Whole Wheat Braided Bread

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Let's break bread over this incredibly soft whole wheat wonder! Not only is this recipe a winner in the texture department (seriously, the softest I've ever made!), it's also surprisingly consistent, even with its short and simple ingredient list. It's quick to whip up, a joy to bake, and yields a beautiful loaf that seems much more intricate than it actually is.

Imagine the possibilities! Gift this delightful bread to loved ones, impress guests with your baking prowess, or even hold it proudly in photos for that special dating profile pic (we all know good bread can be a conversation starter!). So ditch the complicated recipes and embrace the ease and satisfaction of this one. Have fun baking, and get ready to enjoy the softest, most consistent whole wheat bread you've ever experienced!

 

Equipment:

·      Mixing bowls

·      Big spoon

·      Optionally, stand mixer with dough hook attachment

·      Baking tray

·      Baking paper (parchment or similar, not wax)

·      Oven-safe container for water

 

Ingredients:

·      4 - 4¼ cups whole wheat flour

·      1 tsp salt

·      2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast

·      1 cup warm water

·      2 tbsp lemon juice or other sour citrus juice

·      1/8 cup granulated white sugar

·      ½ cup peanut or other vegetable oil

·      2 eggs

 

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Set aside for now.
• I recommend starting with 4 cup of flour and gradually adding more as needed when at the kneading stage. Do not add more than 4 ¼ cups of flour in total.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in all of the warm water. Let sit while proceeding to the next steps.
3. In a medium bowl, crack the two eggs, break yolks, and mix well. Aim for an almost-even yellow/orange color, not fluffiness; don’t do more work than you need to. To this bowl, gradually add the sugar and mix into eggs. Add the oil and mix until homogeneous. Add the yeast that you previously dissolved in warm water, and again mix until homogeneous. Mix in the lemon or citrus juice immediately before proceeding to the next step.
4. Pour the wet contents of step 3 into the large bowl from step 1 and mix with a large spoon until a somewhat cohesive dough is formed. My personal preference is to mix everything by hand until a dough is formed, then to use a stand mixer with a dough hook for the kneading if I feel low on energy.
5. Knead for around 10 minutes by hand or using a stand mixer. After kneading, coat that same large bowl with a thin layer of oil, place the kneaded dough in the bowl, and cover with cloth or plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
6. After the rise, uncover the dough and divide it into two equal-sized pieces. Lightly oil a clean work surface and divide one of the pieces further into three segments. Roll each of the three segments out into ropes that are thicker at the center and thinner at the ends, about 12 inches or 30 centimeters long. Now, start braiding, then repeat for the second piece.
• Lay all three ropes splayed out like the front toes of a chicken’s foot, and pinch together the ends of the one side that are close together.
• Grab the rightmost rope and lay it over the middle rope but not on the leftmost rope; it should be between the two. Then, grab the leftmost rope and lay it over the new middle rope. Continue this process until the whole length of the ropes are braided. Pinch together the other end and tuck both ends under the loaf to keep it from unraveling.
• Important note: do not pull the ropes longer when braiding as this might result in a shorter loaf and denser bread. Braid the bread like you’d braid a good friend’s hair.
7. Once both loaves are braided, transfer both to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Do not let the loaves touch or they will fuse together. Let the loaves rise in a warm place again, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• I use a warm turned-off oven so that I don’t have to worry about dust or things sticking to the loaves. If the oven is on, even at low temperatures, the heating element may dry out the dough before it’s ready to bake. Make sure to take out the loaves before preheating the oven, though!
8. Preheat oven to 350°F. While the oven is preheating, bring some water to a boil in an oven-safe container, like a simple saucepan. Once the oven is heated, place the container of boiling water on the bottom of the oven to create steam. Then, put the baking tray with the loaves in the oven, middle rack, and bake for 30 minutes. 
• I highly recommend against placing anything on an oven rack above these loaves. Doing so may block direct heat from the oven heating element and prevent the development of that beautiful golden-brown color.
9. If you've read my posts before, you'd know that I normally suggest waiting for loaves to cool completely before cutting. However, these loaves are light and get eaten so quickly that it doesn’t make a big difference. Enjoy!