Dave Dahl is the driving force behind Dave’s Killer Breads. Find out more at DKB or Dave’s blog.
Dave’s Killer 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Description
This is an awesome loaf of bread! If you’re looking for a whole grain, soft sandwich bread with a wonderful, sweet nutty flavor, this is your bread!
Ingredients
Scale
- Sponge
- 3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour (14 1/4 ounces/403 grams)
- 1/2 cup organic sugar
- 1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1 1/2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- Dough
- 3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour (14 1/4 ounces/403 grams)
- 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten (30 grams)
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Sponge In bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour, sugar and yeast, mixing until combined. Add the water, molasses and oil to the flour, mixing until incorporated. Beat dough for 5 minutes on low. Cover bowl and set aside for one hour.
- Dough: Add the remaining flour, gluten, salt to the sponge, beating until well mixed. If dough is too dry, you can add another tablespoon or two of water. Using the dough hook, if possible, beat the dough on medium high speed for 10 to 15 minutes, until a window pane develops (see video). You should have a nice, smooth dough.
- Cut the dough into two equal pieces, cover with a slightly damp towel and set it aside to let it rest for 15 minutes. Roll dough into a smooth log, making sure to get the air out. Repeat with remaining dough. Place shaped dough into greased pans and let proof until it begins to peak over the pan. Preheat oven to 350°F while bread is rising.
- Let rise in pans about 1 hour, or until the dough has risen enough to really fill up the pan, and has crested over the top. Bake loaves in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 190°F.
Notes
This recipe is best made with a heavy-duty stand mixer. Copyright © 2008 Dave Dahl
This recipe rocks!!! I’ve made it several times and get fantastic consistent results and two great loaves of bread! Note that for better texture use finer, high quality flour. Dave rocks!!!
Hey great recipe! Daves bread wouldn’t like this but we don’t buy his bread any longer. We make are own! Have been making it twice a week for over a year. You just have to watch the hydration of the dough. Don’t add all the flour at once, you may not need that 3rd cup. If it’s too dry you will end up with really stiff dough that doesn’t rise or have much oven spring. That’s are opinion after many loaves. No complaints though! This bread rocks! Stays fresh for days and makes awesome sandwich bread. Thanks for sharing the recipe! God bless from Northern Idaho!
Hey great recipe! Daves bread wouldn’t like this but we don’t buy his bread any longer. We make are own! Have been making it twice a week for over a year. You just have to watch the hydration of the dough. Don’t add all the flour at once, you may not need that 3rd cup. If it’s too dry you will end up with really stiff dough that doesn’t rise or have much oven spring. That’s are opinion after many loaves. No complaints though! This bread rocks! Stays fresh for days and makes awesome sandwich bread. Thanks for sharing the recipe! God bless from Northern Idaho!
Sponge? How do I make it?
Becky the Sponge is made during the first step. It’s confusing because there is not a ( : ) colon after the word sponge!
Hope this helps ????
Thanks for this! We are WFPB SOS Free. How can I make this without sugar salt or oil? Or at least minimal salt (I think you have to have salt in bread, right?) Do you think you could use date syrup? How about a little tahini or peanut butter for fat? Can you make a bread without any fat at all?
Penny – you can simply omit those ingredients, but it definitely won’t be the same. I would recommend you find a recipe for bread that doesn’t need tweaking, though, because the substitutions you would use for regular cooking do not translate when making yeast breads. As written, it is a solid bread. My family eats WFPB and I make this multiple times a week.