## 25% whole wheat bread

> This bread started out as an 8 loaf recipe that I made and sold at
> church for fund raising for food for the hungry. At 5 dollars a loaf
> it was quite successful for that year.  This makes a goo bread with
> no preferment but it is so much better with a long preferment and a
> long rise so less is more where the yeast is concerned.

> This bread freezes well.

**Formula**

* 25% stone ground whole wheat flour
* 75% all purpose house label unbleached white flour
* 66% hydration
* Yeast content can vary depending on how big a hurry you are in but
  never more than 2 teaspoons
* ~1.5% salt
  
**Pre-ferment**

Make a poolish with 8 ounces of stone ground whole wheat flour and 8
ounces of water and as much yeast as will lay on a table knife blade.

**Mixing and dough development**

Add 14 ounces of water to the poolish and a teaspoon of dry yeast
just to kick things along.

In a large bowl place 24 ounces of flour and a half tablespoon of
salt. Mix this a little and add the poolish and mix the whole into a
shaggy ball. Cover and let rest while you have a cup of coffee.

Knead the dough in the bowl through several turn and fold
strokes. Cover and let rest for another cup of coffee. Come back
and dust the dough with a tight fist full of flour and form a
smooth ball. Make sure that you scrape the bits and pieces of
dough from the bowl and include them in the ball.

**Shaping**

Pour a couple of tablespoon of melted bacon fat around the ball and
turn the ball of dough over so it is well greased and the bowl is
also. Cover and find something else to do for about two hours or more.
If the dough is well risen, spread a handful of flour on the table and
dump the dough out and put the bowl in the sink to be washed.

Divide the dough into three pieces and form each into a tight round
loaf and dust with enough flour that it is not at all sticky. place
all three on a well greased baking sheet and allow to rise and rise.
just before baking make a slash across each loaf.

**Baking**

Pre-heat the oven to 450 and bake the loaves for about 40 minutes