2 Whole-wheat Loaves – profoodhomemade

2 Whole wheat Loaves

How to make 2 amazing whole wheat loaves at home, easy step by step instructions, from start to finish. The best bread you’ll ever taste.

Ingredients

Method

630g / 22oz Wholewheat bread flour
210 / 7½oz White bread flour
460g / 460mls Lukewarm water / 40°C / 104°F
10g / 2½tsp Instant or Active dried yeast
30g / 2tbls runny Honey
12g / 1½tsp Salt
23g / 1½tbls Olive oil
The white of 1 medium size egg (egg-wash)

Activate the Yeast:
In a bowl or jug, combine the honey and yeast with the lukewarm water. Stir well and set aside for at least 10 minutes. If you see no activity (bubbling or frothing) after this time, your yeast may be inactive and should be replaced.
Once mixed set it aside for at least 10 minutes to activate, if you don’t see any activity after 10 minutes, your yeast must be dead and it needs replacing.
Stand mixer kneading:
Add the now active yeast mixture to your stand mixer bowl, add the oil, followed by both flours, and the salt.

Using the dough hook, on speed 2, bring the ingredients together, once everything is combined, knead the dough for 10 minutes.
For Hand Kneading:
If you are kneading this recipe by hand, add all of the ingredients, including the now active yeast mixture, to a bowl and partially mix it all together, tip it out onto your worktop and knead the dough for 10 minutes, (see the video for my hand kneading technique.)
Once the hand kneading is complete, you may continue with the recipe.
Turn out the dough from the mixer and form it into a ball, do the same if you hand kneaded, place it into a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl and let it proof for 1 hour, the dough should at least double in size (this may take a longer or a shorter time, depending on the temperature of your kitchen) if you can, proof your dough in the oven, with just the light bulb on.
Grease two 2lb / 900g loaf tin, see video for tin my loaf tin dimensions, (the tins used in this video, are available on the website, see the link below).
After the proofing has finished, turn out the now risen dough onto a non-floured surface, and knock the dough back, this simply means force all of the gas out of it.
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, and form them into sausage shapes, (see video for this technique).
Place them into the greased loaf tins, gently pressing them down to fill in any gaps in the sides and corners.
Brush a little cooking oil on the top of each one, cover them with a dry, light weight cloth, and allow them to proof until they have risen approximately 4cm / 1½ inches, over the top of the tin, this should take approx., 30 to 45 minutes.
When you think there is only 10 minutes left on the proofing time, preheat your oven to 190°C / 375°F / Gas Mark 5. For a crispier top, place a tray of hot water at the bottom of the oven, it’s the steam produced by the water that makes the breads crispy.
Separate the yolk from the white of a medium size egg.
Once the proofing time is up, brush the egg white all over the top of the loaves, this will give the finished loaves a golden-brown shiny finish.
Score the loaves right down centre of the full length of the dough using your Lame, or bakers’ blade.
Place the tins into the preheated oven, and set your timer for 30 minutes.
Once the time is up, remove them from the oven. Carefully get the loaves out of the tins and on to a wire rack to completely cool, before slicing and serving with lots of butter.
Enjoy.