Fresh Milled Stone Ground Flour: Whole Wheat Milk Bread

By SharonE

This is my first recipe using freshly milled flour from a local mill (unrefined, organic, no stabilizers,100% stone ground ONLY, small batch). You really need to know what the dough should feel/look like so you can make proper adjustments. The cons of using locally milled flour is that there is no consistency. For pure flour, yeast, salt, water recipes, you should adjust the water (increase) but for enriched breads (eggs, butter, etc.), hold back on the flour and add more, if necessary, after you've mixed. I'm not a fan of whole wheat but wow, this is amazing...truly a taste difference. Super soft bread...makes the best ever toast. (Flour Mill: Grist & Toll, Pasadena, CA)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (8 oz) water
• 1 cup (8 oz) whole milk
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp), or instant yeast
• 4 tbsp (2 oz) honey
• 2 1/2 cups (12 oz) Whole Grain Bread Flour (Hard White Spring Wheat, 12.5% protein)
• 2 cups (9 oz) Whole Wheat Flour (Hard Red Spring Wheat, 12% protein)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 4 tbsp (2 oz) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

Preparation

Step 1

NOTE: This recipe is for fresh milled flour which tends to absorb more liquids. If you are using store bought flour, you will have to adjust the amount of flour (most likely add) or reduce the liquids.

If using active dry yeast, warm water and milk until 100F. Otherwise, use cool tap water/room temp. milk.

Pour water and milk into bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Add yeast and honey, mix around. Let stand 10 minutes if using active dry yeast.

Stir in flours (holding back some), oats, butter and salt. Knead on high speed for 1 minute. Let dough rest for 15 minutes in bowl. Continue mixing on med-high speed for another 4-5 minutes. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl. If not, add more flour, 1 tbsp at a time to bring the dough together. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times by hand. You can perform the windowpane test to see if it's been kneaded enough. Place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size (if using instant yeast and cool water, this could take longer, which means more time for flavor development).

Punch down dough, transfer to a work surface. Press out into a square shape, roughly 8x8. Roll up into a log, pinch seams and ends to shape and place in lightly sprayed 9x5 loaf pan. Preheat oven to 375F. Loosely cover and rise again for 35-45 minutes, until dough reaches just up over edge of pan. You can push a finger into dough to see if it slowly springs back (keep rising if it springs back quickly).

Bake 40-50 minutes, or until loaf is hollow when tapped on bottom. Remove from pan immediately and place on a wire cooling rack.