Cooking for a Crowd

How To Make Your Own Bakery-Quality Organic, Whole-Grain Bread

Have you ever wondered why the organic, whole-grain bread from organic bakeries is so soft and delicious, but the whole-grain bread you make at home is so tough and tasteless? It all comes down to the right ingredients and the proper process. To make good organic, whole-grain bread, you need a few special ingredients, like vital wheat gluten and whey protein. You must also let the dough rise a lot longer for the gluten to develop. 

There are many variations of organic, whole-grain bread that will turn out great, but here's one recipe to get you started.

Ingredients:

To get started, dissolve the yeast in the warm water, and add the agave nectar. Stir gently; a foam should slowly appear on the top of the mixture. Let this mixture rest for 5 minutes, and then add the bread flour, olive oil, whey protein, wheat gluten, and salt. Stir to form a soft dough, and then beat for 30 seconds. Add the oat flour, and continue stirring until this flour is incorporated. 

Pour the whole wheat flour out into a smooth surface, and place the dough in the middle of it. Slowly knead the dough, incorporating the wheat flour as you go. Continue kneading until all of the flour has been incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place your dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl, and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm place for about 4 hours; then press down on the dough to remove excess air. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf. Place each of the loaves in a plain, ungreased loaf pan. Cover the loaf pans with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise again for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Once it reaches temperature, turn the thermostat down to 375 degrees F, and place the bread inside. Bake for 55 - 60 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 190 degrees F. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then remove from the pans to continue cooling.

For more information on where to find organic bread in your area, you can contact companies like Klosterman Baking Company.