lucidguppy wrote:Do you make your own bread? Do you have a recipe?
Yes, I make my own bread. There are many good 100% whole wheat recipes on the Internet. Good to watch videos to see some technique and tricks. I find it still takes some practice, however, to get a feel for the dough, and the methods and the timing. My first try was dense, but improved each time. Seems to me the key to whole wheat baking is sufficient water (hydration), time (patience) and practice (repetition).
I use same recipe for loaves, rolls and pizza dough. Basic ratios below. Makes 6 rolls or 2 12x9 pizzas.
4 cups (500g) whole wheat flour (hard white wheat)
1/4 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/4 cup + 1-2 Tbsp (335-347g) water
I use 5 cups flour and 1-1/2 cups + 1-2 Tbsp water (same ratios as above, just scaled up 25%) for larger size loaf.
Can just use 1-2 tsp yeast from the start, and mix everything together and knead, skipping the sponge step, for faster loaf. I think slower ferment has slightly better taste. Less yeasty, more sour.
My preferred method is slow and low yeast, with 3 rises. I start with sponge in morning (first rise). Add remaining flour and water in afternoon (2nd rise). The fold and shape just before dinner (3rd rise). Takes some practice, learning tricks, getting feel for dough, how much rise is enough or too much, handling dough so wet inside and not too sticky outside, sifting whole wheat flour for finer flour when shaping, shaping by flattening dough into rectangle and rolling into spiral, misting top of bread to add a bit more moisture back and allow any seed topping to stick, how long to preheat oven, etc.
Method
1. Makes sponge, a wet dough, with 1/2 of flour, and most of water. For above 4 cup recipe, the sponge is 2 cups flour + 1 cup water + 1/4 tsp yeast. Very little yeast, because let rise for ~4h. Yeast doubles every hour or so, and whole wheat flour has plenty time to soak. Should double in size.
2. Add remaining flour and water. For above 4 cup recipe this is 2 cups flour + 1/4 cup + 1/4 tsp salt. Salt hinders yeast, so gets added last. Mix and knead 5-10m. I wet my hands during kneading so dough does not stick, adding extra 1-2 Tbsp in process. Allow rise ~4h. Should double in size.
3. Sift working surface lightly with flour. Punch down dough. Stretch and fold a couple of times, then shape. Sift additional flour as needed to handle. I use scraper to handle dough. Roll into loaf shape, transfer to parchment paper lined bread pan. Allow final rise 45m-1h, until nicely above bread pan. Bake in preheated 450F oven 22m. Remove from bread pan and parchment and allow cool on rack.