Comments on: 100% whole wheat sandwich bread: Searching for the perfect loaf.

By: Tory

Tory — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:56:45 +0000

I made my first loaf ever using this recipe! Thank you, thank you thank you!

I did have a few hiccups and doubted that it would work. I used a bread machine to knead it unattended - and came back an hour later to find that the power was interrupted. (Typical, in FL) It was sitting there still layered. So I put in dough, 1 lb and watched this time. It chugged - it had a hard time. Apparently some of the oj/water combo was absorbed while sitting there. I warmed up a small amount of water and added it slowly - then used a rubber spatula to help push the dough towards the blades. I barely added any, not wanting too veer off the recipe amounts. I hadn’t yet discovered the blog banter pictures to see what the dough should have look like (that would have been nice)!

After it completed the dough cycle I shaped it into a log, sort of. Why didn’t it ever look like the beautiful shape I now see in your blog? I put it in a metal 9×5 pan and put it on a heating pad on the low setting on my counter (thanks, KAF Baker’s Companion) for the second rise. It rose!!! I just waited for an inch over the loaf pan. After that, it followed the recipe perfectly. I didn’t have an instant read thermometer but did 33 mins @ 350 and thwacking my thumb on the bottom of the loaf gave me the telltale “I’m reaaaadddyyy!!!!!” sound!! So my loaf wasn’t perfectly shaped (but it wasn’t going in), but it is beautifully browned and soft inside. I did run some butter over the outside b/c I knew I might get my daughter to try it that way.

Very soft with skim milk, btw, for those who were wondering. I might have even tried 2%, but now why bother? My 4 year old LOVES it!!!! (And she doesn’t like wheat at all)

Thanks for all of your comments to help me get over my fear of baking, for this recipe and for the KAF Baker’s Companion (Christmas present)!!!

By: Helen

Helen — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:19:32 +0000

I’d give myself a B on the final result. (the recipe is probably an A+) It rose to a nice height,but during the baking process one side collapsed a bit, sort of like the soft spot on a baby’s head! It also didn’t brown evenly. All that said it tastes and smells great. I think one of these reasons may have caused the problem:
1) I mixed and kneaded by hand, so I let it rise for over 2 hours the first time. Maybe that was too long? The second rise only took 30 min, but it looked great.
2) I used a brown tinted glass loaf pan, would a metal pan improve the browning.
3) I tented the bread at 10 min, it was barely brown, should I have waited longer?

Happy New Year, Helen -
•Let the dough rise, on its first rise, no more than double, however long that takes;
•Yes, metal pan would improve browning;
•Yes, wait till the bread is a nice light-gold brown before tenting.

Practice makes perfect! Congratulations on your first 100% ww bread. PJH

By: Helen

Helen — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:34:29 +0000

Ok, this will be my first attempt at whole wheat! I’ll be doing everything by hand, and I’ve found with other breads that I need 15-30 more minutes of rising time as a result, even in humid Florida. The photos really help, but does the dough need to double in size the first rise? I’ll be using all the ingredients as recommended, except I only have regular nonfat dry milk. Also, I don’t have a thermometer, can I knock on the bottom for the hollow sound to test for doneness?

Do the best with what you have, Helen. Use a bit more yeast, perhaps, to make up for your hand kneading? Dough doesn’t need to double; just give it a couple of hours or so. And yes, thump on the bottom, if that’s the method you’re used to. Good luck - PJH

By: elsten

elsten — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:29:06 +0000

Could you please tell us the brand of mashed potato flakes that are comparable to the quality of your flour? I don’t like the idea of using high quality flour and then adding preservatives and artificial ingredients that are in all of the potato flakes I could locate.
Thank you!

Sorry, Elsten, I don’t know the answer. I’d suggest using the flakes that have the least amount of added ingredients, e.g., preservatives. Then again, you could purchase the potato flour, and you wouldn’t have to worry about the equivalent substitution… PJH

By: skeptic7

skeptic7 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:29:46 +0000

I read once that vitamin C makes the yeast grow faster so I was wondering if the orange juice had enough Vitamin C or sugar to affect the dough.

Yes, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) does help yeast grow; but I’m not sure the orange juice in here would offer the help your loaf seems to need… sorry. PJH

By: skeptic7

skeptic7 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:16:38 +0000

Well I tried again. Still not successful, but I might try again. I had to run an errand and left the dough too long in the first rise. Does the orange juice affect how the dough handles or how the yeast reacts?

Skeptic, orange juice affects the flavor; it softens the sometimes harsh/bitter flavor of whole wheat flour. PJH

By: dan

dan — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:58:16 +0000

lol! all these three loaf look great ,I love whole wheat bread!

By: Joan B. Bulharowski

Joan B. Bulharowski — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:34:03 +0000

P.J.:

You and the KA staff are to be commended for “producing” this recipe.

I’m a self-taught baker of 40+ years. This recipe and its results are STELLAR!

When I assembled the dough, having observing my finished product, (and after studying the blog) I thought I’d created a poor imitation.

I used the “traditional” whole wheat flour, and although I’ve got a lot of experience I doubted your guarantee. I shouldn’t have and should have trusted your experience.

Most of the recipes I’ve made over the years have contained a mix of whole wheat and A.P. flours. My efforts at constructing whole wheat were “marginal,” thus the skepticism.

To repeat - the results are stellar and I managed to hit the right balance because I live in Arizona, Where ” DRY Heat” isn’t just a saying! Read, …this is a dry climate. I needed to add at least 2 tablespoons shy of 1/2 cup “extra” water. Yet, it worked. This delicious bread didn’t go for sandwiches, it was cut straight out of the oven to accompany some lovely, creamy chili.

Kudos, KA! AND this comes from a culinary school graduate. Unfortunately, school didn’t teach us very much about the science of baking bread.

Thanks again - keep inovating, I’ll keep baking, reading, and in touch.

Joan, thank you SO much for your enthusiastic comments! I’m very glad the bread worked out for you; 100% ww bread is a challenge for sure, but you succeeded - kudos! And thanks for connecting- PJH

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:41:46 +0000

advice for JS -
Make sure the milk you do use is warmed to at least room temp. The mashed potatoes instead of flakes probably contributed to the heaviness as did the wheat germ. The dried potato flakes help give the bread moistness without a lot of weight. The honey shouldn’t have made a difference either way. If you don’t have the dry milk just leave it out. Try again but if you still want to make substitutions only do one at a time, not several. That way you can discover which ones work and which ones don’t.

Excellent advice, Lee - thanks. PJH

By: Michele

Michele — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:11:06 +0000

I prefer to weigh my dry ingredients since it is supposed to be more accurate than volume measure (using cups, etc.). The recipe calls for 1/4 c. (1 3/8 oz) Baker’s Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk. I only have nonfat dry milk on hand and decided to try that. However, when weighing the dry milk, 1 3/8 oz comes to approximately 2/3 cup. I am confused as to whether I should simply use 1/4 c. or if I should weigh it and use the 1 2/3 oz., which is significantly more (by volume). Any suggestions? Thanks!

Yes, Michele, use the 2/3 cup. The new way we enter recipes online doesn’t allow for two weights for the same ingredient (even when you give 2 ingredient options), so I have to pick one weight. Confusing, I know, but it doesn’t happen often. Nonfat dry milk is considerably “fluffier” than Baker’s Special, thus the difference in weight. -PJH