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A sliced loaf of whole wheat bread with a buttered slice of bread on a wooden board.
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5 from 3 votes

Whole Wheat Molasses Bread

This recipe comes from San Benito House in Half Moon Bay where they serve the most delicious whole wheat bread. It's soft and plush with a light molasses flavor--perfect for toast or a PB&J!
Prep Time2 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time2 hours 50 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Servings: 1 loaf
Author: Erika Kwee

Equipment

  • 1 baking sheet OR 9x5 loaf pan
  • stand mixer with dough hook

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water (105-115 F)
  • 2 1/4 tsp granulated or brown sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast one standard packet
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour 300g
  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour, divided 180g
  • 6 tbsp dark molasses 90g
  • 6 tbsp neutral oil 90g
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup warm water (105-115 F), 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast and 2 1/4 tsp granulated or brown sugar. Stir to combine, then set aside for 5 minutes or until mixture starts to foam. (If the mixture doesn't foam up after 5 minutes, your yeast may have expired. Throw it out and try again with new yeast.)
  • Add 2.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 6 tbsp dark molasses, 6 tbsp neutral oil and 1.5 tsp kosher salt and stir to combine. Add the dough hook to the mixer (if using) and knead for 2 minutes, until well combined. Dough will be quite sticky at this point. Add the remaining 1/2 cup whole wheat flour a few tbsp at a time and continue kneading on low until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 2-3 more minutes.
    Alternatively, turn out dough on a floured surface and knead in the additional flour by hand for 2-4 more minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
  • Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about one hour.
  • Punch down the dough, shape into a round loaf and place on a baking sheet (or loaf pan, if using). Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled again, about one hour.
  • When you have 10-15 minutes left in the second rise, preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the loaf for 35-40 minutes if using the baking sheet, 25-30 minutes if using the loaf pan. The crust will look matte and the bread should feel soft and springy under your finger--if you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should reach at least 200 F.