The Easiest Whole Wheat Bread Ever
Posted on April 18, 2008
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) lukewarm water
¼ cup (2 ounces) orange juice
3 tablespoons (2 ¼ ounces) molasses
3 cups (12 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour
¼ cup (1 ounce) nonfat dry milk
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
Cooking Instructions:
1. Thoroughly grease an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch pan. It's important to grease the pan well, as this bread tends to stick if you don't.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Beat the mixture vigorously for about 3 minutes; an electric mixer on medium-high speed works well here. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap or a proof cover, and let the dough rise for 1 hour; it won't fill the pan. It also won't dome as it rises, but will remain flat across the top. While the batter is rising, preheat the oven to 350° F.
4. Uncover and bake the bread for about 45 minutes, tenting it with foil after 20 minutes. The bread is done when it's golden brown on top and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 190° F.
5. Remove it from the oven, and after 5 minutes use a table knife to loosen the edges, then turn it out onto a rack. Brush with melted butter, if desired; this will keep the crust soft. Cool the bread for 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes:
Yield: one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf, 16 servings