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Easy Whole Wheat Bread Recipe by Hand

This easy whole wheat bread recipe is perfect for kneading your bread dough by hand, as it makes just two loaves.
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: whole wheat bread
Servings: 2 loaves
Author: Joy Kincaid

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1/3 cup oil I use coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons dough enhancer optional
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons instant yeast I use SAF
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 4-6 cups whole wheat flour

Instructions

  • Combine the water, oil, honey, dough enhancer, and about 2 cups of the flour in a large mixing bowl. Stir or mix with an electric mixer.
  • Sprinkle the yeast on top, and stir/mix again.
  • Allow to sponge for 15 minutes.
  • Add the salt and 4-6 cups of flour until the dough begins to clean the sides of the mixing bowl. This is the tricky part, knowing when to add enough flour and not too much. You don't want your dough to be too dry, so be careful not to add too much.
  • Grease your hands with oil and knead the dough by hand for about 8-10 minutes on a well-greased surface. With this dough, you don't want to add in unnecessary additional flour while you're kneading. If the dough is sticky, add more oil to your kneading surface and your hands to keep it from sticking. It's okay to add a small amount of flour if the dough is too wet, just don't add too much.
  • Form the dough into 2 loaves and put into well-greased bread pans.
  • Allow the bread to rise in a warm oven or another warm place until doubled in size (25-60 minutes, depending on conditions in your kitchen). I usually turn my oven on about 250 degrees for a few minutes as I’m starting to make bread, then I turn it off. That way, the oven is warm but not too hot. If the kitchen is really warm, or I’m doing other baking (so the top of the stove is warm), I’ll just let the bread rise there, on top of the stove or nearby.
  • Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
  • After removing the loaves from the oven, I sometimes brush the tops with butter, which gives them a nicer appearance.
  • Let cool completely before slicing.