Whole Wheat Bread

Baking bread might seem intimidating, but it’s not that much harder than dumping everything in a bowl and stirring! It’s a great project to do when you’re stuck in your house, especially if you can’t find bread in the grocery store. Because this version is mostly whole-wheat, it’s also very nutritious without compromising flavor or texture!

So how does bread work? What’s yeast and why does it make bread rise? Why do we have to leave the dough to rest overnight?

Yeast is a single-celled microorganism that feeds on sugars and breaks them down into carbon dioxide (the gas that we exhale) and ethanol (a type of alcohol), and other molecules in a process called fermentation. When we leave the dough to rise at room temperature, fermentation occurs and carbon dioxide produced by the yeast causes the dough to increase in volume!

As the bread rests in the refrigerator, enzymes (molecules that speed up chemical reactions) break down gluten proteins. Then, the carbon dioxide molecules move all around the dough and rearrange these broken down gluten proteins into highly structured networks. These gluten networks are what makes the bread chewy, and they’re also important to keep the gas inside the dough.

Last but not least: the baking. When the bread bakes, the ethanol evaporates and turns into gas bubbles that help the bread rise even more. Also, when the carbon dioxide trapped in the dough warms, the gas molecules expand (since the heat energy is converted to kinetic energy and the gas molecules move faster).

Recipe

Adapted from: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/no-knead-rustic-whole-wheat-bread-recipe

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Total Time: 40 min active time, 10 hours total

Yield: 3 loaves of bread

Materials

• Large bowl

• Wooden spoon

• Measuring cups

• Parchment paper

• Large pot, Dutch oven, or pizza stone (optional)

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

• 2 cups bread OR all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 3 1/2 cups lukewarm water

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a very large bowl.

2. Let the dough rise for 2 hours at room temperature. It should double in size.

3. Once the dough has risen, squish it down with your hands to get the air out.

4. Cover the bowl so it’s airtight and put the dough in the fridge overnight. This allows a protein called gluten to develop, which will make your bread nice and chewy..

5. When you’re ready to bake, remove a softball-sized piece of dough and roll it into a ball.

6. Get a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle it with a little extra flour. Place your dough ball on the paper, then let it rise at room temperature for another 2 hours.

7. Using a knife, make one slash on the top of the bread. This allows the bread to expand and cook evenly in the oven.

8. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. If you have a large, oven-safe pot (MUST be all metal, no plastic pieces!) or a Dutch oven, place that in the oven to preheat, too.

9. Once your oven is hot, if you’re using it, CAREFULLY remove your pot or Dutch oven from the oven using oven mitts. It will be very hot! Then, using the parchment paper, place your dough ball into the pot, cover with the lid, and return to the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Remove the lid so the bread can brown, then bake for 10 more minutes.

10. If you’re not using the pot, then put your bread on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes until very golden brown.

11. Remove the bread from the oven carefully and wait for the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes! Then, cut into it safely and enjoy!