Beth's 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Total Time: 24 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 24 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 1 1/2 cups filtered water (room temp.)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour (packaged is fine, though)
• 1/4 cup sourdough starter, at its peak (whole wheat starter works best)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons bread enhancer
• 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
• 2 1/4 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour

Recipe

• 1 the afternoon before you want bread, feed your starter 1 cup distilled water and 1 cup flour (not included in recipe ingredients).
• 2 that evening, when it is all bubbly and active, combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, cover loosely, and allow to get bubbly like a fed starter does but not at it's peak yet (about 5 hours). this is essentially a sponge.
• 3 that evening, add remaining ingredients.
• 4 knead until the gluten is developed and it passes the windowpane test (when a golf sized ball of it is worked and stretched thin, you can see light through it and it doesn't rip), about 6-8 min in a kitchen aid.
• 5 divide into 2 loaves and shape, placing them into 8.5 x 4.5 greased bread pans (they will be smallish loaves). it would probably make 1 very large loaf in a 9 x 5 pan.
• 6 cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap.
• 7 allow to rise until doubled (not very tall, just doubled). this went much faster than i anticipated (6-7 hours). if you have a fast rising starter, i would suggest placing the unrisen loaves in the fridge or a cool place to slow it down a little. this will also develop a more sour flavor.
• 8 bake at 350 for 30-40 minute.
• 9 remove from pans immediately and cool on a wire rack.