Whole wheat flour is admittedly hard to work with if you have never used it before. I always suggest to people that want to begin bread baking that they start with white flour and master that, then move to a white /whole wheat blend, and finally whole wheat.

100% Whole wheat flour is moister and stickier than white flour and the gluten in it develops at a slower rate. You will need to hand knead most whole wheat breads for a minimum of 15-20 minutes. If you use the wheat from white wheat berries the protein is higher and it will respond more like white flour. Still takes a lot of kneading though…and it will never not be sticky. Read more

Of all of the types of bread that I have made over the years there are a few that are classic. A few that i make over and over and over just because they are perfect. This is one of them.

Oatmeal bread makes a hearty and filling bread that is full of good things like fiber and B vitamins. It just tastes like a country morning. When toasted it is crisper than other toast, I think, and the nutty oatmeal flavor is more pronounced. We like it a lot as a sandwich bread, and it handles ham especially well. Read more

I have something to tell you. There is one thing I cannot resist. One way to get me to tell anyone anything. I have a weakness akin to Superman’s kryptonite or Garfield’s lasagne. Read more