otherwise you can’t tell they’re there.

Here’s the recipe.

Whole Wheat Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water

2/3 cup quick oats (optional, for a heartier texture)

1/3 cup vital wheat gluten (optional, for a firmer crumb)

1 Tbs plus 1 tsp active dry yeast (or substitute instant yeast, but rise times may be reduced)

1 Tbs sugar (optional)

1 Tbs salt

1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup honey

6-7 cups whole wheat flour (approximately)

In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the water, oats (if using), wheat gluten, yeast, and sugar. Stir to dissolve yeast, then let stand 10 minutes, until bubbly, to ensure yeast is alive and happy.

Mix in salt, lemon juice, oil, honey, and 4 cups flour, stirring until well combined.

Cover, and let stand for about 15-20 minutes. (This allows the gluten time to develop.)

Add remaining 2 cups flour, kneading on low and adding additional flour just until dough comes together into a ball.

Continue kneading for about 6-8 minutes on low. (More gluten strengthening happens during this process.)

Transfer to a large, lightly greased bowl; cover with greased plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Let rise in a warm place (such as the oven with the light on) until doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes.

Pour out onto a lightly floured or greased surface (I like to spritz my countertop with a little cooking spray), and divide into two equal pieces.

Smooth each piece into a rectangle, and shape loaves by folding in thirds like a letter, then rotating 90 degrees and repeating this process once more.

Place loaves into two lightly greased loaf pans, tucking the ends under a bit.

Cover again, and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes. About halfway through the rising time, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden.

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Brush the tops with butter (optional, this creates a softer crust), then turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack. (If they seem to be sticking to the pan, use a table knife to gently loosen the sides.)

Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. (The bread needs time to finish cooking as it cools.)

Enjoy! Let the bread cool completely before wrapping or freezing it for longer storage.