Hello, from the mountains of Kentucky! Today was baking day on our homestead. The day included banana bread, sour dough tortillas, and whole wheat bread. I am often asked why I bake. My answer is always the same. I love to bake, and I don’t like the ingredients in store bought bread. Have you read the bread labels? Even the bread that is supposed to be healthy has questionable ingredients. Let’s get into the whole wheat bread recipe!

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups of King Arthur organic whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons quick rise organic yeast
• 2 teaspoons pink Himalayan fine sat
• 1 1/2 cups of warm filtered water
• 2 teaspoons organic vital wheat gluten (optional)

Mix the dry ingredients in a large glass bowl. The vital wheat gluten is optional. It helps the bread to be fluffier and less dense. If you choose to use this ingredient it should be mixed with the dry ingredients. Heat the water to 78 degrees and add a little water at a time while mixing the ingredients with a danish dough whisk or a large wooden fork. Mix ingredients thoroughly. You may add a little water if the dough feels too dry. Don’t over mix the dough. When the dough is shaggy and sticky, cover the bowl of dough with glad wrap and place it in a warm place to rise for two hours.

After two hours the dough should be doubled in size. Add a cup of water to a large pan and place on the bottom oven rack. The steam from the water will help keep the bread crust tender. Place the cast iron Dutch oven with the lid on it in the oven on the middle rack. The pan of water should be below the Dutch oven. Set the oven to 450 and start the oven. Do not use the convection setting to bake the bread.

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured non-bleached parchment paper. Dust your hands and the dough with flour to make it easier to handle. Fold the dough from each side and shape the dough. Allow the dough to rise while the oven is preheating. When the oven reaches 450 score the top of the bread with a bread lame or a sharp knife. Carefully remove the Dutch oven and place the bread on top of the parchment paper inside the Dutch oven and cover with the hot lid. Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on. I usually take the lid off the Dutch oven and bake for an additional three to five minutes allowing the bread to brown, if needed.

Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Using the edges of the parchment paper lift the bread out of the Dutch oven and place it on a cooling rack. Cover the bread with a clean dish towel. Allow the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

We love this bread for sandwiches, toast, and with my lavender butter! Vegan Lavender Butter: A Sweet Herbal Treat From the Mountains… I like to use the final tip of the loaf to make seasoned croutons!

Feel free to like, follow, or subscribe to our blog. Also, head over to the Apple Podcasts and search out our podcast, Homesteading in the Mountains! I am anxious to share how to grown your own micro-greens in an upcoming post! I hope you and your family enjoy this bread as much as we do! God bless, from our homestead to yours! Happy baking!