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!
Bread Baking Problems & Solutions
Tips for the Best Bread
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.