The smell of homemade bread is intoxicating for me! A fresh slice from the oven with a little butter on the top is like a taste of heaven! Especially when this bread comes from your very own oven and is made from quality ingredients, no additives, and soaked for the highest nutritional benefit! Who can ask for better? The question is not whether it will save you money to make your own bread (which I am sure it will all the same), but rather you will know exactly what is being put into your bread! It is all about quality and freshness! Making homemade bread was one of my jobs growing up where it was rather of a burden than a joy to complete, but now that I am married and raising a family, I have come to realize the real value of developing this art!
Read a few benefits here.
Helpful Hints on Successful Bread Making
- When possible, use fresh home-milled flour. This will have the highest nutritional content, and the best baking characteristics for higher rising loaves. If this is not possible, store good quality flour in your freezer, but bring it to room temperature before using for the best results.
- Use high quality yeast such as SAF Instant Dry Yeast. This is available in quantity at Costco for a good price. Store in the freezer. It will last 2 years or more. If your yeast does not proof, then it is too old!
- Remember to proof your yeast! Add your yeast to warm water (between 100-115 degrees) with 1 tsp of honey. This will prepare it for action!
- Remember that less flour is best! You should only add just enough flour until the beaters in your mixing bowl are scraping the sides of the bowl clean. If you add too much flour, your bread will be crumbly. Dough should still be slightly sticky before kneading.
- Develop the gluten thoroughly. When dough is properly kneaded it will be smooth and elastic. A quick test for sufficient kneading is to take a golfball-sized portion of dough; stretch it between the thumb and index finger of both hands to determine if the gluten is fully developed. The dough should stretch out thin and not tear readily.
- Make sure to give your dough two risings! The additional rising will develop flavor, gluten framework and make more fluffy loaves. It is optional, if you are in a hurry.
- Only let rise till doubled before baking! This is the mistake I make too often. 30 minutes is a good length of time. If they rise too long the structure of the loaf will become weak and it will sink or fall completely during baking.
Homemade Whole Grain Soaked Bread
Learn more about the benefits of soaking here.
11 cups of ground whole wheat flour (you can replace 1 or 2 cups with unbleached white flour for a lighter end result)
1 cup acid medium (kefir, cultured buttermilk, or whey; for dairy intolerant you can substitute with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and 3/4 cup water)
3 cups of warm filtered water
2 cups oats
1 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil, or butter melted
1/4 cup raw millet, optional
1/4 cup flax seed, optional
1/2 cup water
1 tsp honey
2 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
2-4 Tbsp dough enhancer (I highly recommend this dough enhancer, as it works very well, but you can also replace with any combination of the following: 3 table spoons vital wheat gluten, 1/2 tea spoon soy lecithin, a pinch of citric acid (use sparingly!), and a sprinkling of ginger)
1 cup unbleached white flour or sprouted flour, if necessary
Sunflower seeds, if desired
Directions:
- Combine the flour, acid medium, oats, honey, melted oil, millet and flax seeds, and 3 cups of filtered water. Cover and soak at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
- After soaking, in a separate small bowl, combine yeast, 1 tsp of honey, and 1/2 cup warm filtered water. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, until fully proofed.
- Combine the yeast mixture, soaked flour mixture, and all the rest of the ingredients in your mixer. You may need to add an additional 1-2 cups of flour. Dough should clean the sides of the mixer.
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes until the gluten is fully developed.
- Remove to a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let sit until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Punch down, turn dough over, and allow to rise until doubled again, about 45 minutes. (OPTIONAL, but preferred for best results)
- Punch down dough and divide into 4 loaves. Roll out with a rolling pin into a rectangle and roll up into a loaf (this makes the perfectly shaped loaves).
- Place in greased bread bans and rise again until doubled, about 30-45 minutes minutes (the best place is the oven! Just turn it on low 150-170 degrees till heated and then turn it off, prior to putting the loaves in).
- Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 30-45 minutes. Bread is done when it is fully browned on all sides! Remove from oven, rest in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Yield: 4 loaves.
If you do not desire to soak your flour, follow these instructions:
You have the option of replacing the 1 cup acid medium with water in the recipe above, so you have a total of 4 1/2 cups of water, or you can use the acid medium and just skip the soaking and proceed as described here.
- Combine yeast, 1 tsp of honey, and 1/2 cup of the total water required. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, until fully proofed.
- Combine the yeast mixture, remaining 4 cups of water (or 1 cup acid medium & 3 cups water), and all the rest of the ingredients in your mixer. Only add as much flour until it cleans the sides of the bowl.
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes until the gluten is fully developed.
- Remove to a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let sit until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Punch down and divide into 4 loaves. Roll out with a rolling pin into a rectangle and roll up into a loaf (this makes the perfectly shaped loaves).
- Place in greased bread bans and rise again until doubled, about 30-45 minutes minutes (the best place is the oven! Just turn it on low 150-170 degrees till heated and then turn it off, prior to putting the loaves in).
- Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 30-45 minutes. Bread is done when it is fully browned on all sides! Remove from oven, rest in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Further Resources
A few excellent articles and tips on making your own homemade bread! Urban Homemaker has an abundance of resources on this topic!
Oh my this looks so nice and soft and yummy. Okay, my questions: 1. I wanted to make a loaf using 3 cups flour, would I just divide all ingredients including the yeast or would that be the same? 2. Normally, how much more flour do you use after the soaking to get it “not so sticky”? 3. Do you think I can use 8 inch x 4.5 inch loaf pan 1.5 lb loaf (using 3 cups flour?) I guess this is considered a medium loaf. 4. Regarding the dough enhancer, do you think I can get good results WITHOUT the extra addition of gluten instead only adding the other enhancers? I realize it wont rise high enough, which I think why a medium loaf pan would work well. Thanks so much for your time and posting this recipe of yours. Hoping to try it soon!
Thanks for this recipe! I made it yesterday, and we love the flavor. I’ve been adapting the King Arthur Flour basic no-knead wheat bread for soaking, but I wanted something more like store bread — sweeter and lighter. This is it! The power went out while the oven was preheating, so the loaves sat there already risen for 2 hours before baking. They did fall a bit, but are still a great texture and flavor. This is my new go-to recipe!
I soaked 1 cup of wholewheat flour in 100ml of warm water, added with 1/2tsp of apple cider vinegar. After 12h, I noticed the top layer of the dough turn greyish/blackish ( just the top while the rest remained brown), wonder why and is this normal? The average room temperature was 86F . Look forward to having your reply. Thanks!
The grey/black part would be mold and is definitely not normal. That means that something was “dirty” in your ingredients or environment (unfiltered water, contaminated vinegar, etc) and created an environment for mold growth. Room air that warm (86 degrees) would speed up the growth of bacteria or mold. If your dough was uncovered during that time, something airborne could have contaminated it as well.
Hi, I am new to soaking and I have been reading up on it. I love your site a lot, I just cant seem to find out if you use hard or soft wheat? I dont have a grinder yet and have to rely on store bought, but I have packages of both kinds. Thanks!
Hard wheat for bread, preferably hard white wheat (as opposed to hard red wheat, which is grittier and heavier). Soft wheat is for pastries and pie crusts, that kind of thing. It will not develop enough gluten to yield a strong bread loaf, but would simpy “deflate” and fall apart when you tried to cut into it.
Hard wheat is for bread. Soft wheat is for pastries. It does not work well for bread.
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First, I love this bread it is so good. Second, are you able to do the kneading with the kitchennaid mixer or do you have to do it by hand? Right now I have a smaller mixer and the dough doesn’t fit in it so I have to do a lot of it by hand which is pretty time consuming. I have 3 young boys and would like to find a mixer that could handle to all of it. Thanks!
Hi Lindsay! Thank you for your helpful blog. May I ask you–how much wheat do you grind at a time–do you just make enough flour for each time you’re baking, or do you make more flour in advance….and if so, how do you store the flour? In the freezer?
Thanks for your time!
No, I only grind as much flour as I need on a per recipe basis, otherwise it goes rancid very fast.
Hey Lindsay,
I always have left over ground flour (I can never get it just right). I put it in a gallon size ziplock and store in fridgerator. Then, when I need it for other things like breading meats, or thickening soups, I have flour already available and nothing goes to waste. It will last like that for a long time. My favorite grain combo for bread is Spelt, Kamut and Wheat. It is very tasty!
Do you think I could use a cup of plain yogurt for the acid medium? I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Sure thing!
Hi Lindsay,
I really enjoy your blog! I’ve been trying to incorporate more of the traditional/nourishing cooking philosophy over the last couple of years. I’m finally making bread (which is turning out really nice)! I’ve actually been soaking and drying my grains ahead of time, then milling them. This way, I don’t need to soak the flour. Have you ever done it this way? Am I missing some benefit by not actually soaking the flour? I do soak the whole grains with an acid (raw apple cider vinegar). I’ve used soaked flour in other recipes, but for me, it’s harder to with. Also, I haven’t liked the result as much…except for the blender waffles/pancakes.
I was just curious about your thoughts on this. Thanks!
This is hands-down the BEST whole wheat bread recipe I’ve ever tried–thank you so much for sharing!! Definitely my new go-to bread. Honestly, I don’t have enough superlatives to express how happy I am to find a whole wheat recipe that turned out this beautifully soft, moist, and chewy. I also put a picture and a link back to your post on my blog, so hopefully a few more folks will come and try it out too! Blessings~Jill, domesticreformation.blogspot.com
Lindsay have you calculated the cost of making your bread vs buying it? we go through a lot of bread and I am wondering if I would save much baking my own vs buying organic bread from trader joes. I love your site, thank-you!!
Several people have asked for the link to the bread machine version of this recipe, because the link was broken. You have answered other questions, so could you please answer this one? I really would love to try this with a bread machine! Thanks!
I’m sorry…but it’s not so easy to find a updated link when someone changes their website. I cannot seem to find it now. You might try this recipe of soaked bread for the bread machine.
Maybe it is just tonight but this link is not working….
“Want to make this bread in your bread machine? Check out Inspired Homemaking’s adapted version of my recipe for use in a bread machine.”
This bread is delicious and simple to make. Thanks for sharing!
Help!! I’ve made your recipe twice now and it hasn’t risen. I simply don’t know why. I’ve made bread before – I am accustomed to proofing the yeast, etc. I used sprouted flour for the whole thing which is new for me – is this why it won’t rise? I accidentally used twice the app cider vinegar (I halfed the recipe – that’s the only thing I can see that I did wrong)…..could this be why? The dough is so great looking – it looks perfect for the rising – but it won’t! (I proofed the yeast for 10 minutes and added dough enhancer – still no rising!). Help!
I’m sorry but I really don’t know what to say. If you are using sprouted flour then you really dont have to soak at all, but it wouldn’t affect the rising ability. Is your yeast old? Did it really foam up and bubble when you were activating it? That is really the only thing I can think of that would cause this problem.
I’m confused a bit. With beans, you soak to reduce the bad toxins, but you pour out the soaking water which has the toxins. Then, you add fresh water before cooking. The toxins are not cooked into the beans.
With soaking grains like with this recipe, it’s like all that happens is the saoked water and toxins get reabsorb and cooked into the bread?
Is this right?
I believe the soaking is to break down phyates (enzyme inhibitors); which inhibit digestablity.
Very excited to be making this. I love your blog….even though not a blogger myself. Have you ever not used Vital wheat gluten. I usually make gluten free breads and so I am using Bob mills all purpose gluten free flour and mostly spelt. I love baking with spelt. I know there is a little gluten in that and I am also adding a couple tsps of xanthum gum. I hope it turns out ok. otherwise this will be a huge waste of ingredients. Any suggestions of other substitutions for the additional gluten. Thanks
Is that two cups whole rolled oats or ground oat groats? Thank you in advance
whole rolled oats
Hi Lindsay,
I just tried your recipe. I used goat milk kefir and the bread was a little more sour than I like. Do you think it was because of the type kefir I used. Also, I did soak closer to 24 hours. Anyway the bread was very moist, just a little too sour. I didn’t know if that was the way it was supposed to be. Thanks for your recipes!!
Lindsey, do you use your Bosch anymore now that you have the kitchen aid? Which one would you recommend now that you’ve tried both? Also, are soft winter white wheat berries ok to use for this recipe? Love your blog!!!!!
So I was excited to try this recipe as I’ve never soaked my whole grain flour before. I cut the recipe in half but found that there was barely enough liquid even with the acid medium to “soak” the flour. I waa stuck with a dry and slightly damp mixture. I even double and triple checked all measurements to make sure it wasn’t something I overlooked. Any suggestions??
At the bottom of the post you have a link for a bread machine adaptation from Inspired Homemaker’s but the it does not work. Do you recommend any other sites that use a bread machine? Thanks!
I can’t recommend a site, but I can tell you what worked for me. Make only 1/4 the recipe. So when you soak your grains soak 1/4 the amount of flour, oats etc. in 1/4 the amount of liquids. I mix up all the ingredients first then put it into the breadmaker. (I find that the breadmaker has a hard time getting it all mixed in on its own.) You could add some white/sprouted flour in the breadmaker with the premixed dough if the dough seems sticky. Then I just start the breadmaker on the whole grain setting, regular crust. Good luck!
Thanks so much Sara! I will definitely give that a try
Hi Lindsay,
I have really enjoyed your website. I have two questions for you when it comes to making this bread:
1. How big of a bowl do you mix this in? My largest bowl will not hold the ~20 cups of ingredients for soaking, not to mention the size of the dough as it has risen each time–and it’s a pretty big bowl. I halved the recipe and it barely fit in the bowl once doubled in size.
2. What type of mixer do you use? I have an old (very old) kitchenaid and it would not work this dough at all. The dough just stuck to the mixing blades and went ’round and ’round. So I kneaded it by hand. Also, I’m not so sure all of the ingredients would have fit into the bowl on the mixer either. It was my great aunt’s mixer, and I don’t have all the parts/manuals (just the mixing blades, bowl and mixer). As I said, it is very old.
I have my loaves in the oven now and they smell wonderful! Can’t wait to taste them!
Thanks a bunch!
I used a Bosch mixer for this recipe as you can make up to 6 loaves of bread at once. I recently switched to a professional kitchenaid mixer and that would be another excellent option. You can definitely make it work without these tools, but if you are going to be making bread extensively it is certainly worth the investment.
I am considering getting a mixer soon and thought Bosch was the best – I value your advice and opinion from this blog and would love to hear why you switched and how it’s working out!
First, I love this bread it is so good. Second, are you able to do the kneading with the kitchennaid mixer or do you have to do it by hand? Right now I have a smaller mixer and the dough doesn’t fit in it so I have to do a lot of it by hand which is pretty time consuming. I have 3 young boys and would like to find a mixer that could handle to all of it. Thanks!
Hi–
Love your site! I have a quick question about your whole grain bread recipe. I don’t bake with honey, but do you know if one could substitute Rapadura for the honey? If so, would you say to add an equal amount of Rapadura? Thanks!
I think your best bet would be agave nectar or maple syrup in replacement for the honey…otherwise if you used a dry sweetener you would get a dry texture.
I have been trying MANY whole wheat bread recipes for awhile now, and they always taste too dry or too heavy. I tried this recipe last night and had my first slice today….WOW! This bread is so good. Perfect sandwich bread! My husband agreed that it was the best bread I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for another delicious recipe!!
I just tried your soaked wheat bread recipe. The mixture that I let sit overnight was very dry and when I added the yeast mixture it was so crumbly and hard I couldn’t work it at all. I had to add 1/2C of milk just to make it soft enough to knead. The only thing I did differently was to cut the recipe in half.
What went wrong? I have not baked it yet..first rise.
Blessings in Messiah.
Teresa
Did you cover it during the soaking process? Did you add just enough flour till it was moist but not too dry? It takes a little experimenting…but you don’t want to add too much flour initially. It needs to still be moist and sticky to the touch. It sounds like you added to much in proportion to the liquids. You can also had more water as necessary to keep it moist.
Four loaves seems like an awful lot of bread; does this bread freeze well? If so, should I par-bake it? Also, how should I thaw?
Thanks!
Yes, it freezes very well. I slice it up after it is cooled and then place in ziploc bags. This makes it easy just to pull out a slice or two as needed.
I read somewhere that honey has antibacterial properties and may not be good for ‘sour dough’ type recipes… can you expand on this?? Maybe my source was unreliable??
I don’t have experience with this. This is really not a sourdough type recipe though.
i LOVE this recipe! i am a rookie to bread baking and find your recipe to be fail-proof! lol!
i am wondering what things i would need to tweek if i use spelt flour? more yeast? more acid medium?
thank you so much for this bread recipe! it has been the answer to our bread needs! and finally a healthy bread that my family loves!
My bread was really crumbly? What makes bread crumbly and how can I change this?
Overcooking? Make sure to cool completely as well. It usually crumbles more when it is hot.
hi, i’m a little confused on what you mean by the combination of dough enhancers, could you clarify what i should use as a substitute for the enhancer you use? thank you, with much appreciation! Cyndy
Vital wheat gluten alone can be used as a substitute or the following recipe: 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten, 1/2 teaspoon soy lecithin, a pinch of citric acid (use sparingly!), and a sprinkling of ginger
Sticky> What is too sticky? When I touch the dough with my finger it sticks, if I pick some up it clings on quite well. Warm running water is needed to get it off.
Thank you
I am assuming you are referring to the adding enough flour? You don’t want your finger to stick. The dough needs to be soft and pliable to the touch but not to cling to your hand.
Thanks so much for this fabulous bread recipe! I’ve been searching for quite a while for one that I really like and have finally found it! I don’t have any flax seed, so each time I have made this bread I have included caraway seed instead. Great flavor with the caraway seed.
First of all I just wanted to thank you for all that you do on your website. I stumbled upon it about a year ago and you have truly inspired me to make major healthy changes to my family’s diet and overall health. I always knew I wanted to make these changes but you gave me the tools and inspiration to make it a reality. Thank you Lindsay! Anyway, I made your bread for the first time last week amd loved it! I am about to make it again and was just wondering about any variations you have ever tried? Maybe adding cinnamon/raisin or cranberry/orange? Would you recommend trying this? If so, how and in what part of the process? TIA!
Yes, I have made cinnamon raisin bread. It is best to add these by rolling out the dough into a long rectangular shape after it is soaked and kneeded and ready to put into the pan. Simply apply some melted butter, cinnamon, and raisins and then roll up the dough to form your loaf.
I am trying to understand this soaking. If the dough isn’t the right consistency and I need to add 2 more cups flour later, isn’t that defeating the purpose of soaking? Or did you mean soaking extra flour to use later if necessary? I’ve never done this before and want to understand all the directions.
Thank you.
The additional flour would be unbleached white flour or sprouted flour so you wouldn’t have to worry about the phytates as they are already non-existent in these flours. But more often then not, you don’t need to add any more flour after soaking. It just takes a little experimenting.
Lindsay,
I love this bread recipe! I made it with yogurt the first time and it was perfect. I thought this time I would try to make it dairy free. I used the 1/4 apple cider vinegar. I think it looks dry this morning. Should I have added water also? The recipe said apple cider or lemon juice and water and I am
afraid I misunderstood. Should I add water now?
Thank you so much,
Patricia
Yes, you need to add 3/4 cup water to equal the 1 cup soaking medium.
Thank you. Oh well, I will try it again tomorrow:)
I was brave and attempted the buns. I put them in a 9×13 pan arranged sort of like dinner rolls so they rose into each other and up. They were a success. Thought I would share incase you wanted to try again:)
Good for you! I have made dinner rolls in the fashion that you mentioned with this recipe, but didn’t find they were quite the right shape and texture for hamburger buns, I guess. Just my personal preference.
Could you use this recipe to make hamburger buns. Or would you recommend another.
I have tried but didn’t have much success. It spread out more than rising upwards. Not sure of a good alternative.
I have made hamburger buns several times. The way I really like them is to make them like the sandwich thins in the store. Round and flat. We thought they were great.
Wanted to let you know that you can buy a pan to make hamburger buns. The round indentions cause the buns to go up, not out. I’m looking forward to trying your recipe.
I have been looking for the soaked flour bread recipe that I made and commented on before without any luck. It wasn’t this one that calls for 11 cups of flour. It was the one where you mix it up, let it rest 10 minutes, mix 10 minutes, let it rest 10 minutes, etc. I cannot seem to relocate it and I really want to make it again.
Am I losing my mind or did I indeed find that recipe on this site?
HELP!
You must be thinking of another site.
Lindsay,
Thank you so much for getting back to me. You are right, silly me, I was thinking of a different site. I’m sorry to bother you with my silliness. I would like to thank you for having a site like this. It is so good to know that we can find great recipes like yours to do when we finally realize that we should be eating better and finding out what works better for our bodies. I have been delving into this every since my father died in ’05′ of complications from diabetes,(heart disease, etc.) and I wanted to take better care of myself and my family.
I pray God richly blesses you and your family as you aspire to do the same for yourself and your family as well as all who come to your website.
Thank you again.
CindyKay
What size loaf pan did you use? I have 1 1/2 lb pans. Thanks, can’t wait to try this recipe. I love your website, such great information:)
Yeast bread recipes use an 8″ X 4″ pan and produce a 1 lb bread. I only have 9″ X 5″ pans (what you find in most stores now) which produce a 1.5 lb bread. This will give you a flatter/shorter bread. To convert a 1 lb bread recipe for a 1.5 lb pan, just multiply all the ingredients by 1.5. Also, I just found out that depending on the material of the pan, oven temperatures may need to be adjusted. If you use a glass pan, decrease the oven temp by 25 degrees.
I have only made this once so far and used Chiang seeds in place of flax & miller. As I don’t have any type of mixer I just did it by hand and it turned out really well. Just bought some flax seeds yesterday so will hopefully be just as good for the next batch
What kind of mixer do you use that fits this entire recipe? It won’t fit in my stand mixer and when I mix it by hand, the millet and sunflower seeds work their way back out. Any suggestions?
I use a Bosch mixer which are specifically designed for large quantities and high powered. You could certainly try dividing it in half if it doesn’t work in your stand mixer.
Thank you. I have tried dividing it in half and it will mix in my mixer, but I can hear it burning up the motor. I will look into a Bosch mixer! Thanks for the fast response!!! (and congrats on the new addition!!!!!)
Making bread actually did burn out my KitchenAid. Didn’t realize with a motorized mixer that you don’t need to knead the dough as long – only like 4 minutes. When I used it, I kneaded for twice that. Tried to have it fixed, but after parts and labor, I could buy a new one for that on ebay. We are looking into fixing it ourselves as the parts are only $55. If not, I’ll have to wait for a new mixer (it’s already been over 6 mos).
thanks for the recipe. I made my first batch yesterday. This is the best soaked bread recipe I’ve used (and I’ve tried a few) even my children like it. I did have to add quite a bit of flour at the end though so next time I’ll try to reduce the amount of liquid called for in the soaking.
thank you.
bread recipe for use with bread machine do you have one. please send it to try. sounds really good thanks
There is a link in the post above to the adapted version of this recipe in a bread machine.
Hi Lindsay,
Hope you had a great holiday! Just writing to follow up on a question I posted a bit ago – not sure if you saw it. Here it is again:
Just wondering what your take is on heating raw honey. I’ve read that you shouldn’t ever heat it above 104-108 degrees. Have you read anything like that?
Thanks in advance!
Here is where I read it:
http://sites.google.com/site/spiritualfoodcsa/food-a-pedia/raw-honey
Yes, ideally you don’t want to heat honey. So for all other uses, I do not heat it. This is the only recipe I do, because honey gives it such a moist texture that could not be accomplished with any other form of sugar.
What size are your loaf pans for this recipe? I want to try this, but am just beginning my “bread baking endeavors” Thank You!
Do you know if Spelt could be substituted for the wheat berries?
You would have to adjust the quantities, as spelt requires more flour than wheat (I believe it is 1.25 cup of spelt to 1 cup wheat).
Teehee! I’m so excited. I have my grain soaking and tomorrow I will bake! My friend made this bread when I stayed at her house before my wedding. I had my now husband try it and he thought it was really good!!! Yes! I think I may finally be able to get him off white bread!! Yea! Thanks so much for your recipe!!!!
can you use butter instead of coconut oil?
Certainly.
HI there!
I have been reading your blog all morning and love it – it is so great to find someone who is just as passionate as I am about doing the most in depth research you can on food, cleaning formulas, etc!
My husband and I are excited to start making our own bread and would love to try your recipe. I have one question before I begin…the other day while scouring the internet for a good recipe for imitation “Larabars” (which I adore!), I came across some an article about raw honey (also love!). It states that raw honey should never be heated. I was totally bummed, since I find honey to be a good substitute for sugar in baking. I would love to see if you’ve read anything about this. Thanks in advance!
Here is the website:
http://sites.google.com/site/spiritualfoodcsa/food-a-pedia/raw-honey
I made your large batch of whole grain bread – it turned out so good, and so delicious. Very sweet. I like the addition of the oatmeal. I ended up using 13 c. of WW flour, and the 2 c. of oatmeal make it a large batch.
2 ? – 1) I have some recipes that are older – they say bake at 425 degrees for first 15 min. then decrease to 350 degrees for remaining 20 min. or so. I have tried that and with your recipe too, and it seems to work ok. I forget now, but they had some reasoning why that good. When I get to my recipes I will check. What do you say to that.
2) ever hear of adding Vit. C crystals to dough? Just a pinch. Again, an older recipe, do not want to get burned with lousy turnout. BY THE WAY – my bread that was too yeasty in my last post I took out to our chickens – huge , beautiful loaf they had it devoured within the hour. My daughter thought we should watch them for signs of intoxication.
Appreciate your insight.
nancy
I am used to soaking now, and it makes a difference. Dabbling with different recipes. Found some 30 + year old recipes in some books and they talked of ‘sponging’ using 2 C. flour, h2o and yeast- let set for up to overnight, then add remaining ingredients and ‘walaa’ well I tried that and the yeast fermented. Very disgusted in the waste of ingredients, but too sour. Was that a thing of past to try or did I just have saved all these years – ‘bad recipes?? Also ~ huge *** red flag, numerous of my books have salt right there in beginning stages of bread baking just throw it in as if it is ok, salt will impede yeast function, got burned on that a few times with ‘lead breads’. You know ~ this bread baking is an art, and after just turning 50 I am embarrassed to say that I still struggle. I gave some hints to my 42 year old sister who is opposite of domestic and she said “too much information” well if you do not have the tips it does not turn out well, you get discouraged and skip baking. Not me though, I keep trying and failing. Guess I should just stick to one recipe and forget all others. Just copied your recipe, when do you add the dough enhancer / gluten? I assume after soaking, with the additional 1-2 c flour???? Thank you for being here for us to bounce our ? off of you.
You add it after soaking with the remaining ingredients.
Hi! I have tried to make this bread a couple of times now. I do everything the directions say – SOAKING to 2x rise to time in the oven and the bread does not rise once I separate the bread into 4s. Has this happened to you?
Hello,
Just a couple questions about this recipe…
1) I assume you’re using rolled oats for this recipe…am I correct?
2) What is your definition of filtered water?
Thank you in advance for you reply.
1. Yes, they are rolled oats.
2. Filtered water is purified fresh water that is ideally chlorine free.
Hello! I just found your website & am looking forward to trying this recipe! I have a question for you…..I currently use Marilyn Moll’s ww bread recipe and my yield is 6 loaves. How does this compare? I like to bake ~once per week and freeze the bread til we need it. I use the small (8″) loaf pans she sells, also. We love our bread, and I currently give it to friends, as well. I am new to the soaking thing, and trying out Nourishing Traditions recipes. Thanks so much for your help!
I believe this recipe has significantly more flavor…and it is already adapted for soaking! This recipe will make 4 large loaves, or maybe 5 of those smaller sized loaf pans.
Thank you!!! I just ground my wheat and getting ready to soak it, so I can make bread tomorrow AM!
OK, this bread is GREAT!! I finally got to eat some of it….my kids love it, too. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!!
Hello! I’ve just started soaking the grains for this recipe. Quick question, do I need the dough enhancer or can I still bake it without? Will it turn out well still?
Thanks!
Hi there, I have not made this bread but one of the Mom’s at my daughter’s school makes this recipe often and does not use the dough enhancer and she says it turns out fine with out it.
I hope this helps
Paula
This bread recipe looks absolutely divine (especially the picture). I am totally new to baking bread and homemaking because I wasn’t taught it growing up. I loved how you demonstrated your dill pickle and homemaking notebook videos as a visual aid. I was wondering if there was any way you could make a video one weekend of you making your bread so that all of us amateurs can better visualize the directions. I would love to make my own bread. If it’s too much trouble (because I know you have your hands full) then then disregard the request. Thank You God Bless!
I have made several loaves of this marvelous bread. My only problem is difficulty in slicing; the texture is very loose. Too much yeast? I try not to let it overproof but it rises very fast.
Thanks
Thanks for the recipe- it sounds amazing! I have a question…
Do you have any suggestions for adding other grains or tubers into this bread recipe? (ex. cracked wheat, potato, yucca, batata). Because I live in the D.R., I don’t currently have access to fresh whole grains. My choices are either: bleached white flour; processed, imported whole wheat pastry flour; oat flour (they sell packaged, ground oats to use in drinks, I’m guessing it’s still processed) or mixing wheat germ, wheat bran, and the white flour to “make” a whole wheat flour (for some reason I can get the germ and bran in the “big city” an hour away, but not good w.w. flour). However, locally, I can buy cracked wheat, (which I cook with frequently) and they have many tubers here that they grow and sell. I would love to incorporate some of the local things I can buy (and not need to use super processed flour). Any suggestions are appreciated!
I think the whole wheat pastry flour with the oat flour would be your best choice and maybe cracked wheat (depending on if it is wheat or just another variety of white flour). Definitely better than just using white flour even if it has been slightly processed. It has to be processed some what in order to be made into flour. Just watch out for additional ingredients – preservatives, additives, anti-caking agents, etc.
1st, I love your blog!
I just started making more than one loaf of bread at a time since I got a Bosch for my birthday! Thanks to my honey!! I assume you freeze the 3 extra loaves you make when you make the 4 loaf recipe. Is there a special way you wrap them so they won’t get dry? You may have covered this & I hope I am not asking you to repeat yourself. Please point me in the right direction in comments if it has been answered.
BTW, there really is a Paula at Paula’s Bread and she is so sweet! Luckily we live not far from each other & I was able to tell her I found her on your site. : )
The bread has been wonderful!
I wold simply slice them up and freeze them in Ziploc bags. Yes, Paula is an awesome mommy!
Hi. I was curious, i have a friend with diabetes and was wondering if i could use almond flour in place of the other flour.
Hi Lindsay,
Love what you’re doing–from your faith to the kitchen. It’s a treat to sit down and see what’s new on your site. Thanks for sharing with us.
Was wondering if you or anyone else reading might be able to answer my question. I have tried a couple times to soak my bread recipe that I love using. It’s been simple enough and seems to work fine except that my loaves don’t rise nearly as tall and the dough doesn’t grow as much. The yeast (I also use costco stuff) does proof fine, and the dough rises–just much more dwarfy than when I don’t soak the flour. Does soaking somehow retard the dough like that or maybe make it take a much longer time to rise?
Blessings,
Camille
The link to the dough enhancer didn’t work. Can you post what is is and where you get it?
http://www.urbanhomemaker.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=1635&idcategory=330
That’s the link, I believe, to the dough enhancer. I bought 3 of them from that site and don’t think I’ll be using them (we’re mostly gluten/grain-free now, actually). So if you’re interested, I’d be willing to sell any or all of them to you for a discounted price. I did open one a couple months ago and used two tablespoons, but that’s it, so practically like new Anyway, if you’re interested, email me at jrcrhansen at gmail dot com. Happy bread making!
LOVE this recipe. i am a newbie at making bread, and mine turned out fantastic. yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy
This bread is sitting on my table, steaming hot, and it tastes fantastic! I didn’t have dough enhancer or enough bread pans, but it still turned out FANTASTIC
) I can’t tell you how many times I’ve butchered whole wheat bread before. I’m so happy to have found this recipe! Nice job Lindsay! Thanks for sharing.
I have a question regarding the soaking part of the recipe. I do not have kefir, cultured buttermilk or whey to use, nor do I have the raw apple cider vinegar. BUT I do have buttermilk that is not cultured. Could I use this in place of cultured buttermilk or maybe use 3/4 cup regular buttermilk with 1/4 cup lemon juice instead of just using water and lemon juice. Just wondering if this would work. I don’t know how much of a difference 3/4 cup of buttermilk vs. 3/4 cup water would make in the end result of the bread since I am new to bread making. I never know how all the ingredients work or what purpose they serve. I am new to your blog and look forward to your response. I love your outlook on food and agree with your views. Thanks so much for what you do. I’ll let you know how this bread turns out for me
.
Jennifer
I would recommend the buttermilk and lemon juice combo. Buttermilk will give it a more moist texture than water. Use about 1/4 cup lemon juice and the rest buttermilk.
THIS BREAD RECIPE LOOKS GREAT! I HAVE JUST STARTED TO TRY SOME NOURISHING TRADITIONS RECIPES AND AM SLOWLY GETTING THE HANG OF THE WHOLE SOAKING THING! THANKS FOR THE GREAT SITE!
Hi! Can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m wondering if you can make it w/out the oats & olive oil instead of butter?
Thanks for the education on soaking!
I saw how you usually soak your grains. I would really like to try this recipe. My kids have been gluten free for 1 year and I have considered adding gluten back in (but in a healthy whole grain way.) I am concerned about all of the whole grain not being soaked. Help, any suggestions?! By the way, they do not have celiac disease, it was more for adhd, etc behavior.) It has definitely had a noticeable affect going gluten free, but I don’t think that is the only answer. Is there a way to add say 90% of the flour and soak it over night, then the only non-soaked flour would be the flour used to knead it? I don’t have access to sprouted grains. Help! Any suggestions would be appreciated! Kelly
I have a child who is gluten free except with the fresh ground whole grains…I have found it to be more an issue of what chemicals foods are treated with more so than the gluten itself and it seems the gluten free foods are more organic and less chemically treated. I would try a mini muffin first just to see how the body reacts but only use FRESH ground flour. If you want to talk more about it feel free to get in contact with me!
Do you soak couscous and qiouna as well? If so how long?
Should I soak grains such as couscous and quiona first as well? If so how long?
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I have a few questions. I’m completely new to the art of homemade bread, let alone soaked! First, I bought Fleishmann’s “Instant Dry Yeast” at Sam’s, which apparently doesn’t need to be proofed first. You say in your instructions to use instant dry yeast (under Helpful Hints on Successful Bread Making, letter B) but that is clearly a typo. So, if I’m using instant dry yeast, when would I add it? At the same time as I would add the proofed yeast, only without the “proofing,” I’m assuming? Also, is adding the vital wheat gluten or dough enhancer imperative? I don’t have any at home, so if it is, I guess I’ll have to wait for my next trip to Natural Grocers!
Hi Alyssa, I had a similar question regarding the yeast. I believe what you need for this recipe is “active dry yeast”, not instant. I bought Red Star from costco, which did need to be proofed. It worked great. I believe that’s what Lindsay uses sometimes, too. I’m not sure though how you could use instant in this recipe, sorry can’t help with that.
Also, as far as I know, the dough enhancer or vital wheat gluten aren’t necessary, but they do help make the bread softer and extend the shelf-life. I bought the dough enhancer and used it the one time I’ve made this recipe so far (my very first time EVER bread baking!), and the bread was fantastic. BUT, I have no way of comparing what it would be like without the dough enhancer.
I’m actually not going to be using the dough enhancer anymore, since my husband and I are mostly gluten/grain-free now, and I have three large canisters (one is open and I used 2 T of it) of it sitting in my pantry from 4 months ago. As I said to someone else above, if you want to buy any or all of my dough enhancer (I bought them from the urbanhomemaker.com site), I’d be willing to sell them to you at a cheaper price. Email me at jrcrhansen at gmail dot com if you’re interested. Hopefully this all helps!
Hi! in case you still have a question about an still have a thing of instant dry yeast I thought I’d let you know about it. I still did 2 risings but it will rise in much shorter time. Make sure that you only let it double. (the shorter time being about 1/2-2/3 the time the recipe says.)
Quick question, you mention to “F.Punch down, turn dough over, and allow to rise until doubled again, about 45 minutes. (OPTIONAL, but preferred for best results)” in the soaked directions, but not in the other… is there a reason to do this when dealing with soaked grains versus not soaking? Or can it give “best results” for both methods? (FYI, I did not soak my grains…) Thanks in advance for your reply
-Michelle
It is simply an oversight on my part…it is optimal for both methods.
Lindsay, I wonder if you could help me with this mess-up. I accidentally put in double the amount of honey! Yikes. I just went ahead and mixed the dough in my Bosch and it is really sticky. I wonder if there is anything I can do… Thanks!
Hi!
We’re new to this (just got a mill tonight by Fed Ex!) and I’m wondering about your homemade bread recipe and soaking the flour. In your recipe, part A, it doesn’t mention putting water with the flour, oats, honey, acid medium, etc. Am I missing the obvious? I assume that the 3 cups of warm filtered water is a part of “part A” also? Thanks for your help!
Yes, you are correct. I’ve updated it above.
Hello!
My beloved and I are just trying out your soaked whole wheat bread recipe (it’s in the soaking phase right now) and had a silly question: when we add the liquid to soak the bread are we supposed to mix it to a homogenous dough ball, or just leave it un-mixed to soak? (We currently have it mixed to a dough-ball.)
Thanks for your help! We’re looking forward to the finished product tomorrow:)
You want to fully incorporate all ingredients.
I followed this recipe to a tee, and the loaves came out perfectly!!! So delicious. It tastes like the Seeduction bread from Whole Foods!
Do you know how many calories are in a slice (an average size bread slice) Just curious.
Thanks for the recipe
Hi Lindsay, I just purchased a mill and I was wondering if you could tell me what wheat you use to get a light loaf? Also have you been able to find a good dough enhancer that you can purchase at a local store. Thank you so much a really enjoy your postings.
Blessings, Amie
I use Prairie Mountain Gold Hard White wheat. No, I order dough enhancer online through the source provided.
This recipe looks wonderful! I've been baking my own bread for about a year and a half now but have only begun grinding and soaking my flour about a month ago. So far, I've only attempted muffins, non-yeast breads, and a flopped sourdough recipe. Anyway, I want to try this, but I do not have a heavy duty mixer. In the past, I've made my bread dough in a bread machine (dough cycle), then let it rise on the counter, and baked in my oven. My questions are:
1. Will a hand held mixer work for getting all the ingredients together?
2. If I would put it in my bread machine after soaking, would I need to mix the flour and other ingredients first or would the machine be able to knead all of that together? If in the b. machine, would I used bread machine yeast (I have the Red Star brand)?
3. Why do you prefer dough enhancer over vital gluten?
Thanks for your help!
First off, the best method here would be to single the recipe and kneed in your bread machine as you have done before. Several other readers have tried that previously in the comments above and it worked. I would not recommend a hand mixer. Better rather to mix it by hand than a hand mixer. I do not know the power of your bread machine, but a single recipe (1 loaf I mean) should work just fine after soaking. I prefer dough enhancer because it is more effective in producing a softer texture to the vital wheat gluten.
A few questions, how would you half this recipe if you only wanted two loaves? Or is it easier to bake the 4 and then freeze the ones you don't eat? if frozen does the bread lose it's nutritional value? I know with fresh ground wheat it loses it's value quickly once the grain is cracked open.
Thank you!
I always make four loaves and freeze the extras. Freezing helps preserve the nutritional value.
YUM! i just made this bread and it is fabulous! thanks so so much for sharing! i halved it since my mixer can’t handle the whole batch, but it still turned out great and i love that it is basically the healthiest bread you could eat!
I combined this recipe with another that I like and adjusted it so I could make it in a 1 lb bread machine. Here are my results http://cottonwoodcottagefarm.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/soaked-whole-grain-spelt-bread/ It turned out great, Thanks Lindsey.
Hi Lindsay. Thanks for your delicious bread recipe that I have made twice! The second time it was the BEST bread I’ve ever tasted. The first time I made some mistakes that others might benefit from hearing. First, I “soaked” the bread without the 3 c. of water because it’s listed in the ingredients, but not in the instructions. Whoops. Then, I didn’t heat the water for the yeast up hot enough and it didn’t proof as well as it should have, so my loaves were shallow. Last, I misread your instructions to TURN OFF the oven before the last rise, and pre-baked them a little. Regardless of all my awful abuses, it still came out tasting wonderful.
Question – I bought dough enhancer just to make your bread, and while I think that the soy lecithin is a very, very small, small portion of the recipe and it doesn’t matter too much, I was wondering if you have any suggestions for purists? I’d like to link your recipe to my blog and I want to be prepared! (What would happen without the dough conditioner, anyway?)
Thanks for everything!
Michelle G
Vital wheat gluten alone can be substituted for the dough enhancer. It’s purpose is to give the dough a better rise and softer texture.
I made the same mistake, soaking without the water, I wasn’t able to achieve a good stretchy dough after correcting the error and letting it soak another 24 hours. After reading your message, I’m hopeful that it will turn out just fine.
Tamie S.
I just tried your bread, soaking and all, and it is the best bread I have ever made! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Now soaking doesn’t intimidate me as much!
Just curious if you had researched soy lecithin at all. I did a web search on it and came up with a page from the Weston Price Foundation http://www.westonaprice.org/Soy-Lecithin-From-Sludge-to-Profit.html
Thanks for the bread recipe, though. For some reason converting recipes to incorporate soaking is intimidating for me.
I am working at a high elevation and when I add the oats and flax qith the 11c fresh ground winter red wheat flour there is not enough liquids to wet all the dry. Oh yea I also add the coconut oil and honey. I prefer the flavor of why and since I have a lot from my cheese making I use that. So my question is do you add more liquids some times? I have just tried today adding 1 extra cup water! I made it the first time with one cup of oats and no flax and it came out beautiful but when I added the other cup oats and flax it was heavy and didn’t rise as it had last time! So would you add more water? Also I want to add some molasses for the vitamin content. Would I have to change anything if I did?
Thanks
I am not sure how high elevation affects bread, but I think you are on the right track. Add just enough liquids to make a moist dough…if you need to cut back a bit on the flour, then do that. If it worked to cut out some oats and flax, I would go with what works for you. As to adding molasses, simply substitute it for part of the honey. Say 1/3 cup molasses and 2/3 cup honey, or similar.
I just made this recipe today (well, I started soaking last night…). It is so delicious! I’ve struggled with making good 100% whole grain bread for a while and this one is great!
I just made bread using soaked freshly milled wheat. It was the first time i have soaked the wheat. I used my usual recipe because that is what has worked in my bread machine for a while now.
I added my usual quantity of water and the resulting consistancy was a ball a dough…..is that ok? Is that right amount for soaking?
Loaf was fine, consistancy was not quite a good as usual, but tasted stronger and a little better.
It took me ages to tweek the ingredients of my bread for the bread machine, do you have a recipe for the break machines. (i guess i should search around some more…!)
Thx a mill
Would probably add a bit more liquids, but if it turned out well you are on the right track. I have had several readers divide my recipe into fourths and doing it in the bread machine with great success. You can look through the comments here.
P.S. I have another question:
I have a container of soaked and cooked steel-cut oats in the freezer. Do you think I can use it in this recipe? It’s quite thickened, and when I reheat it for breakfast I do usually add some water. But it’s cooked! What would you recommend I should do if I wanted to use it or some of it in this recipe. I have bought an oatmeal bread and loved it.
New bread baker. Thanks for your help.
I would probably recommend just using less…since it is already cooked. Maybe half the required amount?
I’ll try. It’s daunting enough when you follow a recipe exactly, but when you start by breaking the rules… . Whew. I think someone among your readers must have done this. With a family it would be easy to have leftover porridge, and why waste it?
When you say to put the loaves in the oven to rise, and then say to bake at 350, do you remove the loaves while the oven rises to temperature, or just turn the oven up and let it go. My oven takes some time to come to temperature, and I wonder if the risen bread would deflate while it waited on the counter.
No, I leave them in the oven while it is heating.
A couple questions from a first time breadmaker (these are going to be embarrassing to ask!).
The only mixer I have is a sunbeam stand mixer, and as far as I know there’s not a part for kneading dough. Can I mix the ingredients in a bowl with a spoon/spatula and then knead by hand? Or do I need the Bosch or something similar? Is there anything that is cheaper than those?
Regarding steps 3 and 4 in the soaked version: when you say ‘dough should be clean on the sides of the mixer’ are you referring to when you’re simply combining the ingredients or is that when you’re kneading? How do you know when the gluten is fully developed? This is another language to me!
What is the dough enhancer you recommend? I don’t see the link that used to be there.
Is “active dry yeast” the same as “instant dry yeast”? I found Red Star active dry yeast at Costco, not SAF instant (it was at our local health foods store but was much more expensive). Is Red Star an okay brand? Regarding the SAF brand, I noticed on the amazon page many people saying it doesn’t need to be “proofed” but you said it will need to be… Just want to check!
SORRY for asking a bajillion questions… I’m 100% new to making bread and I’ve hardly ever bake anything other than cookies. And I’m much more of a visual learner, so this is obviously why I can’t figure things out with even good written instructions most of the time. I wanted to do that eCourse that just started but can’t financially for now, but I know that will help me a lot if I can take the next course!
Thanks Lindsay for all your time and help, you have no idea what a resource you are to me and others!
Dear Carrie,
Unfortunately, I do not have the time to adequately address your questions, so I am going to direct you to a great little book that will help you out with breadmaking. Its called the Beginners Guide to Bread Making by Marilyn Moll. That should help you get launched in the right direction. This recipe can be mixed in a bowl and kneaded by hand. A Bosch only makes it ten times easier. When I say ‘dough should clean the sides of the mixer’ that is in reference to adding the flour but with a mixer. You don’t want to add too much. If mixing by hand, you will just have to determine it by stickiness. Add more flour and kneed until it is a soft pliable dough and doesn’t stick all over your hands. Cover hands well with oil to help.
Here is a link to the dough enhancer: http://urbanhomemaker.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=1635&idcategory=330.
Active dry yeast is not the same as instant. The Red Star yeast from Costco is what I use. Yes, it needs to be proofed.
Check out the ebook mentioned above. I think it would be very useful to you! Hope that helps! Bless your bread baking endeavors!
Thanks so much!! So even though you say to use SAF instant dry yeast, and since you said it isn’t the same as active dry yeast, it’s okay to use the Red Star active dry yeast for this recipe? Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it!
I did not say to use the instant dry yeast…you need active dry and the costco brand (red star) qualifies for that.
I was just confused when it said at the top: “Use high quality yeast such as SAF Instant Dry Yeast”… that’s where I got the “instant” part from. Thanks for clarifying!
Sorry, my fault!
Hi Lindsay -
I just recently found your blog and I love it!
I tried this recipe last weekend (a half batch) and it is officially my favorite whole wheat enriched bread (although I did use about a cup and a half of white bread flour since I didn’t have quite enough whole wheat). I think soaking overnight is the key to a good rise for whole wheat doughs. Thanks so much for sharing this.
- Lily
This is an amazing bread recipe. I made it for the first time yesterday and it’s delicious. Both of my children really like it too, and it made great grilled cheese sandwiches for their lunchboxes. I also tried your fudge, which was delicious and it is holding its shape well, and your instructions for soaking oatmeal. I look forward to reading more and trying more of your recipes.
Lindsay, do you still have your non-soaked version of the bread anywhere? I have used that for months, and while I know I should start soaking my grains, I’m a bit overwhelmed at this point… taking baby steps
If it is available somewhere, I will print it out this time! Thanks for your recipe… I get lots of “wow, this is the best bread I’ve ever had” compliments due to you!
I added the unsoaked bread instructions above. The only difference really is the replacement of 1 cup water with acid medium for soaking. All other measurements are the same.
Thank you Lindsay!
Hi Lindsay,
I have a blendtec, bought it because it can grind grains as well as blend. Today I ground wheat for the first time. I used my blendtec, I don’t have a grinder. So, I was wondering if you have tried using your blendtec to grind flour. I was wondering if it makes a courser flour than a grinder or if that’s just how fresh ground wheat flour is? Thanks.
Yes, I do use my blendtec ocassionally to grind grains and it works great. It produces very fine flour.
How long do you grind your flour with the blendtec and on what setting? I just pulsed mine to grind it. Does it feel warm after grinding it? How much wheat grinds into how much flour, ie 1 cup wheat becomes 2 cups of flour? Thanks again.
Do you have the cookbook that goes with the blender? It has instructions in the recipe section for breads on grinding it. I believe you just pulse it for a few minutes. 1 cup grain usually produces 1 1/2 cups ground flour. Yes, it will feel warm after grinding it.
Hi Lindsay! A couple of questions over here
I just got a Bosch mixer and can’t quite figure out how to use the dough hook. When I tried to use it today the dough got in one huge lump and just sat in the mixer and wasn’t really ‘mixing’. Then I had to knead it for 6 minutes by hand and it still wasn’t elastic. Wondering if you might have any ideas or tips on what I might be doing wrong? Also, do you know of any videos that show what dough will look like on a dough hook in a mixer? Thanks!
I am not sure what to say Amy. It may just take a little to get used too. Mine will occasionally lump up, but it usually means I put too much flour or something. If I just add one cup at a time and watch carefully to only add as much as is needed to clean the bowl, that usually is fine. There are a couple videos on using the bosch mixer on youtube. They might be helpful to you.
I should also mention that sometimes it may form a ball but it still will kneed the dough as in this video.
This is the BEST soaked bread recipe I have found. I love it and so does everyone else. Love your blog too. Thanks for being willing to share.
In His grace,
Laura
Hi Lindsay!
I’m trying this recipe for the first time today and noticed you mention to have it rise at least twice but your directions list 3 risings–the first 1 1/2 hour, then 45 and then split for another 30-35–are all 3 necessary?
thanks!
I just have been working on updating this recipe. I believe the 2nd rise (before shaping into loaves) is optional but helpful.
Question: My bread recipe uses 20 lbs of flour (makes 15-20 loaves). I add my flour into the wet ingredients. I am unsure how I would soak the flour in this case?
You are doing it correctly it sounds. Combine flour, liquids (replacing some with an acid medium like yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, lemon juice, etc), and honey, and oil. Allow this to soak for 12-24 hours before adding the rest of the ingredients in the recipe.
The link for the sourdough starter is not working. I did a search on the site it redirected me to and none of the links are working for it.
I am very new to bread baking and am having trouble getting the gluten to develop. I think I was successful only once and the only difference between the other times was that I used kefir for the acid medium instead of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Should the acid medium really make a difference? I kneaded in a Kitchenaid. I split a 2 loaf recipe in half and kneaded each half for 10 minutes and then put them together and kneaded for another 5 or so. It always tears very easily and remains very sticky to the touch, though it doesn’t stick to the bowl in the Kitchenaid, just to my skin.I’m afraid to knead too much or to add too much flour. How long should I go before I quit kneading? I used 1/4 a cup of wheat gluten for the two loaf recipe. The bread still turns out fine, but I really want to get the gluten developed. I always end up just letting it rise as as sticky dough and follow as normal. Any thoughts? Thanks so much.
Did you allow your yeast to get activated in warm water with a little sweetener first? You just need to kneed it until the dough stretches well. Have you tried a different brand of gluten, maybe it is old? I kneed for 10 minutes in my Bosch mixer and that is usually enough. You may have to add more flour as well if it is that sticky.
Hi Lindsay, you are so kind to take time to respond to so many comments! Just a quick question about your bosch. Do you have a plastic bowl? When you combine your flour, water and acid medium to soak overnight, do you let the mixer combine it, or do you mix with a spoon? I am apprehensive about letting my mixture soak in my plastic bowl. I tried to avoid food/plastic combinations. Any thoughts? Thanks so much and God bless!
I do have the plastic bowl and mix in it with the whisks or kneading hook. You wouldn’t be able to soak in the metal one anyway because it conflicts with the acid in breaking down the phytates. I don’t understand it all, but I know that it is not recommended to use metal. I try to avoid plastic as much as possible, but I don’t worry about this. If desired, you could transfer to a ceramic container for the soaking period.
Lindsay, you may have answered this already, but I have a question about what “soaking” means. I’m soaking the grain (including everything in the soaking step) right now and I only dared put 8 cups of the flour in, because I can’t see how the proportion of liquid to dry can possibly amount to “soaking.” When I think of soaking something, I think of immersing it and that the soaking medium (water, honey and oil in this case) would still be liquid and that whatever is soaking would kind of float in it. But there’s nothing floating here. It’s total dough already. Can it really be considered “soaking” if it’s not really even soaking? Is it okay if it’s already dough?
Yes, it will be a moist dough-like in consistency while soaking. It works so you don’t need to worry about it.
Help! I am very frustrated. I’ve been baking your beautiful bread recipe now for 10 months. And it is delicious, truly delicious. But I have not had good luck with it rising. I’m using hard red winter wheat. I wore out my kitchen aid and so now I’m doing the kneading by hand. I use dough conditioner. I let it rise twice – and it rises beautifully. But it falls flat in the oven. And it hasn’t risen so highly that you would think it would collapse on itself. I’m at the point where I’m saving money to purchase a Bosch dough kneading machine, in the hopes that this is the issue. However, I will be even more disappointed if after shelling out $400, I still have flat bread. Any thoughts? I would really appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks so much. You’re an inspiration!
I have experienced this same problem occasionally in the past. I cannot say I understand the chemistry of bread making myself, but I don’t think it has to do with the machine. The Bosch definitely comes in handy to simplify the process, but it probably won’t solve the rising problem. You may want to try three rising times, which can help make a more stable bread, or just make sure it only rises to just above the rim of the pan. If it rises too high, it will collapse. It can also be affected by the weather…crazily enough. I always had better success in the summer. The temperature changes from oven to countertop can affect the dough. Have you tried doing the whole process in the warm oven as suggested? Bread making is an art…I still don’t believe I have mastered it yet.
Thank you Lindsay – I appreciate your input. Yes, I did the whole process in the oven yesterday afternoon and it did not turn out well. It over-cooked because I broke my thermometer and had to eye-ball it. It was too crumbly – which I think was due to being over-cooked. But it still tastes good and is very nourishing. Yesterday it was raining cats and dogs and I think there is something to the weather comment. I’ve read that hard white winter wheat makes a lighter loaf of bread and I’m gonna give that a try. I am most certainly not quitting the process. I’m committed now. Thanks again!
Hi Sherree, I just wanted to respond to your questions because I made a batch of Lindsay’s bread with *great* results. I, too, used organic hard red winter wheat berries that I ground with my KA mixer (600 watt) and a Messerschmidt grain mill attachment. I do not have the dough enhancer (yet!) and I used molasses in place of the honey since I was out of the latter last night when assembling the ingredients to soak. Organic coconut oil was the fat. The one thing I did differently is that I double-milled the flour and I think that might be the key to this bread’s wonderful texture while still being 100% whole wheat. After running the berries once through on the finest setting, I dumped the flour back into the mill and ran it again. The difference in the texture from first grind to second was immense. After two grinds, it felt nearly like store-bought flour. Still slightly more grainy, but much less so than if it was ground once. Before you give up, try double milling and see how that works!
Lindsay, do you mix this in a Bosch? I am afraid everything won’t fit!
Yes, I make this recipe in my Bosch!
Lindsay do you suggest soaking grains for sour dough breads or does the sourdough process break it down enough?
No, sourdough functions in the same way as soaking or sprouting your grains, and breaks down the phytates effectively. Some would say it is superior than soaking.
I’ve used the soaked recipe 3 times now & I am so happy with it! I’ve made cinnamon rolls, bread & pita breads from this one base. I’m so happy to have found this website! I’m totally motivated to get back into the Nourishing Traditions way of eating for me & my family! Thanks, Shanna
Shanna, would you mind sharing more about using this dough as a base for other bread items? I would LOVE to make cinnamon rolls with it!!!
I can tell you actually…I make cinnamon rolls all the time with this recipe. Simply take one of the four loaves and roll it out into a large rectangle. Slather on plenty of butter, cinnamon and sugar of your choice. Roll it up (long sides to long sides) and cut into desired portions. It is yummy! The more fillings the creamier your cinnamon rolls will be.
Thanks Lindsay! What temperature do you bake them at, and for how long? I’m not good at experimenting with baking, so I need someone to hold my hand!
Same temperature as the bread (350 degrees), but probably bake for 20 minutes, until they are golden brown on top and bottom. I recommend using a glass pan as you can see the bottom better. One loaf of bread converted to cinnamon rolls usually fills an 8×8 glass pan.
Well I used coconut oil for the first batch which turned out prefectly but had an awful aftertaste (thanks to coconut oil) so gave it all away and tried again using rice bran oil and halving the recipe. No matter what I did the dough wouldn’t thicken – it was sticky and runny even after 12 cups of flour but it rose and baked fine. Unfortunately one loaf fell apart when I tried to remove it from the pan (makes good breadcrumbs though) and the other loaf is super-crumbly :sigh: am having another go today soaking another half batch coz I have to use a breadmaker to knead it as my preggy belly doesn’t handle any hand-kneading atm and a full batch is too much for the machine. FX it works this time coz I can’t afford the ingredients if we can’t use the finished product
Not sure if you used virgin coconut oil or not, but that might leave a coconutty taste in the bread. I use organic expeller-pressed coconut oil in my bread, which has no coconut scent or flavor to it. As for the bread machine – I would recommend mixing 1 loaf’s worth of dough up first and then letting the bread machine do the kneading and baking. I tried the mixing, kneading and baking with soaked dough one time and it turned out awful. Also, the dough is a little stickier than unsoaked varieties, but it shouldn’t be overly sticky. I use white flour to knead into the bread instead of whole wheat as it helps smooth it out a bit. Hope that helps!
Oh ok so leaving the bread mixer to do the whole thing? I took it out and put in the breadpans for the second rise and bake. The bread mixture couldn’t have even been described as dough the second time I made it! It was runny!!! I thought maybe I added too much water for the soaking but unless I’ve lost half my brain cells and can’t remember straight I’m sure I measured it all out correctly! We’re finding all the other grains we’re eating are super-filling though so not actually eating the bread anyway.
As for the coconut I just used 100% pure natural coconut oil (refined for purity?) but it smells and tastes like soap :gag: no coconut taste at all its just disgusting!! I did another post asking about it somewhere on here and now I can’t find it to see if anybody responded lol oh dear! If anyone sees it please let me know where it is!!
Are you sure you’re using food-grade coconut oil? Coconut oil should have no bad or soapy flavor. I’ve been using it for several months and the most flavorful oil only has a light coconut flavor.
If you’re using refined coconut oil that’s why it might taste or smell like soap. The refining process strips it and bleaches it with a chemical process to remove the coconut taste but also robs it of it’s healing properties. Try switching to organic virgin coconut oil that is unrefined and you won’t taste anything bad.
I’m sooooo fed up with all the icky additives I find in store bread – so I’m going to try to make the switch to homebaked! I understand that home milled wheat is ideal, but is there a particular brand of store-bought flour that you’d recommend? I’d appreciate your expert advice!
THANK YOU!
I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!
Any combination of whole grain bread is ideal…just make sure it is 100% whole grain, like 100% whole wheat. I like to do a combination if you can get your hands on kamut or spelt. These are wonderful whole grain flours as well. They provide a variety of healthy benefits. Read more about various grains here.
I’ve been using fresh ground wheat for a few years now but just recently started looking into the soaking “thing”. I made this up last night to soak overnight and to make into bread after church but when I mixed all the soaking ingredients together it wasn’t “soaking” per say. There was no evidence of liquid it just made the oat and wheat mixture clumpy. Did I mess something up? Also I’ve never even thought about this until laying in bed last night wondering what I might have done wrong, but how do you measure fresh ground wheat? Do you need to measure it like store bought flour? Like spoon it gently into the measuring cup. I’ve always just scooped it up out of the grinder bowl straight into the measuring cup but I would never do that with white flour. Any ideas?
Soaking just takes practice and experimenting. It doesn’t always work the first time at a new recipe but practice makes perfect. I would just make sure you have a moist wet dough when you first combine the flour, liquids and acid medium. If it looks clumpy, add a bit more liquids. Make sure it is also well mixed before you set it aside to soak. No, measuring doesn’t have any thing to do with it unless you are excessive. I never measure perfectly, just fill up the measuring cup till it looks full.
Is there a dough enhancer without soy? I am terribly allergic to soy and have thus given up bread because I cannot make a nice loaf that isn’t either crumbled or a brick.
Try just wheat gluten.
I have made your recipe twice now and it has turned out delicious! I did add the wheat berries but soaked them in the water/kefir for about 24 hours. They had a great texture. I have been using my kitchen aid mixer but it really made a funny noise the last time because the recipe is a bit too much for it to handle. If I decide to hand knead it, do you have tips for hand kneading?
I just made your bread and it is delicious. I wondered about where you soak the dough- in the fridge, or out on the counter?
Out on the counter. I just keep it in the mixing bowl with the lid and let it sit. It must remain at room temperature to effectively break down the phytates.
Lindsey
Is there a danger of spoilage if left out on the counter? We are experiencing very high humidity and 80+ degrees without air conditioning. Wouldn’t this spoil the soaking items like dough, baby porridge, rice or beans? Would you recommend soaking in the fridge?
No, that is the whole idea with soaking. You want to keep it on the counter to gain the bacteria in the air that breaks down the phytates and makes it more digestible. All soaking should be done on the counter for it to be effective.
I never respond, but this is question is begging me to! How long do you knead your bread in the Bosch? I knead my bread for 8 minutes. Whole wheat needs (no pun intended) to be kneaded longer. I bet you’re not kneading long enough and you definitely need to use SAF yeast. Regual yeast doesn’t work (at least for me). This recipe (the one here at this site) is the only recipe I use.
Chrissy
Thanks Chrissy. I definitely over kneaded. I’ll try 15 minutes for whole grain bread?
I wouldn’t do it for more than 10 minutes.
I have been using your recipe for bread for a while now and I just can’t seem to get my bread to look like yours. Mine is still heavy and dense and just doesn’t rise very much. I also purchased the Bosch mixer and thought I’d get a better loaf than hand kneading, but not so. Any suggestions? How do you use your Bosch? Do you still hand knead? Any suggestions would help. Thanks.
You will have to be a bit more specific. Are you soaking your bread? I use a Bosch mixer for all the kneading.
I soak my flour overnight right in the bosch bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients the next day and knead using the bosch. I let it rise twice in the bowl, once in the pan then bake. My loaves are still heavy and don’t rise over the pan’s edge. As a result, my kids are just not eating it. What am I doing wrong or what can I do better? Should I add Vital Wheat Gluten?
First of all, I would only let it rise once before you form them into loaves and rise again in the oven. Secondly, there is really not enough room to rise it for 1.5 hours in the bosch bowl, so I transfer it to a large wooden bowl, cover with a towel and allow it to rise in the oven. This works really well. I would also recommend using the dough enhancer referred to in the recipe. This has made a world of difference!
Thank you. I’ll try that this weekend.
I also have been making Lindsay’s bread recipe for quite a while. (LOVE it by the way!) This is what helped me get better results with rising. I bought a cookbook called “No More Bricks” from Pleasant Hill Grain Co. and in there it gives this advice. Knead (with a machine if possible) for 8 to 12 minutes (don’t start counting until all the flour has been added). After 8 or 10 minutes, take a walnut sized piece of dough and pull it into a small rectangle with your fingers. If it tears as you do so, it needs more kneading. If it holds its shape and has a strong, glutinous texture, it is ready to rise. This really helped me. Also, if you wait too long to put it in the oven, it can still collapse on itself. The cookbook does a good job of explaining the science behind yeast breads. It helped me a lot. Though I still like Lindsay’s bread recipe MUCH better than the recipes in the book.
Hi!
You are very inspiring! I plan to make my own bread soon! What do you think about putting whole wheat berries in the mix? How do I soften them enough to put them in? Also, my mom has a recipe for bread that includes powdered milk… what are your thoughts on powdered milk?
Alicia
I would think that using whole berries would be very difficult to chew and digest. You could try adding them to the soaking mix and see if they get any softer, but I don’t think you will be able to break down the phytates if you use the whole berries. There are plenty of other items that you can put in whole them will be easy to chew – millet, all varieties of seeds, etc. I do not recommend powdered milk because it usually contains MSG.
I would say that you could use the wheat berries – I have sprouted them in the past. The Sprout People have a recipe for whole grain sprout bread that may give you some ideas on how much to use, etc.
The recipe’s that I’ve seen that call for Whole Wheat Berries asks that you cook them first. In that case you can soak overnight in the cooking water with the kefir then cook before you add them to the dough. I’m not sure if the recipe already takes into account the extra liquid from the cooked berries or not. I guess you’d have to experiment.
Powdered milk is also a nasty source of oxidized cholesterol (or something like that). The spray-drying process damages the milk, so it in turn damages your arteries. Best to use the real thing.
Hello. I want to try your recipe, and this is my first bread-making experience. My question is about the the honey. My baby is only 10 months and supposedly should not have honey. Can I use something else, instead? Thank you!
I personally would not be concerned, especially if you are using local honey and know the source. It is such a small quantity per loaf. But, you can substitute it for agave nectar, brown rice syrup or maple syrup as desired.
The link to the dough enhancer say’s that it is not valid. What dough enhancer is it?
I updated the link. I purchased it through Emergency Essentials.
Does a “pinch of ginger” as an enhancer really mean the spice, like I would add to stir fry? That seems too easy (and inexpensive) compared to all that other stuff. Does it still work? thank you!
Yes, it does mean ground ginger. I have not tried this method of dough enhancer, but I don’t think it would work effectively on its on. You would want to combine it with the other enhancers, such as gluten, citric acid, etc.
Lindsay, you’re site is a blessing in more ways than one. This bread recipe is superb and I’m grateful you’ve shared it.
As for our question, Katie: I tried ground ginger and citric acid together (a pinch of each for a two-loaf batch), as they were what I had around. I believe they helped.
Hi, Lindsay
Thanks so much for all the time you have put into this website. I refer to it often.
I have successfully made our family’s bread for 2 years now, but only recently tried a soaked recipe. I am having trouble knowing how much flour to add to this recipe. When I follow the directions, it seems too sloppy, almost flabby like. I can’t even roll it out or up, it just plops on the counter. Am I not adding enough flour in the soaking step? Do you use oil or flour on your counter when you shape your loaves?
Thanks for your time!
Soaking will definitely produce a very stretchy more sticky dough. Make sure to add the full 11 cups for the soaking process. If you add to much more it will get too dry and hard to work with. If you need more flour in the second stage, add a bit of unbleached white flour. I throw a bit of unbleached white flour on the counter before shaping my loaves.
After getting my grain mill a few months back I just hadn’t found a yeast bread recipe that we all loved. This is it!!! Even my husband who’s not as crazy about whole grain baked goods agrees (thus two loaves gone in the first day!). Add in the benefits of soaking and it’s just perfect. Thank you!
I have made two loaves of bread so far and I have one question. My loaves are pretty and look perfect, but if sliced thin, for a sandwich, the middle doesn’t hold up. What could I be doing wrong? Here is my recipe.
1 ½ cups hot water
½ cup oil ( 1/3 cup if use egg)
¼ cup honey
4 ½ cups fresh milled flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp yeast
I put these ingredients into a breadmachine and let it make the dough. This process includes about a 1 hour rise. Then i take it out and knead it a few times. Then shape it and put it into my bread pan to rise for about 30 minutes. Then I bake it at 375 for about 30 minutes.
My only suggestion is that it sounds like the gluten has not fully developed yet in the kneading process. Make sure to kneed for a full 8-10 minutes. Pull out a chunk of dough and slowly stretch it apart between your fingers. If it stretches easily (5-6 inches easily) then it is fully developed, but if it tears quickly allow it to kneed for a few more minutes. Hope that helps!
Hi,
Do you take the bread out of the oven after rising to preheat so you can bake it or do you keep the bread in the oven while preheating?
Chrissy
Yes, I simply keep it in the oven for the whole process of the second rising, preheating and baking. I don’t take the loaves out at all. If you took them out they might be shocked at the temperature change and cause the loaves to fall.
What a great tip. So, do you not cover for the second rise? Or just remove covering b/f turing on the oven?
No, I remove the cover for the second rise so that I can immediately turn on the oven without opening the door after it is done rising and start the baking process.
If you leave it in the oven for the whole process, when do you start timing??
I never worry about preheating my oven. In fact, I believe it to be a waste of electricity. I simply start my timer as soon as I turn on my oven. This works perfectly fine without wasting time and electricity to preheat it.
Hi, you may never see this comment because it’s so late, but I was wondering if you could tell me if I could use store bought kefir for the soak. Although, I make homemade yogurt, and wondered if that would work, too. Maybe I’ll just go for it and try it, but if anybody knows if I could use either of these, it might save me a little bit of money.
Thanks! Love your site!
Yes, most definitely! Both options are perfectly adequate for the job
We tried this recipe and it made WAY more dough than our mixer can handle. Do you have tips for making just ONE loaf? Also, what size loaf pan do you use?
If you divide the recipe by four, you can use that to make one loaf, although it would be easier to make two loaves by just dividing the recipe in half. I use 4 1/2x 8 1/2 in bread pans. They are glass pyrex pans and they work beautifully for this bread.
I’m so excited to have found this website!! I’m making bread today and decided to soak it. I mixed all the ingredients together that are required just for the soaking for 24 hours. However, the consistency is dough like. When I hear the word soak, I think of something sitting in a liquid. Is that the consistency it’s supposed to be for soaking? Thanks so much.
Yes, this recipe will be more dough-like, but still moist and sticky. If you follow the directions it should work perfectly fine.
What kind of mill do you use for your wheat?
I use a Nutrimill and love it. I purchased it through Pleasant Hill Grains online. Excellent company and good quality machine!
How can I use your bread recipe in a bread machine? I’ve never made my own bread, not even in the machine. So I’m brand new at this and don’t understand some of the terms. (proofing?)
Thanks. I love your site.
Proofing just means letting the yeast activate a bit before adding it to the other ingredients. I think that sugar feeds the yeast, which is why a little honey is added at this step. Just combine the water, honey and yeast, let it sit for about 5 min, and you will see the yeast get big and bubbly. Then add it to the other ingredients. Proofing is pretty simple for such a fancy name! I’m new at bread making too, but my first batch turned out great! I do have a Kitchen Aid mixer, and the dough hook makes it quite easy. I’m sure you could do this in the bread machine though… it should have come with instructions for the order of ingredients. On my machine, the order is: (warm) water, other liquids (honey, oil, buttermilk or kefir), anything else (salt, dough enhancer, oats, flax, etc), flour, and then yeast on top… make a small well in the flour for the yeast and make sure the yeast doesn’t touch anything but flour. You could put it on the dough setting and then take it out for its final rise in the pan. Good luck!
Can I freeze the unused loaves of bread until my family is ready for them? What do you suggest for storing (container, mode, etc.) Thanks so much for your site!
Definitely! I always make this recipe and freeze three of the loaves till ready to use. I just cut each loaf in half and store it in gallon size ziploc bags. This works great! You can also wrap them in freezer paper, if you desire.
Hi Lindsay,
I have two questions about this recipe. I’ve been making it successfully for a few months now. The first couple times I made it, it came out like storebought bread…fluffy and high and light. Since then, it’s been alot more dense. It doesn’t rise as high, and the texture on the top of the bread looks like a sponge. It still tastes good, but it’s ugly and heavier. I’m not doing anything different that I know of. I’ve always used gluten+ascorbic acid to enhance the dough, but am thinking of just buying the enhancer that you recommend. I can’t understand why it’s not coming out though, after it came out beautifully at first. Any ideas?
Secondly, do you think there’s a way of using rapadura in place of the honey? Honey is very dear around here, and I hate spending a fortune on raw honey, then destroying all its enzymes by baking it! I was thinking of reducing the flour by a cup and adding a cup of rapadura, and adding a couple eggs to make up for the lost liquid honey. I like using eggs in my bread anyway for the EFA’s and complete protein. What do you think?
This blog is such an encouragement and blessing to me. Thanks for all your tips!
So, substituting blackstrap molasses for honey worked GREAT! However, I’m running into one problem. My second try at this bread turned out better than the first, but on the second day, the bread has a very bitter taste, I almost can’t eat it. I’m using very fresh ingredients so I have no idea what’s causing this, anyone know?
Hi Lindsay,
I just discovered a great tip I wanted to pass on to you to try with baked goods. I’ve just started experimenting with organic coconut flour. It’s extremely high in fiber (low carb) and it’s great for making quickie baked goods if I haven’t soaked flour. Anyway, your bread recipe, as well as my NT pastry recipe, call for adding white flour to prevent sticking. After all the aggravation I go to to soak my whole grains, I just hate using white flour. Yesterday and today it was very damp and rainy, and my pastry dough for empanadas and my bread dough was so sticky I could barely work with it. I added a little bit of coconut flour and it stiffened the dough right up. Because of its high fiber content, it absorbs liquid quickly, so just a small amount kneaded into both doughs worked wonders. I also threw a little down on my counter while I was rolling out the dough, and it worked great. I get mine from Tropical Traditions, same place I get my coconut oil. It’s expensive, but all the recipes use a small amount. It makes fluffy muffins and biscuits. Sometimes I just get a little tired of the heavy brown baked goods, and the coconut flour mixes it up a little.
Lisa
Excellent suggestion!
My first try at this recipe turned out pretty well! I have one problem and I’d love to know if anyone has suggestions. I make a half-recipe of this and I don’t have a mixer, and found that my flimsy $10 hand mixer can’t work the dough. I use the soaking recipe, and I’ve found that when my soaking is done, I have a terribly difficult time working in the warm water and yeast with a wooden spoon. I think this is why my bread didn’t rise as well as I would have liked.
Do you have any tips on working bread dough without a mixer to make it all nice and even?
I have some dough soaking right now that I’m about to finish. I ran out of honey so I substituted blackstrap molasses, I’ll let you know how that works out!
Hi, I have been making my own bread for about two years, but I am just learning about grinding my own flour and soaking. I have heard about the nutrients disappearing from the flour so many hours after it is milled. My question is this: if you make several loaves and freeze them to eat weeks later, aren’t the nutrients gone by the time it is eaten? Also, wouldn’t the heat of the oven kill any nutrients in the freshly-ground flour. And doesn’t soaking for 24 hours waste those nutrients that are gone within 24 hours of grinding the grain into flour??? It just doesn’t make sense to me, but I want our “daily bread” to have as much nutritional value as God intended.
Hi. I just tried your bread recipe and used the soaked method and it turned out really well. I didn’t have dough enhancer either and used gluten and the loaves didn’t rise as much as I would have liked but the taste was fabulous! This is the first soaked bread recipe that my family and I have really liked. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Lindsay, I have a question about getting my bread to have a lighter texture. I made your recipe for the first time yesterday, and while the bread is tasty and all – it didn’t rise as high as I would have liked – it’s certainly not as high as your photograph. I didn’t have access to the dough enhancer, the lecithin or citric acid, so I just used gluten, which is what I use in my bread machine with other recipes. I expect that is the problem. Would you agree?
I also made the whole wheat tortillas – my concern is the amount of calories in the bread and tortillas adding to my weight control issues. I am used to commercially made items that are less dense and so I tend to eat less calories. Has this posed a problem for you? It doesn’t look like it – but I do wonder if it’s a problem for you or any other of your readers.
Yes, the dough enhancer makes a significant difference from my experience. I tried just gluten previously and it didn’t quite work sufficiently on its own. I believe homemade whole grain items would be a better choice than commercial products as they are more nutritionally dense. You may just desire not to consume as much as you would the commercial products if you are concerned about calories. It has not been a problem for us.
Hi! I’m so excited to try this (and I wanted to tonight!) but I only have “quick oats” in the house. Should I wait and buy rolled oats???
Thanks, Lindsay, for all your detail in explaining things!
Go ahead and use quick oats! I don’t think it will make any difference. Blessings!
Hey Lindsay!
My mother in law and I are making the bread this weekend… I am curious, though – if we are not using freshly milled flour – do we need to decrease the amount of the flour we are using? Or is it still the same?
Sorry to ask that.. but i wasn’t sure!
Thanks!
The flour measurements will be the same with both store bought or freshly milled flour.
I typically only make my bread on a need basis because I am concerned about oxidation and the loss of nutrients if I were to freeze it. What are your thoughts on this? Have you read anything that would caution/not freezing bread?
I have not personally heard anything about losing nutrients from freezing bread. I have purchased some bread in the past from a whole foods store that required it to be refrigerated or frozen because they were free from preservatives. Refrigeration keep them from going bad.
Hello Lindsay,
I love your web-site. I have recently started to buy grain in bulk to mill my own flour. Thank you for clearing up the confusing information I have been getting from well meant advisors. I had been given the impression that I was to soak the whole grain and dry it before milling it into flour. Now I understand the grain is to milled into flour then soak before using it in recipes. One topic I have not found much information on is how to bake bread with starters instead of active dry yeast. Do you have any experiences with this? Thanks, Marianne
There are actually two different methods for breaking down the phytates in grain. One way is called sprouting, and that includes what you described: soaking the whole grain, dehydrating, and then milling. The second method is soaking, which is what I do. Soaking the milled flour and using it in recipes. Both methods accomplish the same thing, but soaking is much easier in my opinion. I wrote a post comparing the two methods here. I personally have not explored into the world of sourdough starters as of yet. IT is a goal for this year. If you want to learn how to make a sourdough starter, check out Heavenly Homemakers tutorial. It is very thorough.
i am new to your blog and have been poking around. i grind my own wheat and bake my own bread, but i have never heard about soaking grains until now. i read your reasoning for that and it makes sense. i am also wondering why you use a dough enhancer and if it is necessary? also, why do you add unbleached white flour?
Both dough enhancer and white flour help to provide a lighter and moist final product. They are not necessary, but I find them very beneficial for getting the texture our family enjoys. Whole wheat just naturally tends to be very dense on its own. I rarely add white flour, but always use the dough enhancer.
thanks lindsay! is lecithin essentially the same thing as dough enhancer and do you know if it prohibits health in anyway?
p.s. i’m so glad i found your site. i have lived in the atlanta area since i got married, but i am from west linn and my parents live in the felida area of vancouver now. your site is a little taste of home and the people i know there:)
Dough enhancer is a combination of lecithin, wheat gluten, citric acid and a few other ingredients. My research has shown it to be perfectly fine for your health as these ingredients are 100% natural. You really are not using very much of it anyway. Blessings!
Lindsay, I have been following your site for a few months. Love, love, love it!
A question about grinding wheat…
Is there some easy way to know how much to grind to get more of an exact amount needed for a recipe? I keep over grinding & not being able to use it all before the 24 hours.
Thanks & congrats on the beautiful baby boy!
I believe 1 cup of grain will make about 1 1/2 cups of flour. If you can’t use it all at once, go ahead and put it in the freezer. This will preserve the nutrients! I do it all the time!
This is my first time making soaked wheat bread. It seems from all the comments that you knead your bread in a mixer, about how long do I need to knead the bread if I am doing it by hand? I don’t think that I kneaded it enough this time. thanx
I am not sure the exact amount of time for needing by hand. The goal is to get the gluten fully developed. You can test it by pulling a small chunk from the loaf and stretch it. If it tears quickly you will want to kneed it further. If it stretches a few inches without tearing, then it is developed. Does that make sense? Your kneading time will probably be twice as long then if you used a mixer.
I’ve read that you knead it until the dough “resists” kneading. Most of the time it is probably 10-15 minutes. I would imagine with a mixer it is shorter. I usually stop the kneading in my mixer when the dough gets stuck on the dough hook. =)
I’m new to reading your blog and I just had a question. What size bread pans do you use? The first time I tried your recipe, I halved it and made 1 loaf of bread and rolls with the leftover bread. It came out wonderful. The best whole wheat bread I’ve made yet(and I’ve been trying for months). Today, I made the full recipe and some of the loaves seem small, but my bread pans are 5×10. How full do you fill your pans? I’m thinking that I may need to only make 3 and use any leftover dough for rolls.
Yah, those seem very large. I would just make it into three loaves. My pans are approx. 4×9, I believe.
I’d love to try this recipe! Does anyone know how to do this in the bread machine? Mine won’t hold that much flour, so should I cut this recipe in 4ths? Would I cut every ingredient exactly in 4ths or does it not work that way? I know a couple people had mentioned trying the bread machine so if you don’t mind posting how you did that I’d appreciate it!
To make soaked bread in the bread maker, all you do is make one loaf at a time. So, for this recipe, use 1/4 the soaked dough and mix it up in a mixer first (with the salt, yeast, etc). Then put it in the breadmaker to do the rest. I found that the breadmaker will not mix up the dough and remaining ingredients properly. This is from my own experience … I haven’t given this recipe a shot in the breadmaker yet, as the belt in mine broke. I did try it manually though and it turned out great. Whatever tweaks you did Lindsay, it worked great!
If you’re like me and just want to make one loaf of Lindsay’s bread in the breadmaker, you might want to check this out. I just found a website (I’m sure there are others) http://www.fruitfromwashington.com/Recipes/scale/makeconversion.php
where you can convert the ingredients in any recipe to what size you want. I used it to convert Lindsay’s recipe from 4 loaves to 1 and will soon use my breadmaker to make one loaf of Lindsay’s recipe. I’ve made several different recipes for a single loaf of whole wheat bread and used the soaking method (that has been recommended)in my breadmaker with great results. I have an inexpensive Sunbeam breadmaker.
Lindsay,
You don’t say; but, I was wondering, can I start the soaking process in the Bosch mixer and then leave it there overnight…with the dough hook in it??? I wasn’t sure, so I just started it in a mixing bowl and then I guess I’ll transfer it tomorrow when I add the other ingredients and do the “kneading”… How do you usually do this part? Thanks so much for your response and I appreciate your help!
I use a bosch mixer as well and just leave it in the mixer with the dough hook while it soaks. I just cover it with the mixer lids. It works just fine. In the morning, I add the remaining ingredients and begin the kneading process. No need to remove it to another container.
You mention the yeast that you can get at COSTCO–is this the package of cake yeast? (This is the only kind available at our COSTCO) If so, I am curious how you use/store this in comparison to the jarred active dry yeast available at most grocery stores. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
It is called Red Star Active Dry yeast. I am not sure if every costco sells it in the large package, but it works well and frugal for us to buy this package and store it in the freezer. This keeps it fresh until use.
I was just wondering regarding the kneeding time….is that by hand or in a mixer. I have a Cuisinart stand mixer and have noticed when the dough is kneeding-it will look perfect at least as far as I know- clean the sides of the bowl etc- but then after a few minutes the bottom seems to separate and break down- I have to add more flour and then it balls up again. I can’t quite figure out what is doing this. Mind you- this was with Sue Greggs recipe. I have not tried yours yet but will be tomorrow. I am just not sure on what speed or how long the kneeding should be when using a stand mixer. Any hints? thanks!!
The kneeding time is calculated using a stand mixer, such as my bosch mixer. I usually just kneed it at speed #1. If you soaked the dough, it does tend to get a little more elastic from my experience.
Lindsay, this is a fantastic recipe. I have been searching for a staple whole wheat (soaked) bread recipe for my husband and myself, and I can finally stop looking! It tastes absolutely wonderful! I especially love the nutritional boost from adding oats and flax seed (I didn’t have millet or sunflower seeds on hand).
Your website has been a wonderful resource as I have been trying to prepare healthier meals for our little family. Thank you so much!
Have you tried this recipe to make hamburger/hot dog buns? It seemed to work well for me. I just shaped them into rolls, let them rise til doubled, and baked 18-20 minutes at 350. I love recipes that do double duty!
Hello, Lindsey! I am new to your site, but have visited a few times. I just tried your bread recipe and it turned out beautifully! I have used yeast-free recipes previously for all my soaked flour breads and my hubby didn’t care for them at all. He is completely sold with your recipe and I am so happy about that!
Also, I have wheat sensitivity, but can tolerate small portions of soaked wheat recipes. I was amazed by the healthfulness and digestibility of your recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
PS My husband and children thank you, too!
Thank you for sharing! I tried the recipe today (halved to fit in my mixer, and omitting the optional items because I didn’t have them on hand) and the results are perfect. I had never rolled up the dough before – it did create a beautiful loaf, but I will have to roll them tighter next time, since I ended up with a few gaping holes! I also plan to try soaking the flour next time!
Hi,
Thanks for a great recipe!
I began baking my own bread last fall in order to control what ingredients went into my bread. I experimented with several recipes until I came across your blog a couple of months ago. It is now my go-to recipe for our every day bread. For my family of six I have to do about a batch a week. That makes three loaves and some thing else like rolls.
I grind my flour with a family grain mill that connects to my Bosch mixer it works great!. Soaking my grains, as an added benefit really works to develop the gluten and makes for wonderful tasting bread!
Perhaps the best compliment I can offer was said by my husband. He said he walked into the bread isle at our grocery store and realized he had no desire to purchase bread from the store any more because mine was so much better.
When making your soaked whole wheat flour bread recipe, I assume that you have soaked the oats also, is that correct?
Yes, that is correct. I soak all the flour, oats, flax, and millet together with the liquids.
So in my second attempt at this bread, I included vital wheat gluten during the soaking. Will that matter?
I usually do not add the gluten or dough enhancer until after it is soaked. It may affect how well it rises to add it to the soaked dough, but then again I have never tried combining it with the soaking materials.
I just reread all the posting & couldn’t determine if you grind the flax seeds before soaking with the wheat flour? Isn’t this necessary. I’m going to start using flax seeds thanks to your suggestions.
You can do it either way. I use raw flax seeds in their whole form to add a bit of crunch.
http://www.flaxseedshop.com/content/Milled-Flax-Seed.asp
At the above site & others, I’ve read that whole flax seeds can’t be digested & therefore have little or no nutritional value. Do you have other info on this. There are always so much conflicting info on most topics. I try to be informed before making a dietary or other decision. I would like to use flax for a crunchy texture but not at the risk of nutrition.
The following quote is from the link to flaxseed shop. Thank you again.
“Do you eat Whole Flax Seed? If you do, you may not be getting all of the heart-healthy and nutrition benefits of this food’s Omega-3 Oils. Milled Flax Seed breaks it down for your body to absorb. Unlike whole flax seed (which cannot be digested), Milled Flax Seed allows your body to fully absorb the benefits of the Omega-3 Oils. One serving (2 tablespoons) of Milled Flax Seed provides you with 2600 mg of Omega-3 Oils!”
That is very interesting. Thanks for sharing! If you are concerned, go ahead and grind them up and use the raw millet or even sunflower seeds to add a bit of crunch as desired. You may have to cut back on the flour slightly. This is the only time I normally use whole flax seeds. For oatmeal, smoothies and the like, I grind them up and mix them in. I may consider grinding them in the future, but I will definitely check out this site and research it further. Thanks again!
I apologize, after doing further research I believe that soaking the flax seeds breaks them down so they are digestible and grinding is unnecesary. This makes sense and you probably figured that out intuitively.
One site (of several others) peaceandplenty.com had this to say. “By soaking flax seeds you are unlocking their enzyme potential and providing another healthy way to utilize their nutrients, but remember to chew them well. Flax contains insoluble and soluble fiber, which are both beneficial. (The soluble fiber is what creates the gel as they are soaking). The former is excellent for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, the latter is good to aid in digestion and elimination. One benefit of soaked flax is that the slippery “goo” is also quite beneficial for digestion.
But yes, you are right that ground flax seeds are easier to digest. If not chewed properly, the soaked flax will become nothing much more than “roughage” that will simply aid in digestion and elimination, which is still a good thing.”
I did appreciate the tip for thorough chewing. :0)
Thanks again for you kindness.
Lindsay, your recipe is quite literally an answer to prayer. I consider myself a good cook (we follow the NT diet), but making good bread has eluded me. I have been fiddling with a sprouted grain recipe for three (yes THREE)years. I have spent hours doing research and revising the recipe, and wasted alot of time in preparation…three days to sprout the grains, 24 hours in the dehydrator, plus all the actual bread making time. The infuriating thing was that for every batch that would come out beautifully, I would have 3 batches that would come out like bricks, even with the same recipe. After the sprouted grain bread we buy kept creeping up to nearly $5 per loaf, I redoubled my efforts to find a soaked/sprouted recipe. I found yours, and the bread has come out perfectly beautifully EVERY time! The downside is that if I don’t stop eating half the loaf when it comes out of the oven, I’m going to look like a loaf(-;
I have one question: Is there any reason this dough couldn’t be used to make bagels? I saw your bagel recipe, but we really don’t eat any grains that haven’t been soaked/fermented/sprouted. What do you think?
I am so glad to hear it worked for you! Silly me, I do soak my bagel recipe and just haven’t added it to the recipe. I simply soak the flour with 1 cup of water (reserving the 1/2 cup for activating the yeast) and the honey. After soaking, I add the rest of the ingredients. It is easy! I will try to get around to updating that recipe here! Blessings!
This would have been amazing, but 30 minutes was too short. I left it in for 40 and it was still undercooked. Usually my oven is way hot, so I was really surprised. Otherwise, I loved it. I used a little white spelt flour to lighten it up and soaked and it was really light and fluffy. I’ll make it again but cook longer.
Just to address using the breadmaker. I only use mine on the dough cycle and the cook my bread in the oven. That way you get a traditional shaped loaf, but it makes the prep a little easier. It’s also a nice way to make rolls for dinner. I have found that if you want to soak your bread first it’s best to take the dough out after you have soaked it. Proof the yeast in the bread pan and then add the dough back slowly. I think soaked dough is a little stiff for the breadmaker handle unless it is added back slowly. I also do that when making my bread in my Bosch. It seems to mix together better that way in less time. If I am going to add vital wheat gluten or powdered milk to my bread I add it first to the proofed yeast which makes it less likely to slosh out. I hope that makes sense. I am really still in the experimental stages of getting a really good loaf of bread that has been soaked. But I think it’s so much better that way.
Here is another tip about determining if the bread has risen enough from my sister-in-law (her bread is always perfect).
“To determine if a rising is complete, poke the dough with your finger in the side of the loaf. If a slight indentation remains it has risen enough. If the indentation springs back out rise a little longer.”
You already have so many great comments on here, I hesitate to leave one. But being involved in the bread making experience myself, I love the subject! I will definitely try your whole wheat yeast recipe, it sounds delicious! This week’s bread is currently already rising in the loaf pans, so maybe next week!
A couple of things: I have used sourdough for a while now and there are indeed a few things that are less than ideal. One is the texture and sour taste. My husband didn’t like it at all at first, but now really enjoys it. It is wonderful fresh from the oven and later for toast, but not for sandwiches.
Second is that the nature of sourdough is to spread out unless in a confined pan, making it difficult to make nice rounded loaves. The secret is using bannetons or rising pans which I don’t have yet. I just use regular loaf pans unless I add baker’s yeast which helps the rising action.
But other than that, I do love sourdough, and you get the benefits of soaked and fermented grains (which happens during the long rising time).
One trick is to use sourdough starter (approx 1/2 cup for every desired loaf) during the soaking period, then adding your proofed yeast afterwards and continuing with the normal rising. It’s like using a half and half recipe. You will need to cut down a bit on the liquid (I normally use water or homemade buttermilk) But again, if you really don’t like the taste of sourdough you might not go for it!
One of the reasons the “dough enhancer” works is that you are adding extra gluten and acidity to the dough. This acidity can be also achieved through fermentation (sourdough), lemon juice, or a soured milk product.
One more thing: I’ve been using Kamut flour lately in place of whole wheat, and I absolutely love it! From Azure, it is actually only a couple dollars more than the organic whole wheat.
Sorry for the long comment. Hope there’s something helpful here. Keep up the wonderful posts, Lindsay! I really enjoy reading your blog. Looking forward to the hospitality study, I just received the book from Amazon!
I meant to type proof the yeast and then ADD all the liquid.
I just had some success with your old recipe, using the new Montana wheat. I think the secret (thanks Amber!) was only letting it rise to the level of the bread pan. It only took me a year to figure out!
I have little trick to make bread moist. Salt stops the flour from absorbing liquid. So I proof the yeast and all liquids, oil and about 1/3 of the total amount of flour. I Mix that in my kitchen aid mixer for about 3 minutes on medium. Then let that mixture set for 15 min and then add the salt. Then just continue on from there. Adding the salt that way really does make a difference.
Good tip, Greta! Quick clarification – do you proof the yeast in just water and honey, or with ALL of the liquids? I’m new to bread making. =) Thanks!!
You will want to proof the yeast with the 1/2 cup water and about 1/2-1 tsp honey…not with all the liquids.
Hey! I’m going to try that!
I am brand new to this soaking thing and I will have to experiment with this recipe. This may be a stupid question but 4 cups of liquid doesn’t sound like a lot in conjunction with 11 cups of flour. But I’m sure if you have done it it works LOL.
Thanks for posting the recipe and I love your site.
BLessings,
Kim
Hi Lindsay – I love your website! I just got a coffee grinder (it’s all I can afford at the moment) to grind my grains (you inspired me!). I tried the recipe for the bread and although I love it, the consensus around here is that it’s not quite moist enough. Do you have any tips for me on how I might make it a bit moister??
Thanks!! =) Megan
Every time I read your blog, I learn something new and helpful. My question is about using sourdough instead of yeast in bread making. Do you feel that sourdough is preferable to yeast bread as Nourishing Tradtitions does (see link)? If so do you have a recipe for whole wheat starter? And recipe for whole wheat sourdough bread? http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/05/q-sourdough-vs-yeasted-bread.html
Lynnette, my knowledge of sourdough is limited. One of my goals this year is to explore that realm, but I have not attempted it yet. I understand it is better than yeasted breads from what I have read from NT and other friends of mine, but it is the taste and texture that draws me back. I love my yeasted bread for it’s light texture and delicious flavor and the quantity of yeast is very limited. I also consider whether my husband will like it as sourdough bread is definitely more dense and sour in flavor. Keeping the family happy is very important. So those are some of the things I consider. I do know that you can check out Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers, as she has recently been sharing her starter and bread recipe. As I begin exploring this realm, I will be sharing it here on my blog.
Lindsay, Thank you so much! I agree with everything you said (keeping family happy, etc.) but I am going to give sourdough a chance. I looked everywhere for reliable info. before asking you for help (yet again) even at Heavenly Homemakers and I was embarassed a bit that what I needed was there until I looked at the dates it was posted and saw that they were recently added. Thank you again I’m hoping for good, healthy and not too sour results.
I am fairly new to your blog and I want you to know that I really enjoy it! I made your chowder recipe the other night and my family loved it. I would like to try your recipe for homemade bread and was wondering what you use for dough enhancer? Thanks!
I buy my dough enhancer from Urban Homemaker. It is basically a combination of citric acid, gluten, lecithin and a few other items. Tammy’s Recipes provides instructions on quantities if you wanted to replace with just those ingredients. These ingredients provide a wonderful softer texture to your bread! These are the substitutions. You can use all or just a few:
* 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten (replace 3 tablespoons of the flour called for in the recipe with this)
* 1/2 teaspoon soy lecithin (we use granules of lecithin, and add it to the water at the beginning)
* a pinch of citric acid (use sparingly!!)
* a sprinkling of ginger
Thank you for the very helpful info on bread baking. I am just venturing into the mysterious world of yeasted goods and am a bit overwhelmed. I noticed that one of your pages refers to the use of spelt. Do you also soak the flour when baking with spelt? It seems that it would be a great digestive aid and perhaps help people with an allergy to wheat (i.e. my kiddos) avoid developing a similar sensitivity to spelt. Have you tried the recipe above with spelt?
Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
Hello again and Happy New Year!
I am so excited – I have just found a source for raw milk in my area and will be making raw yogurt, whey, buttermilk, and butter this week!
Anyway, regarding bread: I have attempted the two-stage process several times in my bread machine, varying the recipe a bit each time, but the bread always ends up fallen and heavy or “sunk” in the middle. I mix the flour with the water/acid agent, honey, and oil then let soak overnight on the counter. I then add the rest of the ingredients (I add powdered milk, salt, yeast, and wheat gluten.) Then I let the machine knead, rise, and bake. Can you give me any tips on keeping the bread from falling? I know it’s not a problem with the yeast, because I have made the bread without the soaking step and it turns out great.
Thanks!
This is a challenging one. I have found that the weather has a big effect on the outcome as well as your location (higher up above sea level, etc). My recommendation is to experiment with the yeast quantities. You could either have too much yeast or be over-rising it, which will cause it to sink. Soaking the flour actually starts the yeast activation process already, and thus often times you will not need as much added to the second stage, but again it depends on your location. Also, you might try adding a bit of dough enhancer or citric acid. I have recently started adding the dough enhancer and it has helped a lot with maintaining a proper balance.
I was having a lot of problems with my dough sinking using Lindsay’s recipe (before revisions). I started using a recipe from Sue Gregg’s website. Here’s the link to the recipe – http://www.suegregg.com/about/Two%20Stage%20Process.pdf. I never had a loaf fall again after using her recipe. I recently acquired a hand-me-down breadmaker and have been using that. I soak a full batch of flour according to Sue Gregg’s recipe, but then I only mix up half a recipe in my mixer and then put it in the breadmaker to do the rest. I also always add 3-4 tbsp. of gluten and about a 1/2 cup of unbleached white flour. It always gives me a good rise. I think using white flour in very limited quantities is okay (I pretty much only use it for this purpose anyway). My loaves have been soft and lofty and my husband loves my bread again. (Who would when they turned out like bricks?)
There are a few downsides to breadmakers … they leave a hole in the bottom from the kneading bar, and they only make one loaf at a time. I have 4 kids, so using this is a lot more time efficient for me. The holey slices are always good for toast.
Also, Lindsay, I intend to try your recipe again. I haven’t tried it since revisions, and am looking forward to giving it another shot
Hi Lindsay I just found your website about a week ago and have tried making your bread. we live in an apartment and the oven is a gas oven and I think it is way off!! I baked it at 350 degrees and by the time 10 min was up the bread was very dark!! i turned it down and let it stay for 5 minutes more but I had to take it out because I was afraid it would burn!! Second time I baked the bread at 325 with better results but still had to take it done early (with 6 minutes left) and the middle still was not done! I had to take it out because I was afraid it would burn. This time I will try to reduce the temperature even more. And no they won’t put in a new oven
However, I must say the parts that were done were delicious and so soft!!! I was wondering do you preheat the oven to bake the bread after the second rise or do you just leave the bread in there after you let it rise in the oven and then just turn it up to 350? I do by default but was wondering if it was necessary. I am still a novice at making bread!!
I actually have a gas oven as well. You may try just covering the loaves with some tin foil to protect them from getting too dark before they are completely baked. I usually just keep the bread in the oven after rising and just turn it up to 350. No pre-heating is necessary. It simply allows it a few more minutes to rise before it is fully heated. I am glad you are enjoying the bread!
I was wondering about soaking the grains on the counter when you live in a very warm climate, Phoenix, AZ when it gets to be over 100 degrees in the summer. In fact it is still in the 80-90′s right now.Is there any possibility that the soaked grains could spoil in warmer weather if left out on the counter?
I made this last week, and it was SO good. Silly me though- I forgot to add the 1 1/2 cups of honey! It was shorter than it probably should have been, but still sooo yummy.
I have some baking in the oven right now, and I can’t wait for it to be done. I goofed this time too; I think I had too much water, because I ended up having to use 12 or 13 cups of flour! I had to improvise with the soaking, and I think I did the math wrong in compensating for that; we’re dairy-free right now, so I had planned to do water and lemon juice, but I realized late last night that I didn’t have any lemons (whoops!). I also didn’t have any ACV, so I experimented with white wine vinegar. Not ideal, I know, but I figured it was better than nothing!
I absolutely love reading your blog, and I’ve love your recipes! I’ve made quite a few of them, and they are so delicious!!!
In Christ,
Erica
A long time ago, I was looking for recipes that include soaking. Can’t wait to try this. Can I use yogurt instead of kefir? I make about gallon of yogurt weekly, so we always have that on hand.
Sarah, I also live at about the same elevation as you…about 6000 ft. I am curious to know how your bread turned out.
I have not tried soaking this recipe in yogurt, but I am sure it would also work, as both are good acid mediums. It would definitely be worth a try!
I used yoghurt for mine, and it turned out perfect.
We are at high altitude in Colorado (about 5800 ft). I have a high altitude bread recipe, but I’m not sure how to soak the grains first… Any advice?
Well, I read in my high altitude cookbook that you need to reduce sweetener and let the dough rise three times and not let it get quite double in size every time. Also, baking it with a pan full of water on the bottom of the oven helps since we have such dry air at this high elevation. I’m soaking the flour tonight and will prep and bake the bread tomorrow evening. I’m starting with one loaf to see how it turns out! Thanks for being my inspiration!
And, at high altitude I need to use regular yeast, not quick-rising, since with a lack of air pressure, dought rises much more quickly here and we want to slow it down. The cookbook even recommends letting it sit in the fridge to rise!
I made your bread recipe today and it is a HIT! I had tried several recipes this past couple of weeks to have them all flop on me. (I’m definitely learning in this area!) I tried your recipe today and it is fantastic. I was able to call my hubby and announce the news that I finally did it! lol We now have bread and it rose up too. I’m so excited! Thanks so much Lindsay. What a blessing you are.
I just started reading your blog and am addicted! (I even read it at work!) I’m really excited to try making your bread, but I was wondering two things: (1) What time of day do you recommend baking it? I’ve noticed that I get better results if I let it rise in the afternoon than later at night. And (2) Could amaranth be used instead of millet? I’d really like to try this on my day off, but am not too jazzed about driving to my local Whole Foods.
I love your blog, and look forward to learning all sorts of simple homemaking from you!
I am not sure when is the best time of day to bake bread. I usually do it in the afternoon. I would guess the temperature is warmer then and not changing more drastically in the evening when it cools down, which may have effect. The millet in this recipe is optional, it is more to give it so crunch and texture. If I were to replace it, I would add sunflower seeds or something similar. Amaranth flour would most likely change the texture and/or may make it more dense. You can definitely experiment with replacing some of the whole wheat with amaranth though…as this recipe is very compatible with adding a little bit of other whole grains.
Hi Lindsay,
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful bread. I was wondering if you have tried any recipes without gluten? Trying to make all of my own breads also, especially breads without gluten. For this recipie would a gluten free wheat work, also excluding the gluten flour?
Much thanks in advance!
I have not explored using this recipe with any gluten free grain. Gluten enables it to rise properly, so I have not a clue as to how to go about replacing the flour. I would probably try a recipe specifically designed for such, as in this yummy looking millet oatmeal bread. It just ends up being more expensive, as you have to replacing gluten with items like xanthan gum and tapioca flour. Have fun!
Lindsay- The second batch of bread came out much better! At hubbie’s request I added cinnamon and raisins on top of the flattened dough before rolling one of the loaves. The cinnamon raisin loaf is wonderful with breakfast, or sometimes I’ll have a piece w/ butter for dessert. Yum! We feel very blessed to have found your site. THank you!
Hi Lindsay. I just stumbled onto your site recently and am really encouraged/exhorted to continue bringing His Kingdom to our home in the areas of nutrition/frugality/general homemaking. I tried the bread recipe last night and ran into a few difficulties. I soaked the flour (whole wheat store bought), but used whey instead of kefir. I also mixed and kneaded by hand because the batch was too large for my mixer. The problem I ran into was that the dough kept getting very sticky. Is it supposed to stick to EVERYTHING when you are kneading it? I ended up using at least 10 cups of flour and had to bake it for twice as long to get rid of the doughiness. Any suggestions? It was still some of the best tasting bread I have ever had!
Valerie, so glad to hear that you enjoyed the bread!
First off, whey is going to be more liquidy than kefir, as I normally use (my kefir is a yogurt texture), thus you will naturally need more flour.
When soaking, try adding all the flour required in the recipe, plus a little more to get a moist texture. When you add the remaining ingredients you might just have to add more flour until it is only slightly sticky, as you are kneading. I would just recommend adding more flour and apply some oil to your hands to prevent sticking. It should not stick too much. You want to be able to roll it out to make loaves as mentioned above in the recipe.
10 cups of flour is pretty normal for me while using kefir, as I have found you usually have to add a bit more after soaking, so you may try 11-12 cups with whey. You are going for just slightly sticky! More flour will allow for the shorter baking time.
Hope that helps!
Blessings,
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay…I’m really enjoying your site! I’m getting ready to try your bread recipe. Having never used kefir before, I’m wondering if I am supposed to stick it in the fridge while it soaks with the other grains? Also, the kefir I bought is in “milk” form…is that the right kind? Thanks for your help!
Katie, go for it! I am excited to hear you try it out. Store bought kefir will be more like the texture of yogurt. If you make your own, it is more solid. You will want to leave the kefir and flour on your counter top to soak. The benefit of soaking is accumulating the natural bacteria from the air. So let it sit for 12-24 hours and then add the rest of your ingredients! Let me know how it goes.
Thank you so much! Just what I needed to know!
Lindsay,you have inspired me to begin making bread for my family! You said that you never buy flour anymore…Do you ever use white flour? If you do, what kind of “light” grain do you use? If not, how do you keep your recipes from being too heavy?
Thanks for the inspiration, wonderful blog!
Jennifer,
I grind my own grains to make it as fresh as possible, so I buy them in their whole state. I do not use white flour as it really has no nutrients in it (because it is overly processed to remove the good part of the grain, bran and germ, to make it light).
For bread, I use a combination of several grains, typically mostly hard white wheat (or hard red wheat), and soft spring wheat (which is also known as whole wheat pastry flour). I will add barley, and other grains in small quantities for extra nutrients. My recipe makes a really moist bread, and not heavy at all. Hard white wheat has a high gluten content which is great from bread, providing elasticity.
For other baking (muffins, biscuits, etc), I typically stick to the soft spring wheat (whole wheat pastry) as it does not have a high gluten content, making a more light final product! I also add a little of other grains (about 1/4 cup) to increase nutritional value.
Hope that helps!
fantastic post! can’t wait to try this after i get home from spain! blessings! lylah
Do you soak the grains, or the milled flour? I am confused.
But it sounds like a yummy recipe! I’d love to try it
Thanks for sharing.
Sorry for the confusion. You soak the ground flour not the grain. I made the clarification in the recipe.
Thanks for the tips. We make all of our own homemade bread. I LOVE how you described it – like a taste of Heaven!!
Blessings,
~Martie
Lindsay-
I was wondering what you use to grind your wheat? I’ve looked around a bit and it seems grinders are pretty spendy.
Thanks! I sure do enjoy your blog.
Carrie,
I use a Nutrimill purchased from Pleasant Hill Grain. It is a wonderful grinder and PHG is an excellent company. I isn’t the cheapest machine ($250), but it is well worth the investment. I use it for grinding fresh flour for all my baking needs! I never buy flour anymore.
Thanks everyone for your sweet comments!
I did have a Nutrimill that I used for about a year before selling mine. It was rather loud…and after doing a bit of reading I learned that the heat it provided the grain was probably oxidizing it and destroying some vital nutrients. Also…it grinds a super fine flour…which seems great but I did a bit of research on that as well and found that really fine flour may actually be digested as a simple suger and actually contribute to horrible diseases such as diabetes. I’ve since switched to a Jupiter mill which is mentioned in Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions and I absolutely love it!! It’s not nearly as fast as my nutrimill was…but it makes a beautiful flour that makes lovely bread. You can get it with a hand crank as well as the motor base and the kids just love cranking away at it!! Tons of fun for the whole family.
Hi Lindsay,
I just tagged you on my blog to be a part of the “wish list meme” you don’t have to participate but you’re tagged all the same! *wink*
I LOVE homemade bread. I just got a machine to do the work for me, but I think I like the texture better when you take more control over the rising and cooking time. But…I do love the hassle free-ness of the machine.
I think I’ll try using some different grains in mine next time.
Melissa & Steph,
I formally had a bread machine that did the work for me as well…but I grew tired of it failing on me. Very dry texture and never seem to rise properly. Hope you have good success! I love my Bosch mixer now.
This made me laugh because I made dough in my bread machine today, and it didn’t turn out! Maybe hand made is just better sometimes. I’ve been reading your blog for a few days, and I really enjoy what you have to say. I have just started a similar blog and was wondering if you would mind if I link back to you. I think women can learn a lot from you!
Take care!
yum!
Thanks for commenting on my blog again, Lindsey! I am intrigued by your healthy cooking–I would love to do more myself, but I live in a small southern town where there are few nearby resources for whole grains, etc. Thanks for the inspiration!
I have a question about your bread recipe. We enjoy millet but I had no idea I could use it in bread. What a fabulous idea. Please explain how you use it. Do you cook it, mill it or just use it raw? Thanks for your help. God Bless & I enjoy your blog; your baby is beautiful!
Susan
Susan,
There is no need to cook it in advance. I just throw it in for the added nutrition and the crunch it supplies. It works just fine as it is.