100% Whole Wheat Wizardry

This was a baking choice born out of necessity. I had but only whole-wheat flour left in my pantry, so I was forced to play my hand all whole-wheat.....I am seeing now as I proceed through more and more recipes that, while the basic recipe formulation for bread is a relatively precise art, there is a broad depth of options for the adventurous baker when put to the task. You can really freely mix and match different ingredients to suit your taste and palate. Basically in all the many loaves that I have now baked, there hasn't really been any catastrophes. I thought for sure that this all whole-wheat bread would end up feeling and tasting like a block of cement, but in the end it turned out (thanks to some great advice) very moist and delicious.

The Wail of the Whole Wheat: Death, Scream Bloody Gore (1987)

The Starter Sponge

-230g Whole-Wheat Bread Flour (use medium grind flour if you can find it)
-4g Yeast
-1 cup Water

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover with cling film and let rise for 4 hours.

The Dough


-120g Whole-Wheat Bread Flour
-5g Salt
-2g Yeast
-28g Honey
-28g Pureed Soaked Raisins
-85g Cooked Rice (any type)
-The Entire Starter Sponge

Combine all these ingredients and form a dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. The final dough will feel slightly firmer than a bread made with white bread flour, this is normal. Place the dough in a clean bowl and let rise for 2 hours or until it doubles in size. After rising shape the dough into your desired loaf shape. I placed mine in a round breadform, but you can simply put the dough on a baking sheet. Cover with a plastic bag and let proof at room temperature for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 450 F and turn the proofed dough onto a floured baker's peel. Slash the surface of the dough with a serrated knife to encourage expansion. Place an empty baking pan on the bottom most shelf of the oven. Slide the dough onto your now hot baking stone and throw 1 cup of water into the pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust is evenly dark brown.