Everyday Bread

Measure out your warm water into a large, liquid measuring cup. Make sure it is the right temperature! Add in the 2 teaspoons of sugar and the yeast. Give it a brief stir and then stick it someplace warm for 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining sugar, the vital wheat gluten, and the whole wheat flour. After the yeast has had a few minutes to wake up and begin to get all bubbly add it into the whole wheat mixture. Also measure out and add in the oil. Stir until combined and let sit for a minute or two. Add in the salt and then stir. Slowly incorporate the all purpose flour in 1/2 cup increments until dough becomes difficult to stir by hand.

Turn it out onto a board/counter top and knead in the remaining flour. You may not need all 4 cups – you want the dough to non-sticky with an elastic feel, but not stiff. Knead for 8-10 minutes. DO NOT SKIMP ON THE KNEADING!

Spray the mixing bowl (or a new clean one) with non-stick spray and place the round of dough in the bowl. Give the top of the dough a quick spritz of the spray and then cover and let it rise somewhere warm for 2 hours. Punch it down and remove from bowl. Make sure you flatten it to remove all air bubbles. Form into loaves and place in greased loaf pans (I use 8×4). Place in a warm place and let rise for another 2 hours. Then bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.

Now, here is the important part. If you want to be able to retain the soft, fluffy texture and use it for sandwich bread (and really anything other than fresh eating) let it sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes after you have removed it from the oven. This is where making 2 loaves comes in handy, especially if you’re like me and have very little self control when it comes to fresh baked bread. Sacrifice one loaf to save the other (lol).

After the bread has sat in the pan for 10-15 minutes, remove it from the loaf pan and set it on a cooling rack. Cover with a plastic grocery bag or tea towel and let it sit for 20-30 minutes undisturbed. After 30 minutes remove the covering and let it cool completely. When it it is completely cool, wrap it in plastic wrap or place in an air tight container – don’t use it until the next day! This not only will help it retain a soft, fluffy, almost “store-bought bread” like texture, but will make it easier to slice thinly for sandwiches, toast etc.