Whole Wheat Buttermilk Bread is my ‘quick cheat’ bread to replace sour dough. It has the same great tangy taste but doesn’t require using a starter.
This bread is simple to make in the bread machine. I will also give you the steps to switch this recipe to a hand-made loaf.
Most bread-machine recipes can usually, easily be adapted to hand-made bread recipes if you combine liquid, sweetening and yeast in one bowl and other dry ingredients in another.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 Cup Buttermilk
- 1/3 Warm Water
- 1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 Cups Hard White or Hard Red Winter Wheat Flour
- 3 TBS Organic Evaporated Cane Crystals
- 3/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 1/4 tsp Instant/Bread-machine Yeast
Bread Machine Instructions (Mix, Knead, Rise and Shape):
Place ingredients in the mixing compartment in the same order in which they are listed above. Select the ‘dough’ setting. When setting has completed it’s cycle, punch down and shape as a loaf and let rise the second rise in the oiled bread pan until dough has doubled in size.
Hand-made Instructions (Mix, Knead, Rise and Shape):
Combine liquid ingredients and sugar in a large bowl. Mix until sugar dissolves. Add yeast.
In a separate container combine all dry ingredients (in this case it’s simply fresh milled flour and salt). Add 1/2 cup flour mixture to wet mixture and stir to combine. Continue adding until dough is too stiff to stir.
While still in bowl, add remaining flour mixture and hand knead.
Turn out on to an oiled surface, oil hands and knead until gluten has formed (two finger poke test or up to 10 minutes of kneading). Set dough back in oiled bowl and cover to rise once until doubled in size.
Once risen, punch down and shape as a loaf and let rise the second rise in the oiled bread pan until dough has doubled in size (approx 30 mins).
Baking & Cooling:
Place oven rack in center of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
When bread has risen just shy of the actual loaf size, place in center of the heated oven.
Shut the door and lower temp to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes.
Remove bread from loaf pan immediately upon finished baking.
Let cool on wire rack a minimum of 10 minutes before cutting.
EnJOY!
Helpful Tips to remember:
- Buttermilk can be frozen in 2Cup increments for easy recipe use.
- Frozen buttermilk will separate when thawed (mine above), but it works just the same.
- This bread rises faster due to the acidity in the buttermilk.
- This bread browns faster in the oven due to the dairy content.
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