WHOLE WHEAT BREAD, My first bread,

in fact my first baking attempt. The bread was very good and made from whole wheat flour. (regular atta) I wanted to make a healthy bread without refined flour and am happy with the result. Even though it was not as spongy and soft as 'bangalore iyyengar bakery'
bread the taste was very good.

As soon as i got my new oven first thing i wanted to try out was the bread. So googled for the recipe and found this recipe on utube. Original recipe calls for lecithin which i don't know where to get. Trying to find it. I have changed the amount of the ingredients. This recipe will make one small loaf.



Whole wheat flour -- 2 cups
Milk -- 3/4 cup
Butter/oil -- 3 tablespoons
Honey -- 1 tablespoon
Yeast -- 1 tablespoon(active dry)
Salt -- 2/3 teaspoon / or to taste
Oil / butter for greasing

Heat the milk to lukewarm (40-42 degree C). That is the best temperature for the yeast to activate.
(If you don't have a thermometer then heating up a cup of water/milk for 1 minute in microwave should work fine.)

Add the honey and the yeast to the warm milk and set it aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes the yeast mixture will be frothy and bubbly.

(If this doesn't happen possibly the yeast is dead. Better use fresh yeast and start from the begining)

Take the yeast mixture in a mixing bowl and add the butter/oil , and give the liquid a stir.

Now gradually add the flour to this mixture, while mixing with a spoon. When the mixture becomes thick batter-like, add salt.
(Adding salt in the beginning will kill the yeast, preventing the dough from rising properly.)

Keep adding the flour until it becomes difficult to mix it with a spoon and the dough starts leaving the sides if the bowl, remove it on the cleaned counter top or a wide flat surface for kneading.

Lightly dust the counter top and knead the dough until the dough stops sticking to the surface and becomes smooth and soft. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

Once done, oil the bowl. Coat the dough with oil to prevent it from sticking to the bowl. Cover it with a wet cloth and leave it in a warm place until it doubles in size. This should take about an hour in warm weather.

Once it is double in size, punch it down. Lightly knead again to remove all the air bubbles.

Grease a bread pan. shape the dough into a loaf and place it in the pan. Cover it again with the wet cloth and let it rise. It should take some 45 minutes to double again. Once doubled ready to go in the oven.

Fifteen minutes before the final time is up preheat the oven to 180 degree C. Place the pan in the hot oven and bake the bread at 180 degree for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the pan immediately and let it cool on a rack. Slice them and serve once cold.