Easy No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread

My dad was a newspaper man. Journalist, editor and curmudgeon-at-large he was a man dedicated to the written word. Being a newspaperman he often kept odd schedules and had odd days off. The life of a newspaperman is not a Monday through Friday 9 to 5 kind of job. More often than not he left for work during the day while we were in school and didn't return home until after midnight. Some weeks he had Thursdays and Sundays off. Other weeks he had the occasional Friday off. On those weeks we were treated to some of Dad's cooking.

Dad was a decent cook. I recall fondly the teriyaki chicken he used to make back in the early 60's when ethnic cooking at home was virtually unheard of. Regretfully I never was able to get that recipe and so it is lost to family memory as far as I know. He also was quite the bread baker. I can recall Friday nights when he would bake up a loaf or two and we would have a nice thick slice generously buttered late Friday while waiting for Shock Theater to come on. Being the youngest of the five of us kids I was, quite frankly, far too chicken to watch the scary movies that were shown. However, I was also far more afraid of going to bed upstairs all by my lonesome. So, I would put on a brave front and watch the very beginning of the movie and then, belly full of warm, buttered home-baked bread, would fall sound asleep before the scary creatures made their presence known on our old black-and-white Zenith.

Bread making became a family tradition. Not only did Dad and Mom bake bread, but once we kids were old enough we learned to bake as well. During the 70's we transitioned from plain white bread to whole wheat bread. I confess I am a little heavy handed when it comes to bread baking. I have a tendency to use too much flour and end up with loaves just shy of door-stop consistency. Fortunately I had a friend who shared this no-knead recipe with me and it comes out light and airy. No doubt because ham-fisted bakers like me can't ruin it with over-handling and an excess of flour.


Easy No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread

Makes 1 - 2 loaves depending on the size of your pan.
Preheat oven to 375 (350 for glass pans).
Using solid shortening, generously grease one 9 X 5 or 2-8X4 in loaf pans.

Ingredients
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 1/2 - 3 c unbleached or all purpose flour
1/4 c sugar (may sub 1/4 c honey)
1 TB salt
2 pkg active dry yeast
1 c water
1 c milk
1/4 c cooking oil
1 egg

Instructions:
Combine in a large mixer bowl:

1 1/2 c whole wheat flour

2 Pkg active dry yeast

1 TB salt

If you're using sugar instead of honey, include the sugar with the other dry ingredients.
Combine liquids in a saucepan on the stove. Make sure to use a thermometer and heat the liquids slowly. You don't want the liquids warmer than about 130 degrees. If you do get the mixture hotter than that make sure to cool it down to 130 before you add it to the dry mixture. Excess heat can kill the yeast and then you really will end up with a doorstop.

Saucepan with 1 c water in it. Add 1 c milk

Add the 1/4 c oil and the honey

 

Heat to no more than 130 degrees

Pour the warm liquid into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Add the egg to the mixture and make certain it's well incorporated.

WW flour and liquid mixture

 At this point you want to use your bread hook. If you don't have a bread hook for your mixer then do the next step by hand.

+2 1/2 c flour. Ready to rise

Add 2 1/2 to 3 c unbleached or all purpose flour to form a stiff batter. (Batter will follow spoon).

Batter covered with moist towel

Cover batter with a moistened towel. Let it rise in a warm place (about 80 - 85 degrees F) until it's light and doubled. Takes about 50 minutes.








While waiting for the batter to rise prepare your pans. Use a pastry brush to add a layer of margarine/butter so the bread will not stick to the pan.

 

Stirred down and ready to split between pans.

 Stir down batter; spoon into greased pan. This batter doesn't rise a second time before baking.

In the pan ready to go into oven

Immediately place in oven. Bake 9 X 5 pan at 375 for 45 to 50 minutes and the 8 X 4 pans for 30 - 35 minutes. Loaf should sound hollow when lightly tapped.  Remove from pans immediately to prevent it from over-cooking. Cool on a rack. Brush top of loaf with melted butter if desired.

Ta-da...the finished product.