What have I got here for you today? Only a 100% Wholemeal Loaf!
Gorgeous, crusty, healthy bread. Perfect for increasing fibre in your diet and keeping you feeling fuller for longer.
A completely Wholemeal Loaf is never going to be as light, or rise as much as a Large White Bloomer.
This is because the wholemeal flour has less protein (gluten) per gram than white flour, as the bran and germ have not been removed. So a Wholemeal Loaf is always going to be denser than a white loaf. What I have found, is, that when making wholemeal bread using the regular, knead/prove/knockback and then prove again, I’ve had disappointingly heavy loaves. So I set about trying to improve the result.
I am not claiming the following method is fool proof, or the only way to make 100% Wholemeal Bread, a quick search on the internet proved that! Sorry no pun intended well maybe! What I’ve found is, by triple proving the dough, the resulting bread is far more digestable and totally delicious.
Wholemeal bread is extra delicious when paired with oily fish, such as smoked salmon, smoked mackerel or tuna. I particularly enjoy it, toasted, alongside a golden, dippy yolked, free range egg – the perfect breakfast.
Whatever your reason for wanting to make and bake this bread, the triple proving method ensures the resulting loaf is delicious and more easily digested.
I personally enjoy baking and eating a variety of breads, yet this Wholemeal Loaf and my Crunchy Seeded Bread are top of my favourite loaves for sandwiches and toast.
Well they do say that “Variety is the spice of life!!”
Recipe: Makes 1 Wholemeal Loaf (750g)
450g/1lb Strong Wholemeal Flour
2tsp/1 sachet Fast Action Dried Yeast
1tsp Runny Honey
325ml/1/2 pint Tepid Water
1tsp Salt
25g/1oz Unsalted Butter plus extra for greasing the loaf tin.
Method: Grease a 3lb Loaf Tin with butter.
Using either a bread maker or free standing mixer, with dough hook attachment, add the water, yeast and honey into the bowl. Gently mix together with clean fingers.
Add the flour on top of the water mixture.
Next add the salt.
Break the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl.
If using a bread maker, set the programme to dough cycle and start. When the cycle is complete, start the dough cycle again. This will knock back the dough and prove it for a second time.
If using a stand mixer, lower the dough hook and mix on a medium speed. Once all the ingredients have come together to form a dough, continue mixing for 10 minutes on a low – medium speed. Stop the mixer. Remove any dough from the dough hook and form into a ball. Place back into the mixer bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a draft free place for an hour.
In the stand mixer, after an hour, lower the dough hook into the bowl and proceed to mix, as before for 10 minutes, this will knock back the dough. As before, stop the machine, scrape any dough off the hook, form the dough into a ball, cover with the cloth and leave for a further hour.
Once the second prove is complete, gently press the dough into a flat rectangle. Fold the bottom third upwards and then fold the top third down, over the first fold. Place the dough, seam side down, into the greased loaf pan. Cover with the cloth and leave for a further 1 – 2 hours, until doubled in size.
You can add a light dusting of flour to the top of the loaf before it bakes.
Preheat the oven to its highest setting 10 minutes before the wholemeal loaf is ready to bake.
Place a baking tray, or grill pan in the bottom of the oven and fill with boiling water. Creating a steamy environment, will help the bread form a delicious crust.
When the oven is hot and full of steam, carefully place the loaf tin (with the cloth removed) into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.
The bread is baked when it is a golden, crusty brown and sounds hollow when rapped on the base with your knuckle.
Remove the bread from the oven. Turn out the loaf immediately and leave to cool completely on a rack.
If you make this loaf I would love to see your photos. Post them on Twitter and Tag me in with #feastingisfun.
I really hope you enjoy this delicious Wholemeal Loaf and you may also like this recipe –
This Wholemeal Loaf was baked in a British manufactured 3lb loaf tin available from British Bakeware.
I did not receive any payment for using this tin. All opinions and content are my own.
Sammie xx