Semi-Whole Wheat Loaf Bread

Hooray! We found a loaf bread recipe that we really like. The last one we tried used almost all whole wheat, plus we overbaked it, so it ended up too dry and crumbly. This one was nice and moist, soft, still crumbly and rustic but also more chewy and elastic like the professional kind. We made the crust soft by wrapping it after baking, but it would be good with a hard crust as well.

This bread is also amazing because it restored my love of Nutella. For some reason this summer I couldn't enjoy it - I tried making desserts with it and eating it on flimsy grocery store bread, and it just tasted too sweet and unappealing. When I had some on this bread, however, it reminded me of the thick German-style rolls I must have had Nutella on at some point, and it was awesome.


Semi-Whole Wheat Loaf Bread
Adapted from allrecipes.com

3 cups warm water
2 (.25 oz) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup honey
5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Mix in the 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and salt. Mix in 2 cups of the whole wheat flour (I suggest with your hands - a spoon with not cut it at this point). Flour a flat surface and start adding more whole wheat flour while kneading. You should knead about 10 minutes, until the dough is very elastic and not sticking to your surface, but still wet enough to stick to your hands a little. This will probably take about 2 additional cups of the flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel and let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 loaves. Place in 2 greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Cool ON A COOLING RACK (if you put it directly down on a surface, the bottom will absorb the moisture from the bread and mold quickly). If you want a soft crust, cover the bread with a towel after it has cooled for about 10 minutes and until it is fully cool.