100% White Whole Wheat Bread with Olive Oil

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 T yeast
• 3/4 T fine sea salt
• 2 T vital wheat gluten
• 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one) mix together the White Whole Wheat Flour (affiliate link), yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten (affiliate link).Then, using the low speed of mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large spoon) mix in the olive oil and water, until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. (The book says use wet hands to mix in all the flour if necessary if you don’t have a stand mixer.)Cover the dough (not air tight) and let sit at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses or flattens out on top (about two hours.) Then you can use the dough right away, or for easier handling, refrigerate for a few hours or as long as ten days.To prepare dough to bake, sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, then remove a grapefruit sized piece of dough.Sprinkle with flour again, shape the dough into a ball by folding the sides under and stretching the top to a smooth surface. You can leave it as a ball or make more of a loaf shape like I did.Put dough on a pizza peel, parchment paper, or cookie sheet to rest. (I was supposed to cover it loosely, but I missed that part of the instructions!)To bake the bread you need a pizza stone or baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat, plus another metal baking dish to pour the water used to make steam. (The steam crisps the surface of the bread. You can put the metal dish anywhere that it won’t interfere with the bread rising, and in a regular oven I’d put it on a rack under the bread.)The dough needs to rest for 90 minutes, but after 60 minutes, begin preheating the oven to 450F/230C (and heat pizza stone if you have one. I didn’t have one so I heated the baking sheet.)After dough has rested for almost 90 minutes, use a pastry brush to brush the surface with water, then using a serrated knife, cut parallel slashes into the surface of the bread.Then slide the bread (and parchment paper if using) on to the hot pizza stone or baking sheet, and immediately pour 1 cup hot water into the other baking dish and shut the oven door. (My baking dish would only hold 3/4 cup water, but it seemed to work.)Bake bread for 30-35 minutes, or until firm and nicely browned. If you’re baking on parchment paper or silicone mat, remove them after 20 minutes so the bottom of the bread will brown. (I baked the loaf in the photos for exactly 30 minutes and it was perfectly done and even a tiny bit overly brown.)Try to force yourself to let this 100% White Whole Wheat Bread with Olive Oil cool before slicing and eating it!