Brett's Sweet Wheat Bread
Here's a sweet, full-bodied whole wheat bread that contains
almost no fat. (There's no added shortening in it at all, which
surprises tasters who labor under the misapprehension that low-fat
cooking can't be good.) Great for toast or with non-fat cream cheese.
This particular recipe works flawlessly every time in my Welbilt
ABM 6000. I switched from the 2000 to the 6000 because the 6000's
unusualy long kneading times and three rise periods greatly
improve the final results. (The 2000's 20-minute warm-up cycle,
which can't be bypassed, was also an annoyance.)
The 6000 yields tall loaves with well-developed gluten. The
oblong loaves are shaped more like what you'd buy at a bakery,
rather than industrial-looking cylinders.
This recipe works best if you proof the yeast. If you add the
ingredients in the order given and wait for the yeast to foam,
you'll get very uniform results.
Mix in 2-lb bread machine pan:
1 1/4 cup + 4 T water (approx body temperature;
test on your wrist!)
4 t yeast (I use Red Star commercial yeast - Sam's Club bulk pack)
1 T sugar
1/3 cup honey
4 t apple butter
Allow yeast to feed 5 minutes or until small bubbles
are visible. Then, add:
1 1/2 t salt
And mix well. Add:
1 T + 1 t nonfat dry milk
2 C whole wheat flour (I use Amberwaves organic)
2 C bread flour (I use Hungarian High Altitude unbleached)
1/2 t cinnamon (or to taste)
Start the machine and bake on the whole wheat cycle (if
available). Be prepared to adjust moisture according to altitude
and moisture content of flour. (This recipe sometimes requires an
extra tablespoon or two of water at 7300 feet, where I now live.)
The nonfat dry milk and high-gluten flour make this recipe
relatively tolerant of small variations in measurement.
Try the medium crust setting first and adjust if needed.
Optional additions:
1/4 C raisins, currants, dried cranberries
1/4 C crisp rice cereal (coarsely crushed)