I wouldn't reduce the yeast or you may find you don't have enough yeast activity to get good ovenspring. According to Shirley O. Corriher in her book, "CookWise", when retarding (chilling) dough overnight or longer, it influences the bread in three ways: -Enhances flavor. The cold temperature forces the yeast into dormancy so it is no longer gobbling up all the available sugars. The bacteria then can feed and produce some of their flavorful acids, which add subtle complex flavors and enhance keeping quality. Acids produced at cold temperatures 30-40-degrees F) are wonderfully flavorful, and even at cool temperatures are good. -Reduces ovenspring and loaf volume. Chilling for a period as long as overnight reduces ovenspring (oven rise) and reduces loaf volume. Alcohol that was made by the yeast from the beginning changes to a gas in the hot oven and is a contributor to ovenspring. During a lengthy cold period, alcohol simply evaporates from the surface of the dough and some goes to vinegar. ...Chilling reduces the carbon dioxide in the bubbles, which contributes to a slight change in texture and possibly slightly reduced ovenspring and loaf volume. -Opens texture slightly. Chilling dough retards the action of yeast and influences texture, though much more subtly than breadmaking method. Another point about refrigerator doughs... Enriched recipes designed for the refrigerator (such as Betty Crocker - Potato Refrigerator Dough) include mashed potatoes (or instant mashed potato flakes). WHY? Lloyd M. Maxon, author of "The Baking Book" and a microbiologist who specializes in yeast biochemistry explains... Mashed potatoes - or any pureed vegetable - is vital for refrigerator doughs because it preserves moisture in the dry climate of a fridge. A regular yeast dough would dry and become unworkable more rapidly. These refrigerator dough recipes are great when you want to make the dough ahead of time and the next day use a portion to make hot dog or hamburger buns, cinnamon rolls another day, and dinner rolls yet another. -Grainlady

I really DO think it's the large amount of whey in this recipe that causes the low volume and coarse crumb structure. The reason I suggested scalding the whey (just as some recipes call for scalded milk - both milk and whey have the same isolated protein that causes this bread problem) is that heating it deactivates the isolated protein in the whey (or milk) that causes the volume and structure problems. This is especially important when using the large amount of whey used in the recipe. If you were to only use 1/2 c. of whey per loaf (use water for the remaining liquid), it probably wouldn't be a big (or as big) a factor, but I would still scald it first. If you want to change one thing as a test the next time you make this recipe, scald the whey FIRST (and allow to cool before adding it to the recipe). How to scald the whey: Heat in a saucepan to just under boiling temperature (180-190-degrees F). You will see small bubbles on the edge of the pan. Cool to lukewarm temperature. If you don't have higher-protein flour available, then you will have to work with what you have available and should be fine. Just don't expect high-rising loaves of bread. A sponge will help improve the texture and flavor. That rest also allows the gluten in the flour to develop by soaking up the liquid, rather than developing the gluten by manipulation which happens during proper mixing and kneading. A minimum of 30-minutes will work, but the ideal resting time for a sponge, according to "experts", is 2-1/2-hours. I would you make the sponge with the whole wheat flour in the recipe since it will help soften the bran and hydrate the gluten. Those sharp shreds of bran in the flour can actually cut the gluten strands during kneading. I used a sponge method with my 100% whole wheat bread recipe and would allow it to sit 12-hours (or overnight). If I was in a hurry I would only sponge it for 2-1/2-hours. As to "why most bread recipes using whey do not recommend a second rise", I have never heard that was the case using whey, but there is always something new to learn on the subject of bread making. BUT, about second rises - back when our flour was bromated (a chemical conditioner) bread dough had more extensibility and would be able to perform well with the additional bulk rise, then the final rise after the dough was formed. Today, I would be more concerned whether the yeast would be able to stay active with an additional bulk rise, and I would make sure to use a dough rising bucket (or a straight-sided plastic container with a lid) so you could actually see how much your dough had risen in order to avoid over-proofing. When you press dough into a dough rising bucket and it comes up to the 1-quart line, it has doubled when it reaches the 2-quart line - how simple is that.... You can use an unmarked container (as long as it has enough volume and straight sides) and measure the dough with a ruler, double that amount and mark it on the side of the container to show when it has doubled. Don't let the dough rise OVER double or you will be over-proofing it, and just UNDER double is better - especially if you use two bulk rises. If you use a slant-sided bowl for proofing dough it will never be accurate because the top is wider than the bottom. If you use the poke it with the finger method to test it, that is ALSO completely unreliable. The lack of bromated flour is also the reason allowing dough to rise to "double" in bulk is actually allowing it to rise just a little too much. Just under "double" is actually a better choice, especially when using whole wheat flour and a gluten-free flour with all-purpose flour. Those three types of flour just don't have the extensibility needed. Hope that helps a bit..... -Grainlady

rorymory- Choose a recipe that includes a pre-ferment (aka sponge, soak), and be sure to add an acidic ingredient - I use ascorbic acid, but Fruit Fresh will also work since it is a mixture of ascorbic acid and citric acid. You may find some recipes that have lemon juice or vinegar as the acid ingredient. Use the bread machine for mixing/kneading ONLY. Remove dough from the machine as soon as it has completed the kneading cycle. You won't use the timed rise cycle at all. Place the dough in a dough-rising bucket (I use a 2-quart plastic food storage container with a tight-fitting lid I purchased from a restaurant supply store, it has graduated measurements on the side). Pat the dough into the container and fasten on the lid. Note where the dough amount is. Double that amount and that is how high you allow the dough to rise. If it is at the 1-quart line, it will have "doubled" when it reaches the 2-quart line. It's actually best to only allow it to rise to just UNDER "double". Whole wheat flour doesn't have the extensibility that white flour does. MILDRED BREAD (adapted from a recipe from Pleasant Hill Grain by my friend, Mildred) (makes over 2-pounds of dough) This recipe is for 100% whole wheat bread, and is an enriched dough baked in a loaf pan in the oven, NOT the bread machine. When done correctly, using quality wheat for the flour milled into a very fine flour using an impact mill (Wonder Mill or Nutri-Mill), the loaves are as high-rising and light as most white bread recipes. If you use Hard Spring White Wheat, the color is very light and the flavor is very mild, as well. Sponge: In the pan add these ingredients - 3/4 c. warmed buttermilk 3/4 c. barely warm water 2-1/2 c. freshly milled hard whole wheat flour 1/4 t. ascorbic acid (you can use Fruit Fresh if you don't have ascorbic acid) 2 t. instant yeast (such as SAF Instant) Set the Zo on the shortest dough setting and only mix/knead these ingredients until they are well incorporated. Using the buttons on the top of the machine, stop the machine, and then unplug it. [You can also do this in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk and add it to the Zo pan.] Allow the mixture in the bread pan to sit in the bread machine with the lid shut for no less than 2-1/2 hours, or overnight (up to 12-hours). The next morning (or after 2-1/2 hours) add to the top of the sponge and stir in lightly with a rubber/silicon spatula by hand: 2 T. coconut oil (or oil of choice, but coconut oil will keep the bread fresher longer) 2 T. honey (or agave nectar, which also aids in keeping fresher longer) 1 egg (room temperature - warm in a bowl of warm water, if necessary) Add to the top of this mixture: 2-1/2 c. freshly-milled whole wheat flour 2 t. salt Set machine to the shortest dough cycle. When it has finished kneading, stop the machine and remove the dough from the pan and place it in a dough rising bucket and finish the dough, as usual, without the bread machine. There is enough dough for more than one loaf and if I only make one loaf, I use the remainder of the dough to make something else like 6 jumbo sticky pecan cinnamon rolls, an 8" pan of dinner rolls, 6 hamburger buns or 6 hot dog buns. * 1-pound of dough will make a medium loaf of bread in a 7-1/2x3-1/2" pan * 1-1/2-pounds of dough will make a regular loaf in an 8-1/2x4-1/2" pan * 2-pounds of dough for a 9x5" quick bread loaf pan Bake the bread in a 350° preheated oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 195°-210°F when tested with an Instant Read Thermometer. Yeast rolls - 190°F-195°F. -Grainlady

WAY-TO-GO!!!!! Where there's a will, there's a way.... ;-) That's a wonderful price for wheat!!! This is similar to recipes where you sprout the grain then grind it (see link below for information) for unleavened and leavened breads. You'll get more nutrition from sprouted grain, but there are advantages when you soak the grain, as well. Your method couples this ancient method with the bread-making method from the book, "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" by Jeff Hergzberg and Zoe Francois. BRILLIANT! Many traditional people (pre-industriliazed people) soaked or fermented their grains before making them into porridge, breads, cakes and casseroles. Ask someone who is "of-an-age" if they remember when the instructions on the oatmeal box called for an overnight soaking. All grains contain phytic acid in the outer layer (the bran). Soaking allows the enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid. When you soak cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight, it will improve their nutritional benefits. Instead of the "glug of vinegar", I'd probably use some whey from my homemade kefir as the acid. I already use grains that are chemcial-free. Using an overnight sponge method for 100% whole wheat bread will make the loaf much lighter. Soaked flour is also a method used with wholegrain flour that makes it much lighter. Soaked grains are also easier to digest - for you folks who have digestive problems with whole grains (NOT related to gluten intolerance). If you use steel-cut oats, try this soaking method. Oats happen to have a high amount of phytic acid in them, so this is a very beneficial method for preparing them. I mill my own oat flakes in a flaker mill, or coarsely milled oats (similar to steel-cut). This makes it cook much faster. Bring 4 c. water to a boil (in a pan that has a lid). Turn off heat and add one cup steel-cut oats. Add 1-2 T. whey, buttermilk, yogurt, or kefir (cultured dairy products) or even a little vinegar or lemon juice (all are acidic ingredients). Cover pot and leave overnight at room temperature. The next morning cook the oatmeal on low for 9-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Sprouted Wheat Bread Recipe