The whole wheat bread made with whole wheat flour is the latest creation in my kitchen. It has a flavor characterized by a rustic note given by this type of flour. The crumb is both compact and soft. It’s extraordinary paired with honey, especially chestnut honey; or to accompany cured meats, fresh and aged cheeses, sandwiches, etc… The rising times are rather long, not only because of the sourdough starter but also due to the double rising that gives it the characteristic softness. The preparation of this fragrant and tasty bread is very easy. It can be kneaded either by hand or with a stand mixer, and the dough is compact, easy, and pleasant to work with.
For those who do not have a sourdough starter, I have also included the procedure with yeast.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 1 Day
- Portions: 14/16 slices
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz Whole wheat flour (soft wheat)
- 7 oz Manitoba flour
- 5 oz Sourdough starter
- 0.4 oz Fine salt
- 1 tsp Honey
- 3 tbsp Soft butter
- 1.25 cups Water
- as needed Semolina (for dusting)
- 3.5 oz Whole wheat flour (soft wheat)
- 0.2 oz Fresh yeast
- 0.33 cups Water
Preparation
Flours are not all the same, so they do not absorb liquids in the same quantities. The amounts of water I have indicated may vary slightly, also considering humidity and room temperature. I always recommend adding it little by little to avoid dough that is too hard or, conversely, too soft.
Let’s start with the sourdough starter procedure
1) Refresh the sourdough starter as we are already accustomed to doing. The sourdough starter I use in doughs is always very soft, because this way it dissolves more easily and is better absorbed by the other ingredients.
2) Sift the whole wheat flour and the Manitoba flour together. As soon as the natural yeast is ready to be used, put it in a large bowl (if kneading by hand) or in the stand mixer bowl (with the flat beater) and add half of the flour mix, honey, and 200 ml of water. Start kneading to dissolve the sourdough and mix it with the ingredients (a couple of minutes with the mixer; a bit more by hand).
3) You will get a creamy mixture to which we will add the rest of the flour, salt, and the rest of the water, poured little by little, until we get a soft but compact mixture (it takes a few minutes either by hand or with the stand mixer).
4) Now add the diced butter, replace the flat beater with the dough hook, and knead for at least ten minutes or until the butter has been completely absorbed into the dough. At this point, cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature until it doubles.
5) When it has doubled, transfer it, without working it or deflating it, onto a lightly floured work surface with semolina, which will help dry the dough. Begin to wrap the dough on itself, rolling it towards you. You will get a cylinder that you will wrap again, starting from the long side. Transfer the dough into the mold lined with parchment paper and let it rise covered (about 5/6 hours, depending on the temperature of the place where it will rise).
6) Preheat the oven, place a small pot with water inside, and bring it to 356°F (180°C). Insert the bread, remove the pot, and close immediately. Let it bake for about 35 minutes (baking times are purely indicative, as they vary from oven to oven, so always be careful).
7) Once cooked, remove it immediately from the oven and take it out of the mold to prevent the bottom from becoming wet. Let it cool upright, resting on the short side. You can then proceed to slice it and enjoy it as you prefer.
Procedure with yeast.
A) Prepare the starter by perfectly dissolving the yeast in water and adding the sifted whole wheat flour. The resulting dough will be very soft. Let it rise until it doubles.
B) When it has risen, transfer it to a large bowl (or the stand mixer) and add all the other ingredients (the quantities are the same in both procedures).
C) From this step onward, we will work the dough as described above. Both baking and times follow the description in the previous paragraph.
