REC: Quick and Healthy Whey and White Whole Wheat Bread
Original recipe at bottom of post and linked.
Not sure I will make this again - need to research how to improve. I found the bread to be dry tasting and needs more sugar (IMO). I had trouble with the dough being way too wet and ended up adding more flour than I planned and a second rise/knead. Served a slice topped with tuna salad and cheddar cheese for open-face sandwich and it was very tasty! Colleen
WHAT I DID
Prep time: 3 hours
Cook time: 25 min
Yields: 1 round loaf (approximately 12 slices)
* 1/3 cup milk, 2 TBS butter, and whey to make 2 cups total
* 1 packet dry active yeast
* 1 Tbsp. brown sugar + squirt of molasses (next time, add a 1/4 cup of honey/molasses mix)
* 1 tsp. salt
* 3 cups white whole wheat flour + 2TBS ground flax seed and LOTS more flour for kneading (next time start with 3 2/3 cups flour including ??? rye, oatmeal, ground flax seed, hemp and whole flax seed???)
How to Make It
1. Warm whey/milk/butter mixture to 100 degrees (next time 105?)
2. In a large bowl, dissolve sugars in the whey. Add the salt and the packet of yeast. You do not need to wait until the yeast activates; just add the 3 cups of whole wheat flour to this mixture.
3. Gently mix your ingredients with a wooden spoon until just combined. The flour will be wet and sticky. Do not knead the dough at this point. Simply cover the bowl with a dampened dishtowel and let the dough rise for about 2 hours
4. When double, turn your dough onto a well-floured surface. Flour your hands and knead the dough into a ball by constantly turning the sides under. Don’t over-knead the dough and don’t worry about making a perfect dough ball. You only need to knead the dough lightly for a minute or two. Place it back in the bowl for 30 minutes.
5. Rearrange the racks in your oven so that one rack is at the very bottom of the oven, and the other is in the center. Then pre-heat the oven to 400. Place a pizza stone on the center rack (if you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use a baking pan or cookie sheet). Allow the stone to heat up while the oven is pre-heating so that it can get nice and hot.
6. After second rise, turn dough on a well floured surface. Flour your hands and knead the dough into a ball by constantly turning the sides under lightly for a minute or two.
6. Just before putting loaf into oven, fill a baking pan with 1 cup of water and carefully place it on the bottom rack of your oven.
7. Then, with a sharp knife, make a cross in the center of the top of the dough ball and place the dough on the pizza stone. Bake for about 25 minutes until 190 degrees.
Quick and Healthy Whey and Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
Replacing the water in a homemade bread recipe with whey gives the bread added protein and a soft, chewy texture. It's absolutely delicious.
Prep time: 2 hours 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ready in: 2 hours 50 min
Yields: 1 round loaf (approximately 12 slices)
What You'll Need
* 2 cups whey*, warmed
* 1 packet dry active yeast
* 1 Tbsp. sugar
* 1 tsp. salt
* 3 cups whole wheat flour**
How to Make It
1. In a large bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar into the whey. Add the teaspoon of salt and the packet of yeast. You do not need to wait until the yeast activates; just add the 3 cups of whole wheat flour to this mixture.
2. Gently mix your ingredients with a wooden spoon until just combined. The flour will be wet and sticky. Do not knead the dough at this point. Simply cover the bowl with a dampened dishtowel and let the dough rise for about 2 hours.
3. When the dough has just about doubled, rearrange the racks in your oven so that one rack is at the very bottom of the oven, and the other is in the center. Then pre-heat the oven to 450. Place a pizza stone on the center rack (if you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use a baking pan or cookie sheet). Allow the stone to heat up while the oven is pre-heating; I like to give the stone an extra 15—20 minutes in the oven so that it can get nice and hot.
4. Meanwhile, turn your dough onto a well-floured surface. Flour your hands and knead the dough into a ball by constantly turning the sides under. Don’t over-knead the dough and don’t worry about making a perfect dough ball. You only need to knead the dough lightly for a minute or two. Place it back in the bowl while your oven and stone are heating up.
5. Once your oven is heated, fill a baking pan with 1 cup of water and carefully place it on the bottom rack of your oven. The water will turn into steam which helps your bread retain moisture as it cooks while giving it a crisp, crunchy crust.
6. Then, with a sharp knife, make a cross in the center of the top of the dough ball and place the dough on the pizza stone. Bake for about 20 minutes***. Your bread is done when the outside is brown and crusty; if you knock on the top it should sound hollow.
If you want to impart more complex flavors into your bread, consider adding a dash of vanilla, a half-cup of honey, or a teaspoon or two of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough. You could also make this a savory bread by adding fennel, thyme, basil, or any other herb to the dough. Try lightly brushing the top of the bread with olive oil and sprinkling with Parmesan and rosemary during the last five minutes of baking.
This is an extremely simple recipe that allows you to get creative and tailor the bread to your own tastes!
* You can obtain the 2 cups by straining a 32-ounce container of low-fat plain yogurt. If you do not wish to use whey, you can substitute 2 cups of warm water for the whey.
* You can substitute plain white flour for the whole wheat flour. I like wheat flour because it contains more fiber and protein than white flour; plus, I love the rich, nutty flavor of homemade wheat bread.
* Depending on your oven, cook time will vary. My stove is an electric unit and I find that my cook times are always less than when I was using a gas stove. Check your bread at 20 minutes and if the outside isn’t browned, give it another 5—10 minutes.
https://delishably.com/baked-goods/How-to-Make-Quick-Healthy-Homemade-Whole-Wheat-Bread-with-Five-Ingredients
