All Whole Wheat Bread

Good day everyone and thanks for all the chinese new year wishes left on my blog for the past 2 weeks. I had enjoyed my break but still feeling a tad lazy at the moment. Yesterday marked the end of the chinese new year celebration and i think i should get back to blogging too. Didnt really do much cooking during the holidays, this bread was made much earlier and another time again not too long before the holidays. The earlier loaf that i made did not really came out that well as I find that the crust was a little too hard. I wouldnt complain much on the density of the bread as this is a 100% whole wheat bread. You wouldnt find that it proofed as much as other white or partial wheat bread as it only uses whole wheat flour here, less spongy but nonetheless, never less tasty. I had reduced the baking time by 10 minutes the second time i made them and the bread was able to cook at 200F internally. A good finishing look, a nice crispy crust, wholesome and a good dense. I got them toasted the next day and ate them with some roasted tomatoes and feta cheese and drizzled some olive oil that came together with the feta.

Recipe ( from Nick Malgieri's Bread )
this is what i used for half the recipe, makes 1 loaf
170gms drinking water
1tsp instant yeast
230gm whole wheat flour
1tsp fine sea salt
1cup coarsely chopped walnuts
11/2 tbsp flaxseeds ( addition)

Method:
1.Pour the water into the bowl of an electric mixer and hand whisk in the yeast. Wait 30seconds and whisk again.
2.Use a rubber spatula to stir in the flour into the yeast mixture a little at a time. Make sure all the flour is mixed and there isnt any clinging to the sides of the bowl.
3.Using a dough hook, mix on the lowest speed until the dough comes together, 1-2 minutes. Stop the mixer and pull the dough away from the hook, let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
4.Increase the mixer speed to medium and sprinkle in the salt. Mix in the chopped nuts and flaxseeds and mix until the dough is smooth, 2-3 mins ( i did it for about 10mins). Scrape the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it over so that the top is oiled. Cover the bowl and let it proof, about 30mins.
5.Remove the dough from the oiled bowl to a floured surface and gently flatten the dough to a disk. Fold the two sides in to overlap in the middle, the roll the to toward you all the way to the end, like swiss roll style. Place the dough back in the bowl seamside down and cover, proof until doubled in bulk.
6. To form the dough into a boule shaped loaf, use a plastic scraper to slide it from the bowl to the floured work surface, try not to deflate the dough. Fold the edges around its perimeter into the center. Round the loaf by pushing against the bottom of the dough all around with the sides of your hands held palm upwards, the dough will quickly form an even sphere. Place the dough on the prepared pan and cover it with a piece of sprayed or oiled plastic wrap and let the dough rest , until it starts to puff again, about 30-45mins.
7.Set the rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 230C. When the dough is ready to bake, generously spray it with water and place the pan in the oven. After 5 mins, spray the loaf again, then reduce the oven temperature to 218C, bake until well risen and deep golden and the internal temp reads 200F on an instant temperature, 20-30 mins. ( i baked mine for 23 mins )
8.Cool the loaf on a rack. Keep the bread loosely covered at room temperature on the day it's baked. Wrap and freeze for longer storage. Reheat at 170C for 5 mins and cool before serving.

And here are some random photos taken during the last 2-3 festive weeks.