There’s nothing to compare to the delicious aroma of home baked bread and buns.
Yield: 2 loaves bread or shape dough into 1 loaf bread and buns
Ingredients
Step One – the yeast
- ¼ cup warm water (about 43°C/110°F)
- 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions to proof the yeast
- Add to a large measuring cup, or to a small bowl, the sugar and water. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add yeast, give it a gentle stir and set aside for 10 minutes for the yeast to proof.
Step two – the dough
- 1¾ cup warm water
- 1¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1½ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbsp Vital wheat gluten
- 3 – 4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
Instructions for the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, add the water and salt. Stir to dissolve the salt.
- Whisk the Vital wheat gluten with the whole wheat flour then add it to the mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- After the yeast is activated, add it to the mixing bowl. Stir well to incorporate.
- Add two cups of flour and mix well to combine. It will become a very thick batter.
- Add another cup of flour. With the batter very thick you will need to start using your hands and start working the flour into the dough.
- As needed, gradually add more flour until the mass of dough can be kneaded. Empty the contents of the bowl onto a lightly floured counter and start kneading. As the dough becomes sticky add a sprinkle of flour. Knead for 9-10 minutes. (To get the dough off your hands, sprinkle a bit of flour on your hands and rub them together and the dough will peel off.)
- Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, turning once to lightly oil the top. Cover and let the dough rise until double in bulk. Putting the bowl with dough in an oven with the light on, will create a nice warm environment, where bread rising does well. Allow dough to rise for 40-60 minutes.
- Portion the dough for buns, or two loaves of bread or do a combination of both. While shaping the dough punch and squeeze out the air bubbles. Again, cover and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled.
- When ready, bake in a preheated oven of 350°F. Loaves for 40-45 minutes. Buns for 30-35 minutes.
- Once baked, immediately remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.