This is my revised rating, I rated it several months ago, and now make this bread about 3 times a week. Of course, it's still a 5, I just found some ways to make it even better, and perhaps my tips can help someone else. I use the Basic setting, NOT the wheat, and I use the light crust option. I mix all dry ingredients together-except for salt-before adding them to the machine, including 3 TBS of vital wheat gluten (1 TBS per cup of flour). My machine takes wet ingredients first, and I add the salt to the liquids instead of the dry, because I have learned that salt can kill the yeast at a certain stage. I have had no more problems with rising since I started doing this (and also adding the wheat gluten).
This bread is my family's standby...we haven't bought bread in several months! It's wonderful to see my loved ones eating such healthy bread, and it's very easy to make in the bread machine. Sometimes I even mix up the flour mix in separate bags, and then when I want to make a batch, I just dump a premixed bag in with the water, salt, honey, and yeast. It's working out just fine, thank you for such an easy, healthy recipe that is now our basic every-day bread.
Wonderful whole wheat bread ... my family loved the sweetness. I did substitute butter for the shortening and it turned out great. The crust was a little chewy so will bake it on "light crust" next time.
This recipe was fantastic! YUMMY! I used 1 cup of unbleached bread flour and 2 cups of stone ground whole wheat to get a better rise. I don't have a bread machine, so i proofed the yeast and made the dough in my mixer with a dough hook. For the few people having trouble with this recipe, the recipe works, but bread can be tricky if you don't understand the basics. If you're making this in a bread machine and adding the yeast with all of the dry ingredients, take note of a few things: first, the water needs to be the right temp. around 120 degrees F if you are adding yeast to the dry ingredients in the breadmaker. if it is not warm enough, the yeast will not activate, if it is too warm (about 130 degrees) the water will burn and kill the yeast. the honey content needs to be just right as the yeast eat sugar, and like people, they can starve or overeat if there is too much sugar in the recipe (which makes them lethargic), if you want more honey, add more yeast. also, wheat flour must be kneaded longer to glutenize, i kneaded it for about 10-15 minutes.
I didn't have the dry milk so I too used 1 cup water 1/8 cup skim milk. I also subbed 2 tbsp. canola oil for the shortening. I proofed the yeast in the cup of water at(110 degrees) sprinkled with a little sugar. Let the yeast proof for 5 minutes or so. That way you do not waste ingredients, if your yeast doesn't proof START OVER because your loaf will be rock hard. I have a kitchen aid mixer so I let that do the kneading for about 2 minutes. I do not have a bread machine either so I let it rise once for and hour, then I put it in the greased breadpan and let it rise another hour. It baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. It was GREAT bread. My 8 yr. old loved it and had no idea it was good for him. Thanks for this recipe!!
This is the best whole wheat loaf I have made so far. Great flavour and texture.I replaced 1/2 cup wholewheat flour with bread flour for lighter texture.Definitely be making it again.
First time using bread machine and I've heard of many first time failures...I used this recipe bread came out great just the right amount of honey and everyone loved it!
YESS! I played around with this a couple of times and used some of the other reviewers suggestions, and finally came up with a perfect loaf of sandwich bread. or serve a nice, warm, buttered slice w/ soup. Delicious!! SO here's what I did (based on other reviews): 1. Used butter instead of shortening (and put it in w/ the wet ingredients). 2. Subbed 1/8 cup warm milk for 1/8 cup of water, because i didn't have milk powder. 3. Used 1 cup of unbleached bread flour and 2 cups whole wheat. 4. Added 2 TBSP of wheat gluten and mixed dry ingredients (except yeast and salt) before putting in the machine. 5. Cooked on the white bread (basic) setting & light color, as someone recommended. It turned out PERFECT. Perfect height, shape, texture, and great flavor. Hearty but still soft. I am going to try upping the whole wheat flour 1/8 cup at a time, as I'd like to do 100% WW but it never seems to make a very good loaf for sandwiches. Thanks everyone for the tips!
The best wheat bread I've made. Light soft and moist with a hint of honey. I've made this several times and will keep on making it.
We love this recipe! I've been making it for months now. I use whole wheat that I grind myself. In order to accomodate my Zojirushi Bread Maker (2lb loaf) I adapted the recipe to 16 servings. For a perfect loaf I add the salt to the water 3T. of wheat gluten to the flour and I sub butter for shortening. Bake on the Basic/Light setting not wheat. If bread is still a little too dark decrease honey (the extra sugar content is what causes browning. Thank you for a wonderfully healthy recipe!
I have made this recipe twice and it has not done well either time. It is too tough and lacks flavor.
