Delicious 50% whole wheat bread with bread flour and whole wheat flour and yeast. Great tasting loaf goes well sandwich or toast.
Last week I was too busy creating the traditional sweets and savory for Diwali, and my passion bread baking took a back seat. Yesterday to continue my passion, I decided to make simple and easy bread. The bread this time was 50% whole wheat bread with biga, and love the way yeast did it magic.
This 50% whole wheat bread is from my favorite bread book “Flour water salt and yeast “by Ken Forkish. I love his book; pizza recipe is a gem. I got perfect pizza with his baking technique. Day before the baking, make biga with bread flour and the next morning make dough with whole wheat flour. Amount of yeast that was used was a very small amount. Also I wanted to try to make bread because of my new banneton (proofing basket). I conditioned my banneton according to tips from Facebook group friends. Yes banneton works wonders in shaping the high hydration dough. This is not possible without it.
Once proofed and baked I got the color what I was expecting, then comes the daring part slicing the loaf. Once you slice it only you will came to know that whether yeast did wonders there. Usually in white flour you can see the magic predominately, however in other whole grains it is not that easy, and especially with rye it is really hard, but feel the wonders it did in the bread.
I like artisan type of bread a lot, even though I bake with egg, butter etc occasionally. Every day I am learning something. It is fun. Yes bread baking is like good addiction, more you bake it more you get the feel.
Here comes the easy artisan bread you can make it in your kitchen oven, you can use your Dutch oven if not try a cast iron skillet that works fine too. Do you know most delicious way to eat it is to apply some Nutella, the way my daughter taught me.
Here comes the recipe. Give it a try.
50% whole wheat bread
Ingredients
- Biga day before baking
- 250 g Bread flour
- 170 g Water
- 0.2 g Instant yeast
- On the day of Baking Final dough
- 250 g Whole wheat flour
- 1.5 g Instant yeast
- 230 g Water
- 11 g Salt
- All the biga
Instructions
- Day before baking in the evening, mix everything in the ingredients for biga and set aside for 12 hours at room temperature.
- On the day of baking, mix the ingredients for dough along with all the biga and mix well set aside.
- During first 1 ½ hours stretch and fold the dough at least three times (means fold the dough from the sides to center). Then when the dough is about triple its original volume it will be 3 to 4 hours (in my case it is 3 hours) after mixing.
- Then transfer the dough to a well floured surface and make a tight round ball. Transfer the boule to banneton or proofing basket to set aside for 1 – 1 ½ hours.
- By the end of second proofing pre-heat the oven to 475F with a Dutch oven inside.
- When you are ready to bake, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and transfer the proofed dough. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Then remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Remove the dutch oven carefully and tilt it to turn the loaf out. Let allow to cool the loaf on its sides so air can circulate around the loaf and cool the loaf at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
Winnie says
You are definitely a bread-master!
Gorgeous bread, and I'd looooooooooove a huge slice with lot of butter 🙂
radha says
Swathi, what a great looking bread, so very professional, awesome explanation, I dont think I will achieve half as much result as you have...you are the perfect baker I know...truly inspiring
Mayuri Patel says
the bread looks awesome.
Lisa says
Perfectly baked bread. I can almost smell it!
beenastephy says
Perfectly baked,.
Jayanthisindhiya says
Perfect bread,lovely baking dear.
Can u tell me what otg u use and the quantity of it and the settings for it.
Rumana says
Perfectly healthy bread..
Gourmet Getaways says
Aww...I can see the passion showing in the nicely baked bread! Happy Diwali, Swathi!!!
Gourmet Getaways
Poornima says
A perfect baked bread...
tigerfish says
Thanks for sharing the step-by-step photos. TOo bad I can't bake 🙁
Happy Diwali (kinda belated though)!
Swathi says
Thanks for wish, give it try baking is easy
sathyapriya says
Def you are a bread lover swathi .How many diff breads you have .Can you please post some basic Wheat bread recipe not with anything added apart from basic ingredients like yeast,milk,curd etc .Thanks in advance
Swathi says
Sure I will try to post some white bread recipes.