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Grainlady, Your Whole Wheat Bread....

Bumblebeez SC Zone 7

17 years ago

I'm sorry to trouble you about this, but I am looking for your 100% whole wheat bread recipe made with a sponge.

I would love to make it soon.

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Comments (2)

grainlady_ks
17 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
No trouble at all. I have to credit my dear friend Mildred with this recipe. I have a sponge setting as I type.

-Grainlady

100% Whole Wheat Bread
Bread Machine Recipe

(changes for making it by-hand towards the end)
Sponge:
3/4 c. lukewarm buttermilk (I use homemade kefir.)
3/4 c. lukewarm water
2-1/2 c. freshly-milled white whole wheat flour (Prairie Gold from Wheat Montana is my favorite wheat)
1/4 t. ascorbic acid*
2 t. SAF-Instant Yeast
Mix these ingredients in the bread machine pan and set the machine to QUICK DOUGH. As soon as the mixture is well mixed, unplug the machine and allow to sit (with the lid closed) at least 2-1/2 hours or up to 12 hours (or something in-between - I usually use a 2-1/2 or 3-hour sponge, or overnight. You may want to extend this time if using hard red wheat flour to closer to 8-12 hours for a more mild flavor).
After the sponge has set, with a soft spatula, mix these ingredients into the sponge:
2 T. melted coconut oil (or butter or veg. oil)
2 T. agave nectar (or honey)
1 egg
(option: I also add 1/3-1/2 c. chia seed gel. **)
Add to the top of the sponge mixture in the pan:
2-1/4 c. freshly-milled whole wheat flour
2 t. salt (on top the flour)
Set the bread machine on regular DOUGH cycle and process. Check the dough to make sure it's formed into a nice soft ball and adjust the hydration as needed.

Grainlady changes: I process the dough in the bread machine until the dough is mixed and kneaded. I don't let it raise in the machine. I place the dough in a dough rising bucket, place the lid on the top and allow the dough to rise ALMOST double. Whole wheat dough doesn't have the extensibility that white bread dough does, so try not to let it go more than double. Using a dough rising bucket helps you to accurately judge when dough has doubled. For this recipe a 2-quart container with a tight-fitting lid works perfectly.
Back to original recipe:
After the bread machine finishes the dough cycle (or has doubled in the dough rising bucket), dump the dough onto a Silpat. With oiled/greased hands, deflate the dough by pushing it in the middle with your fist then drawing all edges of the outside dough into the middle (turning the dough inside-out so to speak). Divide the dough into portions (I scale the dough for accuracy.) Round each portion (make it into a smooth ball) so that all the gluten strands are going into the same direction. Cover; allow to rest 10-15 minutes so the gluten relaxes. Form dough (with oiled hands), pan, cover with plastic wrap for the final proofing - etc....

Two loaves - 375F - for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature of the loaves are between 190-200Â°F.
I make this bread into 3 small loaves (7-1/2x3-1/2-inch pans - 350Â°F for 20-25 minutes
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* ascorbic acid powder is available at most health food stores. It's a very important ingredient when you make bread that includes wheat germ, which is in whole wheat flour. There is a substance in wheat germ called Glutathione. This substance breaks down the gluten and can result in a short loaf. The bran in whole wheat bread can also cut the gluten strands which results in a short squatty loaf. The sponge helps to soften the bran. The addition of 1/8 t. ascorbic acid per loaf of bread will counteract the negative effects of Glutathione. It will help prevent the gluten bonds from breaking down and will also help repair gluten bonds that have been broken. The ascorbic acid also helps sustain the leavening of bread loaves during baking. Yeast grows longer and faster when there is also ascorbic acid. Do not add it to sourdough recipes because they are naturally an acidic atmosphere.

** Chia seed gel is a mixture of chia seeds and water (1 part chia seeds to 9 parts water or 1/3 c./2-oz. to 2-cups water). This mixture thickens as the seeds absorb the water and adds hydration to the crumb of the loaf and keeps the bread softer longer. It looks like poppy seeds in the bread after it's baked. Excellent nutritional boost and additional fiber.
BY HAND, place sponge ingredients in a glass or plastic bowl and mix the sponge ingredients together with a Danish dough whisk (or a wooden spoon) and beat the ingredients about 100 strokes. Cover, and allow to sit at room temperature at least 2-1/2 hours.

After the sponge is done: add the flour gradually to the sponge mixture using a Danish dough whisk (or wooden spoon) and carefully beat in each addition of flour before adding more. You may end up beating the dough 500-800 strokes, but do as much mixing as you have the strength to do. If you need to stop and rest, that's fine. The rest will allow the dough to hydrate. Towards the end of mixing, add the salt (DON'T FORGET!!!). The gluten will tighten up and make mixing harder after adding salt. The better job you do of mixing the dough and developing the gluten while it's in the bowl, the less time you'll need to knead it. When you knead the dough, avoid adding a lot of bench flour. If you have a problem adding too much flour during kneading, grease/oil your hands during kneading instead - especially during the last 2-3 minutes of kneading.

Complete per recipe above...
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The link below has a similar recipe: (scroll down the page to locate the recipe)

Old-fashioned 100% Whole Wheat Bread
(source: "The Bread Bible" by Beth Hensperger)

-Grainlady
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thank you so much!! I'm really looking forward to this bread.
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