I have a nice, smaller Zojirushi bread machine and it does pretty good work. My only complaint is that my go-to recipe for it, a 100% whole wheat bread, is pretty dense. I had a bit of extra time this morning and found this recipe. It turned out awesome, there's no refined sugar or flour in it, and bonus--no kneading and only one rise! I used the dough hook on my stand mixer to do the kneading for me.
I used the molasses option to sweeten, which is just sweet enough and gave the loaf a pretty hue, almost a pumpkin bread color. I'm excited to try the other sweetener options.
Thanks to King Arthur flour for this awesome recipe!
Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey, molasses, or maple syrup
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Premium 100% Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast, dissolved in 2 tablespoons of the water in the recipe
1/4 cup nonfat dried milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
*Use the greater amount in winter or in a dry climate; the lesser amount in summer or a humid climate.
In a
large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough
starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly
greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or
until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this
dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine
programmed for "dough" or "manual.") Note: This dough should be soft,
yet still firm enough to knead. Adjust its consistency with additional
water or flour, if necessary.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or large measuring cup,
cover it, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily
doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your
kitchen.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into
an 8" log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan,
cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the
bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours, or till the center has crowned
about 1" above the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time,
preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum
foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. The finished loaf will
register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.
Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack
to cool. If desired, rub the crust with a stick of butter; this will
yield a soft, flavorful crust. Cool completely before slicing. Store the
bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.
Yield: 1 loaf.
