I have been baking breads, white and whole wheat, for many years (but not
with a machine, only by hand and Kitchen Aid Mixer help) and have used the
whole wheat flours sold in grocer stores and flour I would grind/mill from
any Red Winter Wheatberries of no particular brand or source. About one
year ago I happen to taste some whole wheat bread an acquaintance of mine
had made and I was "in heaven". It was light in texture, sweet to taste,
and what I then realized was no after bitter taste I had experienced in
my own whole wheat breads. I couldn't get her recipe fast enough and was
sure she used some kind of gluten or enhancer - I had tried these in my
many experiments before also - but was SOOOO surprised to find that her
recipe was very very basic: whole wheat flour, yeast, water, honey, salt.
Nothing else! So I had to investigate her methods further to get to the
big secret and this was what I found. She grinds her own wheat and used
very specifically, a Montana Hard White Spring Wheat.
So I immediatedly bought 3 - 50# bags and also her brand of yeast which
is Fermipan - and made the most beautiful loaves of whole wheat bread I
had every made in my life. I am totally converted to this wheat now and
can hardly tolerate eating any other kind of bread.
So this is my story of finding the "perfect bread recipe". If anyone is
interested in the details of this recipe I will gladly bring it in to
work and post it for you.
Pat Hewitt
hewitt@sequent.com