Whole Wheat Bread

Step 1

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8½ inch or 9 inch loaf pan. (If you are concerned about the bread sticking on the bottom of the pan, after you grease the loaf you can cut a piece of parchment paper the size of the bottom of the loaf, place the parchment paper in the loaf pan, pressing it flat. Then lightly oil the parchment paper.

Step 2

Sift 3¼ cups of whole wheat flour with the ¼ tsp salt two times (sifting the flour will make the bread fluffier.) You want to keep any bran that’s left in the sifter after you sift the flour; just whisk it into the sifted flour. Then sift an additional ½ cup of flour and set it aside.

Step 3

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 2 Tbsp of the lukewarm water. Then add the remaining lukewarm water (1 cup minus 2 Tbsp), oil, sweetener, and nonfat dried milk and stir until well combined. Add the flour and salt you sifted together and stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. (If the dough is too dry, add up to 2 Tbsp lukewarm water, ½ Tbsp at a time. If the dough is too wet, add up to ¼ cup sorted whole wheat flour, 1 Tbsp at a time.)

Step 4

Let the dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes in the bowl.

Step 5

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface. Oil your hands, and knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (The dough should be soft, yet still firm enough to knead. If necessary, adjust its consistency with additional water or flour.) If the dough is too sticky to knead, let it rest for 10-15 minutes to allow some of the moisture to dissolve, and then finish kneading.

Step 6

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or large measuring cup, cover it with a plate or plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise till puffy (not necessarily doubled in bulk) This will take 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature.

Step 7

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface. With your fingers or a rolling pin, press the dough into a rectangle to press out the bubbles. Then, tightly roll up the dough from the shorter side of the rectangle to make a log. Turn the log so the seam is on the bottom, then tuck the ends under the bottom so no seams show. Compress the log if needed so it will fit into your loaf pan. Then place it in your loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for 1 to 2 hours, or till the center has crowned about 1" above the rim of the pan (or, if you are using a 9 inch pan, the center will reach just above the top of the pan.) Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. (or 325 degrees if you are using a dark loaf pan.)

Step 8

Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Then place a loose aluminum foil “tent” over the loaf (to prevent over-browning) and bake the bread another 15-20 minutes. When the bread is done, it will register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.

Step 9

Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. If you want a softer crust, rub the crust with a stick of butter. Cool completely before slicing.