Add milk kefir or kombucha to this whole wheat bread recipe for extra leavening.
INGREDIENTS:
- 12-13 cups whole wheat flour
- 5 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup milk kefir, kombucha, or raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp. sea salt
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 2/3 cup honey
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a large bowl, combine 8 cups of the whole wheat flour, warm water and kefir, kombucha, or apple cider vinegar. Cover and allow to soak in a warm place away from drafts for 24 hours.
- After the flour has soaked, there may be some small pools of water on top of the dough. Pour this off as much as possible.
- To the bowl of soaked flour, add about 4 cups of whole wheat flour, the active dry yeast, sea salt, oil, and honey.
- Mix well, stirring until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn dough out onto a floured board or table. Knead for 5-10 minutes, adding flour to reduce stickiness as needed. After kneading, the dough should be smooth and elastic.
- Preheat the oven at 350°F.
- Oil one regular-sized loaf pan. Shape about 2 pounds of the dough into a rounded rectangle. Place in a loaf pan, cover loosely with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm location for about 45 minutes.
- Bake, uncovered, about 35 minutes, or when the internal temperature reaches 200°F.
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Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving. When it is fully cooled, this bread stores well in a plastic bag in the fridge or breadbox.
