Quick Whole Wheat Bread



Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet, equiv.)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt (Kosher salt works fine)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup, 1 oz. water, at approximately 115 F



Preparation

Mix 1 cup bread flour (reserving the other cup for later) with the whole wheat flour in a bowl, then add sugar and yeast and salt; it’s important at this stage to keep the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, so that the salt does not immediately halt the yeast’s growth; I usually find it works well to put the yeast on top of the sugar, and then place the salt directly opposite that.
Add water and butter, and stir until all ingredients are well-combined; the stirring speed on a stand mixer with a dough hook installed should work fine for this.
Add the reserved cup of flour in parts, stirring to combine or mostly combine; this can also be done with a stand mixer.
Once all the flour is added, knead for approximately ten minutes, until the dough is elastic and bounces back when pressed with the pad of a finger; this can likewise be performed with a stand mixer, although I don’t know the timing.
Oil a separate bowl lightly, then roll the dough into a ball and place in the oiled bowl.
Cover and set aside until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Lightly oil your loaf pan, then press on the risen dough gently, deflating it.
Stretch the dough out slowly into a rectangle whose short side is roughly the same length as your pan, then roll up the dough, using a short side as the central axis, and place in the loaf pan seam-side down. Set aside to proof until appropriately risen (about doubled in bulk), another 30-45 minutes.
Partway through proofing, preheat the oven to 450 F.
Bake at 450 F for ten minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake until the top is golden brown and patches are slightly darker, generally at most 30 minutes.
Let the loaf rest in the pan for a few minutes after removing it from the oven, then release it; be careful, there will be steam!



Notes

Produces 1 loaf of bread.