Soft Wheat Bread

This recipe is the best you'll ever find for a soft and delicious wheat bread! I will be forever indebted to Anna for sharing this recipe with me.

*5/17/14: I reduced the amount of gluten, and modified the original instructions to reflect how I make the bread.

-Anna Hampton

2 cups hot water

½ cup brown sugar or honey

1 Tbsp. instant yeast

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour (plus more if needed)
2 Tbps. + 2 tsp. wheat gluten

⅓ cup powdered milk

⅓ cup shortening

1 ½ tsp. salt

Place sugar (or honey), yeast, and hot water in the bowl of an electric mixer or Bosch.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Add more white flour as needed, until dough pulls off bottom of bowl.

Mix/knead the bread dough until smooth and elastic (*6-8 min. in Bosch mixer- speed 2).

*Note: I let my Bosch knead without the center portion of the lid on so the dough doesn’t get too warm. I read in a bread book that you shouldn’t let the dough get above 90° while mixing, otherwise it can develop off-flavors.

Place dough in greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch down and let rest for about 5 minutes. Separate dough in half, and shape into loaves. Place in 2 greased 10” loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour.

Bake at 350° for about 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature is 200°.