100% Whole Wheat Bread with a Preferment

Honestly speaking, I am still not very happy with my 100% whole wheat breads 🙁 I have realised that adding a small amount of all purpose flour or semolina to the whole wheat flour enhances the texture of the wheat bread. Another way to bake perfect whole wheat bread is to add a mashed boiled potato to the dough. You can check on my potato whole wheat bread. But then, doesn’t every bread baker aspire to master 100% whole wheat bread? And I am also no different 🙂 You can check some of my whole

wheat breads like the autolyse method, tangzhong method, the Hokkaido bread and so on.

Now this bread uses a preferment. A preferment also called as Poolish is basically a fermentation starter comprising of flour, water and a pinch of commercial yeast. Mostly we mix an equal quantity (by weight) of flour and water with a pinch of yeast. However, I had to add more water to make a smooth paste. It’s then mixed and kept aside for several hours or overnight till it doubles in size. I kept for around 8 hours. The preferment is added to the flour, sugar, salt and yeast mixture and then kneaded like usual breads. This method intensifies the flavour of the bread as the yeast gets sufficient time to act with the starch and proteins of the flour. Moreover, this method increases the shelf life of the bread too.

Please do try this recipe and feel free to post your comments, queries and doubts here or on Facebook Messenger or you can mail me at pradeepa.nair0@gmail.com.
As always, I have used my 240 ml cup. You can skip the ghee and use oil to make this a vegan bread.

Ingredients:

For the preferment:

• Wheat flour 100 gm
• Instant yeast 1/4 tsp
• Water 100-115 ml

For the final dough:

• Entire preferment
• Wheat flour 325 gm
• Salt to taste
• Jaggery 1 tbsp
• Instant yeast 1/4 tsp
• Milk powder 1 tbsp
• Lukewarm water as required
• Ghee 1-2 tbdp
• Sesame seeds as required

Method:To make the preferment:

• Mix the flour, yeast and water in a big bowl.

• Cover and keep it aside for 6-8 hours.

To make the final dough:

• Take around 325 grams of whole wheat flour in a big mixing bowl.
• Add salt and milk powder to this.

• Mix the jaggery with around 1/2 cup (120 ml) lukewarm water and add the yeast to it. Stir well till the jaggery powder dissolves completely.
• Pour this liquid mixture into the dry ingredients.

• Now add the entire preferment to this mixture and start kneading.
• Sprinkle water slowly and knead by stretching the dough with the heel of your palm and folding it. (You can watch a couple of videos on YouTube on how to knead bread dough).
• Add ghee or butter or oil or grease your palm with this and knead for 12-13 minutes till the dough appears to be nonsticky, smooth, supple and elastic. (The dough should be wetter and softer than regular chapati dough). As each flour absorbs water differently, add water slowly and as much as your flour soaks in.

• Place the dough in a well oiled bowl and cover the bowl with a wet towel or lid. Smear some oil on top of the dough to avoid skin formation.

• Wait till the dough doubles in volume.

• Transfer the dough onto a clean kitchen counter and punch out the gases.
• Roll the dough into a big rectangle and fold it into one thirds.

• Now, roll it tightly into a log and pinch the edges and secure it.

• Place the rolled dough into a well oiled bread tin with the seam side down. I have used a 9 by 3.5 by 3.6 inches bread tin.

• Spray some water and sprinkle sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds on the top.
• Cover the bread tin with a big dome like lid and allow it to rise around one inch higher than the rim of the tin.

• Towards the last few minutes of proofing, preheat your oven at around 180-200 degree Celsius for 10-12 minutes.
• Spray some more water on the bread and place the tin into the oven.
• Bake for around 40-50 minutes. If the top browns in the first 20-25 minutes, tent it with an aluminium foil or parchment paper. (I use parchment paper or top and place a light baking tray or lid.)
• Once the bread looks fully done, remove the tin from the oven and apply some butter or ghee on top of the bread.

• Wait for 4-5 minutes and then transfer the bread onto a cooling rack. (Do not keep the bread in the tin for a longer time as the base would get soggy.) Loosen the sides of the bread using a spatula or knife.

• Place a moist thin muslin cloth or cheesecloth on top of the bread while it’s cooling down.
• Wait for atleast 3-4 hours before you slice the bread.
• Slice the bread using a long serated knife in a sea saw motion.

• Store in airtight container. Bread stays fresh outside only for two days. It can however be refrigerated for 4-5 days in an airtight bread tin or freezer for upto 8-10 days.
• Make sandwiches and enjoy your homemade preservatives and chemical free bread.