Whole Wheat Bread Question

Try these -

Old Fashioned Whole Wheat Bread

Sponge:
3 cups warm water, 105F to 115F
1 cup buttermilk powder
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup honey
3 cups fine to medium grind whole wheat flour, preferably stone ground

Dough:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 tablespoons salt
5 to 5 1/2 cups fine to medium whole wheat flour, preferably stone ground
rolled oats, for sprinkling

To prepare the sponge: In a large bowl, whisk together the water, buttermilk powder, yeast, honey and the 3 cups whole wheat flour and beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until foamy and doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Gently stir it down with a wooden spoon. In a large bowl using a whisk or in the bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the oil, salt, 2 cups of the flour and the sponge. Beat hard until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, using a wooden spoon if making by hand, until a soft dough that just clears the sided of the bowl is formed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and springy, yet slightly tacky, about 5 minutes, dusting with the flour only 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to keep the dough from sticking. If kneading by machine, switch from the paddle to the dough hook and knead for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy and springs back when pressed. If desired, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead briefly by hand. Do not add too much flour, as the dough must retain a definite sticky quality, which will smooth out during the rising process. The dough will also have a slightly abrasive quality from the whole grains. Place the dough in a greased container. Turn once to coat the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until puffy and almost doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Turn the dough out onto a flour work surface. Grease or parchment line a baking sheet and sprinkle it with rolled oats.

Divide it into 3 equal portions. Form each portion into 3 round balls and place them at least 4 inches apart on the baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until not quite doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375F. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until deep brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped with your finger. Place a piece of aluminum foil over the tops to slow browning, if needed. Transfer the loaves immediately to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Old-Fashioned Honey-Whole Wheat Bread

3 cups stone-ground whole wheat flour or graham flour
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup shortening
1 tablespoon salt
2 packages regular or quick active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups very warm water (120°F to 130°F)
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
Butter or margarine, melted, if desired

1.Mix whole wheat flour, honey, shortening, salt and yeast in large bowl. Add warm water. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle.
2.Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl and turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place 40 to 60 minutes or until double. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
3.Grease bottoms and sides of 2 loaf pans, 9x5x3 or 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches.
4.Punch down dough and divide in half. Flatten each half with hands or rolling pin into rectangle, 18x9 inches, on lightly floured surface. Roll dough up tightly, beginning at 9-inch side, to form a loaf. Press with thumbs to seal after each turn. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Press each end with side of hand to seal. Fold ends under loaf. Place seam side down in pan. Brush loaves lightly with butter. Cover and let rise in warm place 35 to 50 minutes or until double.
5.Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 375°F.
6.Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to wire rack. Brush loaves with butter; cool.

Whole Wheat Bread

5-1/2 c. warm water
1-1/2 tbsp. salt
1/2 c. oil
3 tbsp. instant yeast
1/2 c. honey
10-11 c. whole wheat flour

Mix warm water, honey, oil, yeast and 7 cups flour well. Let dough rest 10 minutes to proof the yeast. Add salt. Blend in 3 to 4 cups flour until good kneading consistency. Knead 10 minutes. Let rise 1 hour. Punch down and put in 5-6 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from pans to cool.

Whole Wheat Bread

2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 beaten egg
1 3/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. margarine, melted
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. raisins

In bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Combine egg, buttermilk, honey and margarine. Add to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Fold in nuts and raisins. Put in loaf pan and bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove and cool thoroughly.

MamaM, what is the purpose of the gluten to bread? Thanks!!!

without gluten there is nothing to hold the gas to make the bread rise
the stronger the gluten is, the more gas it can hold
but not good for pastries and pie crusts where you want to avoid gluten
that's why flours have different amounts of protein - a high protein flour will yield a dough with high gluten which is great for yeastbreads - low protein flours are better for pies and pastries

when you knead dough you help the protein for gluten
gluten gives you the light texture you want in breads - that "chewiness"

Thanks, Mama. I knew you would come through for me.
So now I don't understand why those other people said it was necessary to add the vital wheat gluten. Why did they do that?
All I have is the graham flour. Is that okay?

You're welcomed - here's more to try -

Graham Bread (one Loaf) Recipe
1 pound Graham flour that is a real wheat meal
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cake compressed yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons cooking oil

1.Sift the flour to make it light and break up the lumps.
2.Do not throw away the bran.
3.Mix the bran with the flour that has been sifted.
4.Crumble the yeast cake into the lukewarm water and stir until it is completely dissolved.
5.Then stir in the salt, molasses, and oil.
6.Turn this mixture into the flour, and stir it to a dough with a spoon.
7.It should be too soft to knead.
8.Cover it tightly with a tin cover or several thicknesses of cloth.
9.Set it in a warm place to rise until a hole will sink in the dough when it is struck with the backs of the fingers.
10.Place the dough on a floured board and mold it into a hard roll.
11.Place the roll in an oiled bread tin and set it in a warm place to rise, covered with cloth.
12.When the top of the loaf is a little below the top of the pan, it is ready to put into the oven.
13.Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, but monitor it closely as the molasses is likely to scorch.

another -

1 pkg. dry yeast
2 c. flour
2 c. graham flour
1/4 c. nonfat dry milk powder
1 t. salt
1 T. honey
1 T. butter
1 1/4 c. water

add ingredients in this order to bread machine (all ingredients at room temp)

Graham Cracker Brown Bread


•1 cup plus 4 teaspoons graham cracker crumbs (divided use)
•1 cup all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/4 cup butter, softened
•1 large egg
•1/3 cup dark molasses
•1 cup fat-free buttermilk
•1 cup raisins


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; dust with 4 teaspoons crumbs.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Place butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth (about 1 minute). Gradually add 1 cup graham crumbs. Beat until well combined (about 2 minutes). Add egg, and beat 1 minute. Add molasses, and beat until well combined.

Beating at low speed, add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in raisins. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 12 servings

graham flour does not have the protein that wheat flour has - that is why recipes call for gluten to be added - so that you will get the rise you need - the structure, the strength and the texture
that is why you will see wheat flour added to rye bread recipes, rice bread recipes, potato bread recipes, etc.

So, it means that graham is less nutritious than the wheat?

sorry to say - yes