Homemade Whole Wheat Molasses Bread
Keep up your clean eating habits with this easy recipe for healthy whole wheat molasses bread. It’s a rustic, crusty loaf that’s slightly sweet—perfect for toast at breakfast or for sandwiches at lunch. It also contains fiber and protein to keep you full.
Servings: 14 slices
Calories: 209kcal
Ingredients
- 3 ⅛ cups bread flour
- 1 ⅛ cups whole wheat flour
- 3 teaspoons fast-action yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 ⅓ cups whole milk
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Warm the milk to 115°F in a small saucepan or in the microwave.
- Pour the two flours into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl and stir each one in with your finger or a spoon.
- Add the molasses and butter and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until blended.
- Gradually trickle in the milk as the mixer runs, forming a sticky dough. You may not need all the milk, depending upon the humidity and the brands of flour you're using.
- Switch the attachment to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth, less sticky, and somewhat elastic. Test the dough with the windowpane test. Break off a lump of dough and stretch it between the thumb and forefinger of each hand. If the dough stretches until it's translucent without breaking, it's kneaded enough; if not, knead for a minute longer and check again.
- Shape the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Shaping & Proving the Loaf
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and punch it down all over to knock out the gas pockets. Fold it into thirds, then punch it down into a rough rectangle and fold into thirds again.
- Roll the loaf into a tight ball and place it seam side up in a floured, 10-inch round banneton.
- Cover the loaf and let it rise at room temperature until about doubled in size, roughly 1 ½ hours. The dough should spring back when gently poked with a fingertip.
- About 45 minutes before the dough is done proving, preheat the oven to 450°F.
Scoring & Baking the Loaf
- Gently turn the risen loaf onto a piece of parchment paper. Don't worry if the loaf deflates a little; it will rise back in the oven. Carefully score the loaf in the desired pattern with a baker's lame or very sharp serrated knife.
- Put the loaf inside of a cast iron pot, picking it up by the parchment paper, then cover with the lid.
- Immediately put the bread in the oven and bake at 450°F for 20 minutes, then remove the lid. Lower the temperature to 400°F and bake for another 25 minutes, covering it with foil if the crust gets dark. It's done when the loaf is deeply browned and has an internal temperature of 190-200°F.
- Let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack so it can release the steam inside, then slice and serve it. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients by weight. It's actually faster than using measuring cups, and is much more accurate.
- Don't skimp on the kneading, or the bread won't have a good rise or the best texture. Use the windowpane test in the instructions above to see if it's kneaded enough.
- Shape the loaf in a very tight ball. This will help the bread rise up, not flatten out.
- Don't have a banneton? Use a greased and generously floured bowl. Don't own a cast iron pot? Place the loaf on a cookie sheet and cover it with an ovenproof metal bowl.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 352mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
