Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- You can simply add the ingredients, select the whole wheat cycle, and still achieve a good loaf. However, for a truly superior loaf—with better flavor, texture, and structure—I recommend following the method outlined below. This approach gives the wheat bran and germ extra time to absorb the liquid and soften, resulting in a stronger gluten structure and bread that holds together beautifully.
- Measure 284 grams hard white or hard red wheat berries and 112 grams Khorasan berries. If you don’t have Khorasan, you may use all hard red or all hard white. You may also substitute Khorasan with Einkorn or Spelt. Next, run wheat berries through your grain mill on a fine setting. I use a NutriMill Harvest grain mill and have no issues getting all the flour to move through my grain mill. However, If your grain mill has trouble moving all the flour through the mill you may need to measure 1 or 2 grams extra of wheat berries to make up for any loss. Add 16 grams of milk powder and 1 teaspoon of salt to freshly milled flour. Mix gently with a spoon and set aside.
- Remove baking pan from Zojirushi bread machine. Place kneading blades in the pan per machine instructions. Next, place the pan on a scale. Tare the weight. Then, measure 250 grams of room temperature water directly into the bread machine baking pan. Tare weight. Add 51 grams of honey. Tare weight. Add 24 grams olive oil. Tare weight. Next, crack a room temperature egg into a separate small bowl. Whisk together with a small whisk or fork until it becomes liquid. Then, pour 30 grams of egg into the bread machine baking pan. Tare weight. The remainder of the egg will not be used in this recipe.
- Once the liquid ingredients are in the bread pan, pour flour mixture on top of liquids.
- Place the baking pan into the Zojirushi bread machine. Follow the Zojirushi Breadmaker instructions to set a custom cycle on the machine to knead for 5 minutes. I do this by turning off all cycles except the kneading cycle.
- Once the dough has kneaded for 5 minutes, set a timer to allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, sprinkle 1 ¼ teaspoon of yeast on top of the dough.
- Turn the machine on the whole wheat cycle and let the bread machine do the rest of the work. Remove bread from baking pan as soon as baking cycle is complete. I do not recommend using the “keep warm” cycle as this will cause the bread to become soggy.
- Allow the bread to cool completely 1-2 hours before slicing into the bread. For best results, use and electric knife to slice bread.
Notes
Note: If you do not wish to use milk powder you may substitute the combination of milk powder and water for regular milk. In this instance you will not use water but instead use 250 grams of milk.
Room temperature eggs will emulsify (mix) better resulting in a fluffy loaf of bread that holds together well. This advice is not only based on decades of personal experience but actual science. Yes, a cold egg will suffice in a pinch but for the best quality loaf of bread it is well worth bringing the egg to room temperature prior to use.