I adapted one of my straight dough wheat bread recipes to use the sponge method. Here is the recipe that I used this morning to bake a fragrant loaf of wheat bread.
Molasses Honey Wheat Bread using sponge method
Makes one 2 lb loaf
Time about 10 hours (9 hours total proofing & rising, 1 hour baking, 15 minutes kneading & forming loaf)
Prepare by hand, in a stand mixer or a bread machine dough cycle. Bake in a regular oven.
This loaf will make a wonderful smell while baking because the long period of sponge proofing develops a lot of fragrance. It has a fragrance that the single dough process just doesn’t produce, especially from the whole wheat flour.
Sponge:
2 cups (240g) whole wheat flour
1/4 cup (20g) raw wheat germ (I used Bob’s Red Mill )
2 Tbsp (15g) vital wheat gluten (optional)
2 Tbsp (15g) malted milk powder (Ovaltine original - don’t use chocolate flavored)
2 Tbsp (15g) non-fat dry milk or powdered coffee creamer
2 tsp (5g) diastatic malt flour (optional)
1/2 tsp (3g) table salt
1 1/4 cups (300g) room temperature water
1/4 tsp (1g) instant dry yeast**
2 Tbsp (40g) molasses
1 Tbsp (20g) honey
Remainder of dough:
2 cups (240g) bread flour
1 tsp (6g) table salt
2 tsp (5g) instant dry yeast**
1/4 cup (60g) room temperature water
2 Tbsp (30g) softened butter
Topping:
1/4 cup (20g) rolled oats, quick or regular
Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, stir together the dry sponge ingredients mixing well (except for the yeast).
Mix the sponge water, yeast, molasses and honey together in a cup, mixing well.
Stir the water mixture into the dry ingredients with a fork.
Stir until all the sponge dry ingredients are moistened and there are no dry spots.
Cover the sponge bowl loosely and place on the kitchen counter at room temperature for 8 hours.
In another mixing bowl, stir together the bread flour, 1 tsp table salt and 2 tsp instant dry yeast. Set aside until required.
In a mixing bowl by hand, or using a stand mixer bowl or bread machine mixing pan, add the sponge that has risen for 8 hours.
Add the bread flour mixture to the sponge.
Mix the sponge and bread flour mixture, adding more water as required to form a moist, kneadable dough.
Mix in the softened butter.
Knead the dough by hand 10 to 12 minutes, or knead in a Kitchenaid stand mixer on Speed 2 for 6 to 8 minutes with a dough hook, or run the dough through a bread machine Dough cycle.
Allow kneaded dough to rest 15 minutes.
Form a loaf from the kneaded dough and place in a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
Sprinkle rolled oats on top of the dough and press lightly to make the oats stick on the dough.
Allow to loaf rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes until doubled. It should have risen about 1/2 inch above the edge of the loaf pan.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes in a 350-F (177C) pre-heated oven.
The bread is done the when the crust is a golden brown color and when a digital probe thermometer, inserted into the center of the loaf, reaches 195-F (90.5C).
Or test for doneness by the old fashioned method. The bread is done when the crust is a golden brown and there is a hollow sound when the loaf (out of the pan) is thumped on the bottom.
Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing. If you can’t wait, that’s okay, but the loaf may be a little gummy until fully cooled.
** This equals 1 packet of Instant Dry Yeast - 2 1/4 tsp. Active Dry Yeast can be substituted.
For those interested, here is the…
[b][i]Baker’s Percentage
Molasses Honey Wheat Bread
Sponge:
50% whole wheat flour
4% Bob’s Red Mill raw wheat germ
3% vital wheat gluten (optional)
3% malted milk powder (Ovaltine original)
3% non-fat dry milk or powdered coffee creamer
1% diastatic malt flour (optional)
0.6% table salt
0.2% instant dry yeast
8% molasses
4% honey
62% room temperature water
Remainder of dough:
50% bread flour
1.25% table salt
1% instant dry yeast
12% room temperature water
6% softened butter