Whole Wheat Bread

My rustic touch of bread with brown sugar and wheat. Breads are basic necessity in our day today life. Usually, I stock a pack of loaf in refrigerator for emergencies. We may need them at times when kids have stomach upset, if hubby in a hurry to leave to office or sometimes kids want to have a light sandwich for lunch box. Bread is always a very handy & friendly food loved by all at home. I always wanted to try all the dishes at home. Bread was one amongst the list. At first, I learnt the basic bread making from a professional then, tried my handson with different methods and different ingredients to make my own soft and healthy delicious wheat bread. The 100% whole wheat bread tends to be denser than the store bought maida breads. However, I wanted to try baking soft wheat breads using the flour ground in flour mil. It was quite challenging at first to bake a bread at home that too without any preservatives, chemicals, improvers and palm oil.

I still remember my childhood days when we were taken to a bread factory from our school in Erode. (Yes, I was brought up in kongunadu) A person explained how the machines work on making bread and then we were given a slice of bread to taste. That day is still an unforgettable one and the aroma in the factory…may be that inspired me to bake breads at home. Bread baking is not really difficult to make though it requires a little planning, patience and interest. I have made quite a number of breads by now, I just love baking it. The aroma that fills my home while baking a bread cannot be explained in words.

I bake a variety of breads like fruity breads, nutty breads using whole wheat and sometimes with mixed flours too. I also sold them in my apartment. When you see the baked bread the sight of it is really amazing and that actually tempt to bake more that one has to feel it. Come lets check out the recipe of making a soft healthy wheat loaf at home. This method involves kneading! Happy baking!

⏲️ BAKE TIME : 30 minutes

🍞COURSE : main course

🥪CUISINE : American

🍴YIELD : 20 slices

Whole wheat flour – 410 gm

Chiroti rava – 40 gm

Milk – 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp

Instant dry yeast – 1 tsp (5 gm)

Vegetable oil – 2 tsp

Butter – 1 tsp

Brown sugar – 3 tbsp + 1 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tbsp

Honey – 1 tbsp

To activate yeast :

In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 tsp yeast onto the 1/4 cup warm water. Add brown sugar 1tsp and stir until yeast and sugar dissolve.

Set it aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Let the yeast activate or bloom.

FOR TANG ZONG:

Wheat – 3 tbsp ( from 410 gm)

Water -1/2 cup

METHOD TO MAKE TANG ZONG:

In a sauce pan, mix wheat flour and water well without lumps.

Cook over low flame. keep stirring until thick and translucent.

Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:

In a big mixing bowl take wheat flour, chiroti rava, activated yeast, tang zong mixture, warm milk (1/3cup), sugar and salt.

Mix them well.

Now using lukewarm water. knead the dough.

Let the dough be highly hydrated.

On a floured surface, place the dough and add a tbsp of oil or butter to the dough.

Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes until it becomes soft and elastic.

When it is poked with finger, it should bounce back.

This indicates that the dough is ready for proofing.

Apply oil on dough and transfer it to an oiled bowl.

Cover it with a cling wrap loosely and keep it in a warm place for 1st proofing.

Wait for the dough to double in size.

Usually it takes 30 to 40 minutes for proofing.

Once doubled in size, punch and release the air bubbles.

Transfer the dough to floured surface and knead the dough gently for 3 minutes.

Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough. Then roll it.

Keep rolling and sealing the edges.

Now the dough is  shaped like a log to the size of the tin.

Keep the loaf tin ready by smearing butter generously along the knooks and corners.

Transfer the dough to the tin gently.

Press the dough along the sides and corners of the tin using your palm.

For milk wash:

Add 3 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp honey and mix well.

Smear the top of dough using  this milk after transferring to tin.

Cover the tin loosely with a cling wrap or a big bowl.

Keep it in a warm place for 2nd proofing.

Wait until the dough reaches the rim or above the tin.

Usually it takes 30 to 40 minutes or even an hour in winters.

Preheat the oven at 200°c for 10 min.

Once the dough is doubled, give milk wash again and bake it for 30 minutes.

Using an aluminium foil, cover the tin like a tent and bake for first 15 minutes.

The last 15 minutes bake without the foil for browning on top.

Once baked, smear butter on top of the loaf and along the sides of the tin.

Now insert a knife along the sides of the loaf to loosen the sides.

Cover the tin using a plate and upside down the tin to transfer loaf to the plate.

Finally transfer the loaf to wire rack  to cool completely for 4 hours.

Once the loaf is cooled down, slice it.

Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it.

NOTE:

Refrigerate the left over bread. Later thaw, toast or just  warm it in tawa and serve it.

Always use good quality instant dry  yeast like gloripan or angel.

Shelf life of this loaf is 4 to 5 days.

Milk wash can also be replaced by eggwash.

Do not over proof or under proof the dough.

Tin size used is 9*4*4.