100% Whole Wheat Loaf

"Who says whole wheat bread has to be dense, dry, and tasteless? This 100% whole wheat recipe features the delightfully nutty taste of wheat in a fine-grained, moist, faintly sweet loaf."

You know what, they speak the truth. When I read the review, it didn't take long before I ran to baking store  and be back in my kitchen to try the recipe. By the time the sun smeared the sky purple in the afternoon, I've had a wondrous yeasty fragrant kitchen and the best home-baked wholewheat loaf for my afternoon tea. Could life be any sweeter?

I'd been in quest for a good one-hundred-percent wholewheat bread for quite some time that I almost gave up. They're always too dense, too dry, didn't taste really good, or I had to give up some part of the flour for white flour. But this, I love! Got it from King Arthur Flour website, tweaked a little bit, and I have a foolproof recipe I always can count on. Been baking this several times now and for me it's a life saver. Can't count on the so-called wholewheat loaf they sell in the bakeries, let alone supermarket. You have to find a European style bakery to get a full wholegrain bread in Jakarta. Last time I checked, only Vineth Bakery still sells this thing. Others only sell the fake ones, the ones contained only about 10-20% wholewheat flour in them. And they don't even taste good.

One afternoon I enjoyed it with homemade chocolate-peanut spread and fresh cheesecream, another time I had it with vegetables and homemade mayo for lunch. Call me wholewheat crazy, I'm happy.

Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Original recipe by King Arthur Flour
Modified by Riana, tweaked to fit Indonesian climate and all

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup honey
1 to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (use the greater amount in a dry climate; the lesser amount in a humid climate)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used rice bran oil)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
A handful of toasted sunflower seeds and rye flakes, or any nuts you fancy

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, milk, honey and water. Stir until the dough form a ball. Add oil and salt, stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. 
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. I did everything using electric mixer, from stirring to kneading. This dough should be soft, yet still firm enough to knead. Adjust its consistency with additional water or flour, if necessary.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a plastic wrap or dampened kitchen towel, and allow the dough to rise till puffy, though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface. Punch the dough, add the nuts, knead a little until the nuts are distributed evenly. Shape it into an 8 inch log, or two 20 cm logs. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan, or two 20 x 8 cm. Brush the surface with a little water, sprinkle with extra nuts, making sure they stick to the bread. Cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow the bread to rise for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, or till the center has crowned about 1 inch above the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 180°C.
5. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Test it with a stick poked into the center of the bread, if it comes out dry, it's dry.
6. Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. If desired, rub the crust with a stick of butter; this will yield a soft, flavorful crust. Cool completely before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

The homemade choco-nut spread, you ask? Bear with me, I'll post soon.
For now, enjoy your loaf :)

*what? the homemade mayo too?*