I am presenting this recipe exactly as I make it. This is my own recipe. (Note: This makes one loaf.)If you are a good cook you can make substitutions. You know what they are! Read through the whole recipe before you start. The order in which you combine things is important.
1 package of very active yeast
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 cup of very warm water
Combine the yeast and powdered milk in a 2 cup measuring cup or bowl. Slowly and gently add the warm water, stirring gently as you go. You want to handle this liquid mixture gently because the yeast is alive, and you want to keep it that way to have light, fluffy bread! Set this aside while you gather the other ingredients.
In a large bowl put:
2 cups of whole wheat flour
¼! (So altogether you will use about 3 cups.)
To the bowl with the milk and yeast add:
1 tbsp oil (I use peanut oil)
½ cup applesauce
1 egg
Stir the milk, oil, applesauce and egg together gently. They need to be just barely blended. Remember to stir gently. You want to keep the yeast alive!
Fluff up the dry ingredients in the large bowl with a wire whisk. Fluffing up the flour will help make your bread lighter. Stir the dry ingredients so that you have a “well” in the center, then gradually add the liquid mixture. Use the wire whisk to blend. This should leave you with a very sticky dough.
Oil your hands, and while you’re at it, liberally oil another large bowl and the 9″ round pan you plan to use for baking. I use peanut oil.
Keeping the dough in the original bowl, gradually begin adding the reserved cup of flour to the dough, kneading as you go. Do this by patting the flour onto the dough and turning it patting on more flour and kneading it. Add more flour as it becomes sticky. Knead thoroughly with flat hands. Don’t dig your fingers into the dough or it will get sticky too fast without the flour getting mixed in properly. When you have kneaded in all of the 3rd cup of flour, you should have a slightly sticky ball of dough that you can handle with oiled hands..
Wash your hands and oil them again. Transfer the ball of dough to the oiled bowl. Turn it so that is coated with oil. Cover it with a clean cloth and set the bowl on top of your oven (or in some other warm, draft-free place, if your oven gets too hot on top.) Turn on your oven to 350 degrees to preheat. Let the dough sit and rise for one hour. It should be doubled in size.
Oil your hands again. Punch down the dough and knead it again. Don’t overdo it, or it will become sticky.
Shape the dough into a round loaf with your hands. This is very easy. It should already be pretty round! Place it in the round pan, and turn it again to coat it with oil. Using a very sharp knife, cut an “X” about ¼” deep in the top of the loaf. This will keep the crust from splitting while it is baking.
Lightly cover the loaf with a clean cloth and set it in a warm place again for about half an hour. It should double in size.
Place it in the oven on the middle shelf (350 degrees) for ½ hour to one hour. This can vary widely depending on your oven. My oven takes a full hour. I think most ovens would take about 45 minutes. Check at ½ hour to see how it is doing. If it is not brown enough to suit you, check every 10 minutes thereafter. When you feel it is done, turn it out on a rack to cool. Thump the bottom with your thumb (like a melon.) If it is done, it will feel firm and sound hollow.
Don’t worry if your first couple of attempts are disasters! Mine were. It just takes time to get used to the right amount of kneading, the temperature of your oven, the best pan you have for baking, and so on. I know this may seem like a lot of work, but you will be glad when you taste the bread. It is my weekly ritual to cut a couple of hot slices of bread and have them with cheese as soon as the bread comes out of the oven. Delicious!
