Whole Wheat Loaf bread

Have you ever had a memory of waking up in the morning and the first thing you smell was freshly baked bread? Or the aroma of cookies right out of the oven upon coming home from school? Well I didn't. Instead at home we have delectable mouth watering aroma coming from the kitchen that my Mom cooked. The thing is, no one in the family bakes. Cooking blockbuster home recipes, yes we have lots of them plus a whole lot of good cooks in our clan. From my Mom to my Grandma to my Aunts and cousins. But baking, not one. Our baked goods were from the neighborhood bakeries, or from tin cans bought from the grocery, or from distant relatives who can bake.

It seems ironic then that I have developed this passion for baking. Perhaps because my Husband, Toddler and I have all sweet tooth and I am dedicated to give in to this without having to eat unhealthy ones. Or perhaps since I am a stay at home Mom, I would like to help by not breaking the bank with visits to the dentist or doctor. Or perhaps the passion was just there waiting to be ignited in any member of our clan who showed any slight interest.

In any case, I am glad I am now fond of baking. It gives me something to love that is all mine without taking Husband and Toddler out of the equation. It makes weekends more fun because we all get to enjoy our baking projects. I research the recipe, Toddler makes the mess and Husband does the food photography. It also gives me an excuse to whip up something out of the ordinary in the kitchen and make it specially ordinary since I don't have great recipes for cooking.

Just like this whole wheat loaf bread. Remember this? Well I thought I would have quit after that. But I couldn't sleep when I always see myself as giving up so easily. So I researched, scoured the net, read again and again my Bread Bible book and tried again. And on the nth test, I think I finally did it. I finally baked it with the right size, consistency, softness and taste that is just right for my family. This is a perfect sample of memories of flour covered table and floor that I can give my little one. Freshly baked whole wheat loaf out of the oven care of his Mom. Ain't that grand (I am all smiles right now!)?

Whole Wheat Loaf Bread
recipe by CakesandMom

Sponge Ingredient

• 164g bread flour
• 30g whole wheat flour
• 6g instant yeast
• 228g warm water
• 154g warm milk

Dry Ingredient

• 436g bread flour
• 6g instant yeast
• 82g sugar
• 4g baking powder
• 41g butter
• 1 egg
• 3g oil
• 12g salt

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients under the sponge list in a bowl and set aside.
2. Mix all ingredients under the dry list (except the salt) and cover the sponge mixture by sprinkling all of it on top. Don't mix. Just make sure that the sponge mixture is covered. Cover and let it stand in room temperature for an hour and then let it chill in the fridge for another 24 hours.
3. Take it out of the fridge and let it stand in room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Mix the sponge and dry mixture using a wooden spatula. Just mix until all our incorporated. Then let it stand again for another 20 minutes. This is to allow the liquid to be absorbed properly by the dough. Then mix in the salt. 
5. Knead the dough for 8 minutes (under kneading it makes the loaf soft) Update: 12-15 minutes. Roll into a ball and put inside an oiled bowl. Cover with cling wrap and let it rise in room temperature for an hour or until double in size.
6. Divide the dough into 2 and roll each dough into a log and put in a loaf pan. Again, let it rise for another 30 minutes.
7. Bake at 180 ̊ C for 60 minutes Update: 53-55 minutes . Note: So as not to burn the outside of the loaf, cover each loaf with foil once surface of bread gets a little brown, preferably after 10-20 minutes into baking. Once the inside of each loaf reaches 200-210 ̊ F, they are done. For a softer loaf, 190-200 ̊ F.
8. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.
9. It's best to consume the loaf within 2-3 days.