At least 100 years ago, when my oldest daughter was attending good old Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. Her room mate and best friend’s mother would bake this bread. She would pre-slice the bread and wrap it tight. I’m pretty sure they considered this bread the most healthy food in the apartment. Her room mate, Joni, would willing share with my daughter, Charees. Charees would call and rave about Joni’s mom’s fabulous bread that sustained her life and that I HAD to get the recipe.
I did.
Charees was right this bread makes one fabulous slice of toast.
The recipe can, also, be used for just a great loaf of whole wheat bread.
The original recipe was for a Bosch mixer, which can hold more dough than my 6 quart Kitchenaid mixer, so I had to reduce the amounts to fit into my mixer. This recipe will work great in a 5.5 or 6 quart mixer.
You will need yeast (any active yeast will work), dough enhancer and Vital Wheat Gluten.
Just to let you know, after opening a bag of yeast I pour it into a quart jar with a lid and keep it in my refrigerator. I couldn’t tell you how long it lasts, because I go through yeast pretty fast. You can store the yeast in the freezer as well.
I love to use fresh ground wheat. This is my wheat grinder. The first time I used it I forgot to attach the green part into the grinding unit. I was so excited. I turned on the machine and poured in the wheat. Suddenly it was snowing wheat flour in my kitchen. My daughter, Charees, was standing right next to the grinder. In an instant she was completely covering in flour. HILARIOUS! Why didn’t I get a picture? I don’t think she laughed as much as I did. I’m still laughing. What a mess that was to clean up.
THIS IS THE WHEAT GRINDER I WANT!
I found this lovely gem in the January issue of Bon Appetit. It’s a Wolfgang Jr. Isn’t it a beauty.
The Bon Appetit article state: “Milling your own flower may seem like something out of an episode of Frontier House, but freshly ground whole grains are packed with vitamins, fiber and flavor that the industrial stuff lacks.”
There you have it. From the professionals. I love freshly ground wheat.
I use Montana Prairie Hard White wheat. Yes, the wheat you use can make a difference.
I like to grind the wheat right before I use it. The flour is warm and helps with the dough rise. It’s just lovely…what can I say?
Back to the recipe.
You will, also, need:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil (canola or light olive)
1 1/2 tablespoons of yeast (any active dry yeast will work)
1 1/2 tablespoons dough enhancer
1 1/2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 tablespoons salt (I use Kosher)
7-9 cups of fresh milled wheat flour (I just grind 10 cups of wheat)
4 cups warm water
Pour the warm water into the bowl of an electric mixer. Sprinkle the 1 1/2 tablespoons of yeast over the warm water. The water temperature should be around 110 – 112 degrees.
Stir the yeast to dissolve.
Add 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup oil. Mix.
At this point I like to add 2 cups of the wheat flour. Mix it in a bit. It will probably be lumpy, but that’s ok. Add the 1 1/2 tablespoons each of Vital Wheat Gluten and Dough Enhancer.
and 1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt. Mix.
I like to add the wheat flour 1 cup at a time. I continue to mix while watching for the right consistency.
I want the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
You will notice that I’m using the paddle attachment for the entire mixing period. I think it works just as good as the dough hook. That hook is a messy nuisance…in my opinion. I’m sure someone will comment on how wrong I am. I probably won’t change. Do what ever works. This works for me.
The dough looks great. I never know just how much flour I will need. Some days I use less than others. That’s why I didn’t give an exact measurement.
Love, love my King Arthur flour dough scraper. (not getting paid to say that)
Drizzle some oil in a LARGE bowl. Place the dough into the bowl.
Cover with a clean cloth and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size.
This is a good time to get the bread pans ready. Grease the bottom and sides of three bread pans. I am using 2 pans that are 4 x 8-inches and one that is 5-x 9-inches..because that is what I have.
Oh look at that dough. It’s ready. It is dang cold outside. The temperature has been hovering around 10 degrees F, that really stinks. Because it is cold it took about an hour for the bread dough to double in size.
Dump out the dough and knead a few times. Divide the dough into three equal sizes. I am going to make 2 regular loaves of bread and one cinnamon swirl.
If I were to make all cinnamon swirl loaves, I would need:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Mix together.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle. Dang, I forgot to measure how big. Ummmmm, probably 8 inches x 12-14 inches.
Sprinkle with the sugar cinnamon mixture. Dip your fingers in water and just sprinkle the dough with the water. Let me tell you why this is such a good idea. The water creates a bit of steam that melts the sugar. When the bread is sliced granulated sugar won’t fall out all over. It stays in the bread. It’s a great idea for cinnamon rolls, too.
Roll the dough up like a jelly roll. I like to tuck the ends under a bit.
Place in the prepared bread pan.
FYI: I have Chicago Metallic bread pans. Fabulous pans.
This is how I form my loaves of bread that don’t have cinnamon/sugar filling. I knead the dough a few times on the counter then let the weight of the dough fall a bit to make sure there are no air bubbles. Then form a ball.
Plop it in the middle of the prepare pan. Doing this will give you a pretty arched top to the loaf of bread.
Thank you, Sue, for showing me how to do this.
Cover with a clean dry cloth. Allow the bread to rise until double in size.
hint: I have found that at my high altitude of 5,500 above sea level that I let the dough rise to a little less than double.
Bake the bread in a pre-heated 325 degree oven. Because whole grains are heavier than white, I am baking the bread low and slow. That way the bread will bake evenly without a doughy center. The bread takes about 45 minutes to bake. Start watching the bread after about 30 minutes. You are looking for a nice golden color and a hollow sound when the bread is tapped.
Take not of the arched dome on the plain bread. Pretty.
Remove the bread from the oven and immediately remove from the pan.
I like to place the bread on it’s side so it will hold its shape.
Now I know why Charees raved about the bread. The cinnamon swirl is so fabulous toasted. It makes delicious, healthy french toast.
With or without cinnamon and sugar, the bread is fabulous.
I look at it this way. By the time I drive to the store to buy bread I can have the dough rising. The cost of whole wheat bread at a local bakery is over $5 a loaf! That’s crazy. The cost of grinding your own wheat and making bread is about $250 for the first loaf. That price includes a 25 lb bag of wheat and a dandy wheat grinder. Unless you want the Wolfgang Jr. then the price of your bread goes up to about $500. Totally worth it. Haha.
That makes no sense…I’m giggling.
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Bread
For a 5 1/2 to 6 quart Kitchenaid mixer:
4 cups warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons active yeast (I use SAF-instant)r
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 tablespoons dough enhancer
1 1/2 tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
7-9 cups fresh milled wheat flour
Filling:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Pour warm water into the bowl of an electric mixer. Sprinkle with yeast and stir into the water. If using active dry yeast, you will need to let this stand for about 5 minutes to activate the yeast. Add the oil and honey. Add 2 cups flour and mix; then add the salt, dough enhancer, and vital wheat gluten. Mix well. Continue adding the fresh milled flour 1 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and the dough is no longer sticky.
Place the dough into a large bowl that has been lightly oiled. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until double in size.
Grease the bottom and sides of 3 bread pans. Turn dough out onto the counter and knead a few times. Divide dough into thirds. Roll each ball of dough into a rectangle about 8 x 12-inches. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Wet fingers and flick water over the sugar/cinnamon surface. Roll the dough tightly so that air holes do not form. Place in prepared pans and cover. Let rise until a little less than double in size. Bake in a pre-heated 325 F oven for about 45 minutes or until golden and bread sounds hollow when tapped on. Remove bread from the hot pans and place on a cooling rack on its side to cool. Makes 3 loaves.
Recipe by Deanna Larsen, who happens to be one fabulous bread baker and wedding cake decorator extraordinaire. Who kept my daughter alive during those freezing semesters of college. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
What a great post with lovely story and step-by-step pics, of course. Unlike foreign countries the wheat grinder is very common tool in India. You remind me of my mom that how she would grind all flours at home only. So fresh and wholesome!
I don't think I would ever have had store-bought flours till I was in India. What a fabulous, fresh and healthy food prepared everyday by mom! Here, I really miss my mom's food made with all love + some handy tools like grinder and etc. I would get one for me from India soon.
Your breads looks so lovely. I would cry if I've made 'em and they come like yours. Should gotta try soon! Seriously 🙂
Thank you for your kind comment. I love to hear about your mom. She sounds amazing.
It could not have been 100 years ago that your daughter went to Ricks College because I was there then (1962) and don't remember her! Thanks for your great blog, I follow it religiously and I have voted everyday for your husband and his running gig. Fingers crossed!
Hahaha. It just SEEMS like a 100 years. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VOTING FOR THE OLD MAN. I love you!!!! I'm so glad I have a religious follower. You just made my day.
Fabulous post and I'm pinning this. One of my goals this winter is to start baking my own bread. The cost of the first loaf of bread is pretty close to what my first egg cost! It's hanging in there that makes it work out fine. I wouldn't dream of living without my chickens now!
Hahaha. My sister has started raising chickens and loves the eggs. How fun is that? Thanks for your comment.
This recipe looks fabulous. I'm not ready to commit to grinding my own wheat yet; is the amount of flour the same if it is commercially ground?
You can use the same amount of commercially ground wheat flour. King Arthur flour is a great sub.
Thanks for sharing this recipe and method! It's so helpful to see all the pictures that show each step!
Thank you for your kind comment. I hope you try the bread.
Thanks for your kind words! You're right–many loaves of that bread traveled to Rexburg. The girls enjoyed the bread along with your famous, yummy mint brownies and your other yummy creations.
I've been voting for Keith each day! Hope he wins a spot!
Thank you so much for voting for Keith. We hope he wins, also. But he is a Barton and we just don't seem to have that great of luck. We're giving it a shot anyway. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe. We love it.
i was just wondering where you get your petty dish towels you wrap up your bread with when you give it as gifts? and i am going to try making the Crusty Bread in my new cast iron dutch oven,,,,by the sounds of all the comments it looks to be a pretty good recipie…..ive never made home made bread befor so this should be interesting 🙂
I purchased the towels from Ikea, but it's been a couple of years ago. I haven't seen this design for a while. Thanks for your comment.
Where do you buy your wheat?
I buy my wheat at a local Bosch store.
This brings back fond memories of the year my mother-in-law and I were determined to make homemade cinnamon rolls. They just kept flopping no matter what we tried, but it was fun nonetheless. I've been afraid to try to bake anything with yeast since, but I may just try this recipe. I love your pragmatic, down-to-earth style…$250 for the first loaf. Hysterical!!
Thanks for your comment, Rebecca. Just remember yeast is your friend 🙂
Hello:-) This is Ambika writing to you from Madras, India. I want to try this recipe this weekend as my husband and I love whole wheat bread, but I have a couple of questions.
Firstly, can I make half the recipe by simply halving the ingredients?
And second, I do not know where to find dough enhancer here, but I do have wheat gluten at home..so If I do not use the dough enhancer will it change the results?
Thank you!
Hi Ambika. Yes you can half the recipe without any trouble. I think you can delete the dough enhancer and still have great results. I will be anxiously awaiting to hear about your results. Have a great day in Madras, India.
Thank you Janet, this is my weekend project…yaay am excited:)
Will surely let you know!
Hi Janet, I made this bread and it is great! Except I made them into whole wheat rolls instead of a loaf, and they turned our fantastic. The dough was still sticky, maybe next time I will add a bit more dough and knead it more. Thank you for this recipe, we love it! 🙂
HELLO JANET:
I JUST FOUND YOU ON PINTEREST TODAY AND HAVE SPENT HOURS READING YOUR WONDERFUL RECIPES.
CAN I MAKE THE CINNAMON BREAD WITH UNBLEACHED WHITE FLOUR AND WOULD I HAVE TO CHANGE THE RECIPE AROUND? I'M OFF TO THE STORE TO BUY INGREDIENTS FOR THE NO-KNEAD ARTESIANAL BREAD. I'LL TRY THAT FIRST. THEY BOTH SOUND GREAT AND YOU'RE A HONEY!
Hi Shirly, Yes you can substitute unbleached white flour. Just omit the vital wheat gluten and dough enhancer. I would assume the flour amount would differ slighttly. Just add enough flour to make a soft, but not sticky, dough. I'm so glad you found me. Wahoo Pinterest!
Just came across your recipe! Can I make this bread without a mixer? I have yet to purchase a kitchen aid mixer because I've recently started baking and cooking more. I hope I can make it without the mixer!
Thanks!
Hi Karen, yes this bread can be made without the vital wheat gluten. I would have responded to you directly, but the email I sent was returned. I must have gotten your email address wrong. I'm sorry and I hope you get this information.