Braided Whole Grain Bread

White Whole Wheat Flour

A key ingredient to making this whole grain bread so delicious is the use of white whole wheat flour in place of regular whole wheat. White whole wheat has a sweeter and has a lighter flavor than regular whole wheat.

White whole wheat has similar amounts of fiber and nutrition as regular whole wheat but tastes way better. White whole wheat flour is made from hard white spring wheat and is high in fiber, protein, and 100 percent whole grain. It is relatively common and can be purchased online or at your local markets, it is usually non-GMO and sustainably farmed.

Easy steps to making this delicious bread:

1. Add the ingredients to the bread pan.
2. In a separate dish add yeast to warm water and let sit for 6 minutes, and then add to bread pan.
3. Set bread machine to dough or pizza setting and hit start.
4. Roll out 6 strands of dough and braid it, which takes about 15 minutes.
5. Now you just sit back and let the braided dough rise.
6. Add raised braided dough to oven for delicious tasty bread in 25-30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups white whole wheat bread
• 1-1/2 cup white bread flour
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 3 Tablespoons cooking oil, (olive, corn or vegetable)
• 2 eggs

Topping:

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a glass bowl add 1 cup of water and heat up in a microwave to at 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Add yeast to warm water and stir, let sit for 6 minutes.
2. Add flour, sugar, salt, to bread machine basket.
3. Once the yeast has worked in warm water for 6 minutes, pour into the bread basket.
4. Add eggs and oil to the bread basket.
5. Set bread machine to dough or pizza setting and hit start.
6. Once the bread machine runs this cycle, take out the dough. Set one-third of dough aside.
7. Take the other piece and divide into 3 equal portions. Roll each piece out to 13 inches in length and form a braid. Lie on a nonstick baking sheet or use parchment paper on baking sheet.
8. Take the remaining piece of dough and divide into 3 equal portions and roll each one out to 14 inches in length and form a second braid. Take the second braid and lay over the top of the first braid, tucking the ends in neatly. Set finished braid in warm place, and let rise for 45 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
10. Mix remaining egg with 1 teaspoon of water in small dish. Gently, brush egg mixture over raised bread and sprinkle with poppy and sesame seeds.
11. Place unbaked bread on a lower rack in 375 degrees preheated oven and bake until golden brown for 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye on it the last 10 minutes, some ovens run a little warmer.

Without a bread machine:

1. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients except for yeast.
2. Add yeast to a cup of warm water and let sit 6 minutes.
3. Next add yeast and water mixture, eggs and oil to large bowl with dry ingredients. Mix together with a mixer or your hands for 3 minutes.
4. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic about 8 minutes.
5. Placed dough in greased bowl and cover, let rise in warm place for about 1-1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

Tip: One way to tell if the dough is done rising is gently push a dent with your finger into the dough if the indentation does not pop back, then the dough is done raising, otherwise, give it more time.

Photos property of Valerie Boese.