Try this recipe for a classic whole wheat bread using Nash’s freshly ground hard red wheat flour. This recipe was submitted by one of our happy customers — please let us know if you have a recipe you’d like to share!
The Sponge
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
A drop of molasses
2 cups Nash’s Hard Red Wheat flour
Dissolve yeast in water. Add molasses and let stand 5 minutes. Beat in the flour. Cover with a towel and let rise 30-60 minutes. When the sponge rises, prepare the mix.
The Mix
1 cup cracked wheat berries
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sweet butter
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup seedless raisins
Combine all ingredients. Let stand 30 minutes covered, and 30 minutes uncovered. Beat into risen sponge (100 strokes with a spoon).
Add 3-4 cups Hard Red Wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, graduating from a wooden spoon to hand mixing as dough thickens. When all the flour is added, turn out the dough on to a floured surface and knead it a good 15-20 minutes. Add small amounts of extra flour if dough is sticky. Return the kneaded dough to an oiled bowl, roll it around in the bowl so that it gets all nicely oiled, and let it rise, covered with a towel, until its bulk has doubled, about an hour.
Punch down the risen dough, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it another 15-20 minutes. Form your desired loaves, place them in well-buttered bread pans, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk one more time.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Brush top of loaves with melted butter just before baking. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans right away so the crust can crisp. Allow to cool for 10 minutes for easier slicing.
We thank The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen for this recipe.