Master Recipe from “New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day” using Vital Wheat Gluten!
(The pictures in this post are by Stephen Scott Gross, who did the photography For New Healthy Bread in Five).
After writing the first edition of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day in 2007 I was immediately asked how to convert the recipes to whole grains, and maybe even gluten-free equivalents. Through quite a lot of other adventures, the updated version has come out: The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: Revised and Updated with New Recipes.
There are more photos to inspire you and make baking easier, all the recipes are in cup measures and weights, since we love baking with a scale and we’ve added charts for different kinds of flour, since there are so many on the market to choose from. And there’s a vast chapter of tips and techniques. Here’s a summary of what’s new in the new edition:
- Using sourdough starter as a leavening agent: for the first time in any of the books, instructions on creating your own starter and then using it as the leavening agent for homemade bread. Yeast bakers still have our original instructions as well.
- Weight equivalents for every dough recipe. Weighing’s more accurate and it’s catching on in the U.S. We’ve really made leaps and strides as a baking country since 2007 (when the first book was launched), because inexpensive digital scales have become available everywhere.
- Versions and options for omitting vital wheat gluten: Some of our readers asked how they could omit this from the recipes in the original Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day—which all called for added gluten. I’ve done that for the Master Recipe, and given some rules of thumb for doing it for the rest of the book as well (it’s a water adjustment).
- Using offbeat or ancient grains like spelt, Kamut (khorasan), and sprouted wheat: New rules of thumb for water adjustment when you use alternatives to standard supermarket whole grain flours.
- Other new ingredients that have started appearing in American pantries: Coconut and flaxseed oils work great in the recipes calling for oil.
- A gluten-free chapter: It has all the favorites from the book’s first edition, based on positive feedback from readers.
Now let’s dive into our Master Recipe, which didn’t change much, because it works so well and it is a great place to start for people who aren’t used to baking with whole grains. With whole grain baking you need more water, and one extra ingredient called Vital Wheat Gluten (sometimes labeled “vital wheat gluten flour”), which is available in most supermarkets, or mail-order/on-line from anywhere…
Whole grains can make for a drier results; all that bran soaks up water. So we increased the water for all the new recipes. But that was only part of it. I found that boosting the gluten content with vital wheat gluten increased the amount of time we can store the dough. Storing the dough is why these recipes are different from all others and makes baking so fast. Vital wheat gluten makes whole grain dough springy enough to be stored in the refrigerator as a large batch. There’s also a version without vital wheat gluten in the book for those who prefer not to use it or can’t find it.
What is vital wheat gluten? It’s the protein-rich part of wheat that creates the strands that trap gas bubbles and allow yeasted bread to rise (and stay risen). It doesn’t take much vital wheat gluten to make a difference in a 4 to 5 pound batch of whole grain dough. Just 2 to 4 tablespoons are all you need, so while the whole bag or box may seem expensive, it doesn’t add much to the cost of baking.
So where do you get vital wheat gluten? Most supermarkets in larger towns and cities carry it. The two brands in U.S. supermarkets are Bob’s Red Mill and Hodgson Mill, and we tested those extensively. If your local store doesn’t carry vital wheat gluten, you can mail-order it from Amazon; click for either the Bob’s Red Mill product, or the Hodgson Mill product (you can also order directly from those company’s websites).
Master recipe from The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day:
There are many, many more details are in the book, along with plenty of recipes that are 100% whole grain; this recipe is about 73% whole grain:
Ingredients:
5 3/4 cups (750g) whole wheat flour – This is based on typical supermarket whole wheat, but we have a chart in the book so you can easily bake with King Arthur, Bob’s Red Mill, Sprouted Wheat, Kamut, Einkorn, Spelt or Hodgson Mill.
2 cups (300g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (10g) granulated yeast – can decrease. You can use any kind of yeast including: instant, “quick,” rapid rise, bread machine, or active dry. You can also decrease the amount of yeast in the recipe by following the directions here. Or you can bake with a sour dough starter, see instructions here.)
1 tablespoon (15g) Kosher salt – can adjust to taste or health concerns
1/4 cup (40g) vital wheat gluten (or vital wheat gluten flour) – Here is a version without vital wheat gluten
4 cups (910g) lukewarm water (about 100°F)
1 to 2 tablespoons of whole seed mixture for sprinkling on top crust: sesame, flaxseed, caraway, raw sunflower, poppy, and or anise
To make the dough:
First, measure the dry ingredients into a 6-Quart Round Container or bowl, and whisk them together (you can also use a fork, or if it’s lidded, just shake them well). Mixing the dry ingredients first prevents the vital wheat gluten from forming clumps once liquids are added.
Add the water to form a wet dough and mix with a Danish Dough Whisk or wooden spoon.
Don’t add additional flour to dry this out. It should be wet and shaggy.
Cover loosely (leave lid open a crack) or you can piece a small hole in the lid, as you see above. Allow to rise for two hours at room temperature (if you decreased the yeast, you’ll need more time). NEVER PUNCH DOWN. The dough will rise and then begin to collapse. Refrigerate and use over the next 14 days, tearing off one-pound loaves as you need them.
On baking day, cut off a grapefruit-sized piece of dough (about a pound), using a serrated knife or a Kitchen Shears.
Quickly shape a loaf as you’ve seen in our videos on this website.
It should take less than a minute— you pull the top around to the bottom, rotating quarter-turns as you go. DON’T KNEAD or otherwise knock all the gas out of the loaf.
Cover the loaf loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest on a pizza peel covered with cornmeal or parchment for 90 minutes (40 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough.) Depending on the age of the dough, you may not see much rise and it may spread out. The bottom loaf in the photo is just after shaping and then the one above it has rested and is ready for baking. Our loaves depend more on “oven spring” for rising.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230 degrees C), with a baking stone placed on a middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other rack that won’t interfere with rising bread.
Just before baking, use a pastry brush to paint the top with water (we’ve dropped the cornstarch wash) and sprinkle with seed mixture.
Slash the loaf with 1/2-inch deep parallel cuts across the top (or a singe lengthwise cut as in the first picture). Use a serrated bread knife held perpendicularly to the loaf:
Slide onto the hot stone…
…and carefully pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray (in the book, we give alternatives for creating that steam environment, which is essential for creating a great crust):
After a 30-minute bake, cool on a cooling rack.
Here are more shapes and ways to bake our Master recipe:
Slow Cooker bread from our Master recipe
Master recipe baked in a Cloche
Epi and wreath from Master recipe
Moon and stars made from Master recipe. And there are many more in the book, plus 100 other recipes.
Note: BreadIn5.com is reader supported. When you buy through links on the site, BreadIn5 LLC earns commissions.
I have the Vital Wheat Gluten and a rarity around here, an empty container, just baked my last buttermilk bread today and hadn’t mixed the next batch up so here I go! Thanks for posting this. You two are the BEST! I believe good things will always be along your paths!
I can’t wait – have had my book on pre-order from the beginning! My copy of your first book is a “uncorrected proofs” version I found at our local used book store and falls open automatically to the European Peasant Bread.
Michelle, LaJuana: Thanks for the kind words– come back anytime with questions. Jeff
I’m looking forward to attending your book talk and signing in Seattle, Nov. 2.
Hi Andrea,
I’m so excited to be in Seattle and will so look forward to seeing you there!
Thanks, Zoë
I love the first book, and almost always have a tub of dough in the fridge ready to go…. In addition to loaves, I often make the flatbread, and I do a pizza crust every week. I just pre-ordered a copy of the new book, it will be great to have more options.
With a well worn copy of the first book at my side, I can hardly wait for my copy to arrive… I was beyond thrilled when I received the Amazon email that they shipped it today.
I have been waiting forever. Signed up at the start of the summer. I can’t wait to try it out. Thanks again. the bummer is that all of my friends and family that I bought the original book are going to expect me to buy the 2nd edition.
Thanks for this! I’ve been waiting for this book for months! Ever since I discovered your method I’ve been playing around with different whole-grain combos in the master recipe, but when I heard about your new book I figured I’d just leave it up to the pros. Can’t wait for my copy to arrive!
This is great! I can bake tomorrow while I wait for the book to arrive!
Did you test out the recipes using White Whole wheat as well? And/or, can it be used interchangeably with regular Whole Wheat? 🙂
Thanks!
I am soooooo excited!!!
This news has made my day (and early day thanks to my 2 yo pulling me out of bed at an insanely early time – I needed cheering up!)
I’m in the UK though so I’m not sure Amazon UK will have it ready to ship.
I’ve asked Santa for your new book. I just tried making your semolina bread in a Big Green Egg – which acts like a brick oven – and it was fantastic. I substituted white whole wheat flour for the regular white flour, and while it was a bit denser it worked beautifully. I do add vital wheat gluten when I’m using whole grains, though.
Thanks again for your inspirational books!
I’m so excited! I joined the HBin5 baking group too, and can’t wait to start baking my way through the new book!
where’s the HBin5 baking group??
Mazel Tov, Jeff and Zoë. I made half a batch of the dough on Sunday and baked it yesterday. We’re liking it a lot and look forward to many more loaves.
I’m sorry I can’t be at B&N tonight! 🙁 There might have been some jam in it for you. 🙂
Yers,
Bubbles
Thank you so much for posting this. I love your first book and I just got a confirmation that my pre-ordered new book shipped today. I’m so excited and also joined the HBin5 group. The video on Amazon says 3 TBSP of vital wheat gluten but your post here says 4 TBSP or 1/4 cup. Just wondering… does it make a difference in the finished product?
I have pre-ordered mine and it is on the way to me, I can not wait !!!! Clarice
I’m so excited! Just started reading the book this morning. Love the idea of the seeds on top of the ww bread; I think that’s really going to add to the flavor. Thanks, guys!
Okay – I’m off to the store to get the wheat gluten – my book shipped yesterday but now I can make one batch of the wheat bread. I’m teaching the Artisan Bread in 5 tomorrow and will tease them with the new book. But they have to take the class to get any recipes out of me! Thanks for all your good work, it’s really appreciated.
Regards from Finland! Will receive your new book in a couple of days. A LONG wait is over!!!! 🙂 Thank you already in advance!
I was just wondering, I saw you on fox 9 this morning, And I ordered the book, And I’m going to go out and buy a baking stone, But can you also Make actual bread loaves using a bread pan?
Can I use the Le Crueset method for this one? My standard bread is the European Peasant bread baked in my little 1.5-qt. Le Crueset, and it’s always fantastic.
Can’t wait to see you both in SF!
Amanda: We find that white WW can be swapped for regular whole wheat (but not for AP). In some cases, we really prefer WWW, like for whole grain brioches and the like. Otherwise use what you like.
Magali: curious too when Amazon UK gets the book. We’ve had significant interest over there, thanks for being patient.
Leslie: When you see the book, you’ll see adjustments to make when trying to swap out WW for AP. The gluten helps, also need to wet it down some more.
Tracy/Terresa: Welcome to all the HBin5 baking group members! Learn more about it at https://www.bigblackdogs.net/2009/10/announcing-hbinfive-new-baking-group.html
Bubbles: I am going to MISS that jam! Darn it! My wife became a canner some years ago but this is the “off-season” for her.
Mira: correct VWG is 4T (1/4 cup). Subtle difference; a little looser when it’s short a tablespoon. Not a big deal, but we better get that corrected.
Bonnie: We have loaf pan breads too, you’ll see in the book. Generally bake longer.
Sheri: Yep, can use the covered-pan method to trap steam next to the loaf; check this out at https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=552 and https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=566; also described in the new book.
And thanks to all of you I didn’t address directly, for all your kind words! Jeff
One question about wheat gluten. I bought some from the local bakery. How long it will be okay to use? Should it be stored in fridge/freezer in order to last longer?
What if I use “old” wheat gluten? It just stops working or will it even harm the rest of the dough somehow?
TiV: My container of VWG says “keep refrigerated or frozen for best storage.” I’m not certain what happens if it’s too old or improperly stored. I refrigerate it in airtight glass once opened, but since the store doesn’t refrigerate the sealed packages, neither do I. But the VWG you got from the bakery probably wasn’t in a sealed package, so I’d get it into the fridge in airtight glass. Jeff
Congratulations on the new book! The whole grain breads sound fantastic, and I can’t wait to try them.
Any plans to stop in Canada during your tour?! 🙂
Hi Jeff and Zoe,
Completely coincidentally, I had bought some vital wheat gluten a few weeks ago with the intention of experimenting a little bit. But then, like a dolt, I forgot to include it when I mixed up my last batch of bread! I made the Light Whole Wheat from the original book, and also substituted white whole wheat for one of the cups of all-purpose. Just baked the first loaf of the batch, and it’s got a fabulous flavor but is just a tad bit denser than I was hoping for. Do you think it would be pointless and/or misguided to try sprinkling some vital wheat gluten on the remaining dough, and hoping some of it gets incorporated during cloaking? I assume stirring it in to the refrigerated dough would be be problematic. What do you think? Thanks so much for any advice you can offer!
Sass
I’ve had trouble using the whole wheat recipes in your last book, and when I tried the new one tonight, I had the same issue- I can’t get them to rise! They rise up just fine in the bucket, but when I pull it out of the fridge, it doesn’t look like the photo above- it isn’t as stretchy, and while the flavor is good, the loaves only end up being about an inch or two tall, even in a loaf pan. I’m using Hodson Mill flour, and VWG. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. I’ve tried almost all of your other doughs, and they are fabulous. Thank you so much in advance for any advice you might have!
This is great news! I, too, have had the book on back-order for awhile. My favorite way to make the traditional boule (I use 1/2 WWW) is shaping the dough at night, refrigerating and baking in the morning. Does the healthy dough adapt well to this method?
Congrats on new book. I have been playing with the first book recipes using whole grains with some success but can’t wait to have the correct recipes! Thanks for sharing this WW recipe…love vital wheat gluten..magic stuff!
Long time since I posted, but to let you know I received my pre-ordered HBin5 today from Amazon – it was waiting on my doorstep when I came home this evening – can’t wait to read it and try some of the new recipes – I”ve been a devotee of ABin5 for over a year – my favorites are Deli Rye and Euro Peasant breads, but have tried probably 20 different recipes and variations (mine and yours!) from the original book and loved most of them – I’m a good cook of many things, but whenever friends get together or there’s a pot luck – I’m always asked to bring the bread! Hope everyone loves the new book as much as I have loved the first one. Good luck on your tour – I would come to one of your signings but I live in East Tennessee and none are anywhere near! Come to Knoxville or even Nashville sometime. I am a native New Yorker, but I have discovered some good eatin’ in the South! although it’s still not easy to find great bread, that’s why I bake my own!
I originally ordered your first book for my Kindle and it’s great (i love it). Now that I ordered your second book I ordered an actual bound copy of it and the first book as well, the Kindle is great in case I need to pick up ingredients and for ease of use (bookmarks), but doesn’t do the pictures justice. We keep a batch of the boule and rye going at all times! I can’t wait to include the whole grains, the boule has been so versatile! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Congratulations on your success and best wishes for the future!
Got my much awaited for copy yesterday, read it all last night and now cannot wait to make my first batch!
I have been doing my own versions of adding in whole grains and am looking forward to improved bread by following your recipes!
Thank you!
Got my pre-ordered books today! Yes, I ordered two copies of the new book. One is going to my daughter and son-in-law. My SIL is the one with celiac disease. Thanks so much for including a chapter of gluten-free recipes. They are coming for a visit next weekend and I will have some of that GF olive oil dough ready to go. He craves pizza more than anything else!!
Now I need to go look through the rest of the book…
Patti
Hi Jeff and Zoe:
I was delighted to receive my pre-ordered book in the mail on Monday. I have been reading through the recipes and can’t wait to try some. I have a question though..in the Whole Wheat Brioche recipe it says to use 2 1/4 c. of vital wheat gluten. I assume that this is an error, since all the other recipes use 1/4 c. Could you verify this. Thanks. Good luck with your book tour.
Just had my first taste of the new recipe and it’s as expected…wonderful! I mixed the new master recipe Monday night and this morning was the first chance I had to bake it. I used a coated cast iron pan with lid, baked it closed about 25 minutes and then with the lid off about 10 minutes…put a thermometer in during the last ten minutes and when it pinged at 205* I took it out. Just gorgeous, inside and out…Took a couple of photos but haven’t checked them yet…must get back to work….more to do on this computer than play! : )
Krista: Would love to get to Canada to teach and sign but publisher isn’t budgeting for it as of today…
Sass: Don’t sprinkle the VWG on the dough, it’s just not going to incorporate. Best I can tell you– use up the stuff relatively quickly and you won’t be that bothered by density, or even better: use for pizza and flatbread, that can’t go wrong.
Amy: Let’s try to figure out what’s up; other posters have been having this problem. So questions:
1. See if you like it better with Gold Medal Whole wheat or other more “commercial” whole wheat flour. Those are slightly finer-ground than Hodgson, and you may prefer the result.
2. Are you mixing in the VWG with the dry ingredients? Maybe it’s not doing its thing (which is to lighten up the dough). VWG is what made the difference for storing whole grain doughs; that was more of a challenge in our first book, as you say.
3. How are you measuring? Scoop and sweep without aeration? Weight? If the latter, are you confident of your scale?
4. Which recipe are you doing?
Drew: Yes, the whole grains do well with the overnight refrigerator rise.
Amy: another transplanted NYer!
Kylie: Interesting about the Kindle version; different purposes to each format. There’ll probably be more in the years to come.
Dorlie: Correct amount is 1/4 cup, you are right, thanks for catching.
LaJuana: Glad your 1st attempt w/Master worked well, look forward to seeing your pictures. Jeff
Hi Jeff & Zoe!
I love “Artisan Bread in Five…” So far I have made 3 or 4 different breads. They always come out perfect! My friends can’t get enough of it. I have never loved a book so much. I feel like a professional baker. I just ordered 2 copy’s of “Healthy Bread”, one for me and one for my friend for Christmas. Thanks for making it so easy and enjoyable!!! – Ellen
My copy was waiting for me after work! Picked up the Vital Wheat Gluten, can’t wait to get started. Thanks so much!
Greetings Jeff & Zoe!
I tried this master WW bread and it turned out great! Like the recipes from the previous book, I always leave my refrigerated dough to rise much longer that you recommend (about 2 – 2.5 h) and the result springs up beautifully with a great crumb. But I reckon the rising time varies depending on how warm the house is. Mine is always a bit on the chilly side!
Can’t wait to get the new book now and thanks for all your efforts in developing these wonderful recipes!
BTW
My Vital Wheat Gluten doesn’t say anything about keeping it refrigerated after opening. It’s the Arrowhead Mills brand and I’ve had the box quite a while. Seems to have worked nicel yesterday. My bread had a fine crumb but it was perfect to me.
So excited about the new book – I’d been making bread from ABi5 with great results. Too great. I couldn’t stop eating it and felt guilty about all the refined carbs. I pre-ordered the book and it arrived yesterday. It was my bedtime reading and hard to put down. I can’t wait to try so many of the breads!
I mixed up a batch of the whole grain dough as soon after you psted this as I could get to the grocery store to buy some VWG and my first loaf is cooling on the counter right now. (So hard to wait!)
The 90 minute rest is going to be a real issue for me, though. I’m very glad too hear from your response to Drew that an overnight refrigerated rise will work. Just one follow up question. I assume that it will take longer to cook out of the refrigerator. Any idea how much longer for a 1 pound loaf?
I got my copy on the 27th. I made my first loaf of the plain and simple whole wheat bread last night. Delicious! Thanks again!
I’ve got my first batch of HBin5 bread rising as I type this!! I can’t tell you two how excited I am for this book. I’ve had 10/27 on my calendar for months! Thank you so very much! I actually gasped out loud when I turned to page 86 – whole wheat flaxseed bread. I feel like you made this recipe just for me! This is the exact kind of bread I have been buying from the supermarket for ages now. I’m so excited to be able to make it at home! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Can’t wait to try everything.
Do you know when HBin5 will be available for the Kindle? I purchased ABin5 in Kindle format and would love to have HBin5 the same way. I like being able to annotate the recipes with my results and modifications. Thank you. I cannot wait to try the recipies in the new book.
Just wanted to let you know I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new book! I had to go out and get the day it came out. I like working from the back of the book first – it is like eating dessert before dinner. So I just made the cinnamon cresent rolls last night and they were amazing! Thank you for doing what you do!
Whole wheat pita bread? Still put in towel? How long before you can eat it? Thanks Nancy
Was so excited to get my pre-ordered book the other day. We were on our way to the store when our mailman handed it to me. Bought the gluten and made a 1/2 batch right away. I didn’t even wait to refrigerate it. I used the “covered pot” method, and it was just fabulous. Couldn’t believe the rise for an almost all whole wheat loaf. Thanks so much. Genius! My package of gluten said to refrigerate it, so that is what I did.
To all of you who passed along good feelings about the new ingredients, good wishes, and positive experience, thank you so much– in these first days after book release, we are probably not going to have time to address each of you individually. For the moment, we’ll stick to the specific questions about the recipes:
Monique: Yes, chill room = longer rising time, for sure.
LaJuana: Interesting about the difference in labeling between Hodgson and Bob’s, thanks for passing along. I can’t explain.
Sunski: The one pound loaf will probably be done in 35 minutes, rather than 30 (not always in all ovens though, sometimes the same). Check it at 30, see what you think and let us know; go by color and browning.
Anna: The Kindle version is a negotiation between publisher and Amazon, and I’m afraid I don’t know when that will be settled. Amazon’s the best source for that info, but I’ll check with publisher too.
Nancy: Yes to pita, on page 66 and page 223 (two kinds Turkish-style pita with black sesame seeds, and seed-encrusted traditional pita respectively. The towels still in there, but just for the traditional, not the Turkish.
Jeff
Very excited about the new book! I’m curious though, I just made the recipe above and found it to be rather bland. I did decrease the salt by 1/3 tablespoon and the yeast by 1/2 tablespoon because I have found many of the other book’s recipes to be too yeasty and salty for our tastes. I used fresh ground Wheat Montana Prairie Gold wheat berries. Otherwise, I followed the instructions exactly. I have some sitting in the fridge now and I am hoping the flavor improves after a few days.
Any comments, suggestions?
Elizabeth: We’d already decreased the salt (you could go up to 1 1/2 T salt and you’d be about where our last book was sitting for salt). The flavor will definitely develop over the lifespan of the batch. Jeff
Hi ur new book just arrived today–love it!
would u mind telling me which one of the recipes is for the bread with the purple crust and greenish crumb?
i thought maybe it would be the wine bread or the beet one
Hi Lynne,
It is the beet bread, but the mixed berry bread also has a gorgeous color as well!
Enjoy all the breads!
Zoë
The first recipe I made after the book arrived was the 100% whole wheat with olive oil. In the past I have tried many recipes for whole wheat pizza dough and they are generally heavy. Your recipe is suburb. The dough worked out just great. It was easy to fit in the pan, light after baking and very tasty. Everything I had been looking for in a healthier pizza. I topped it with roasted red peppers, caramelized red onions and fontina cheese.
Thank you so much for developing this method for whole grains – well worth the wait.
Thank you so much Jovina for writing! It means so much to us to hear your feedback!
Happy Baking! Zoë
Hey Jeff and Zoe!
Okay, first package shipped out on Wednesday to Kansas and it arrived PERFECTLY! I really do wish I could just send a book along with a gift card to a grocery store, but it’s cheaper for me to send a large batch of baked goods through the post office and their flat rate shipping boxes. I will post a blog about how it was packed. It’s quite funny, honestly. 🙂 I like to ammuse myself on a daily basis, and oh how I excel with excellence!
I know you guys have started the book tour, so good luck!
Ms. B
Hi Ms. B,
Thanks for letting us know, I was just thinking about you and wondering if it worked out ok! I’ll look forward to your post about it. Let me know when it goes up!
Thanks, Zoë
My first batch of the basic recipe is in the fridge. Can’t wait to try it.
Hi Clarice,
Enjoy all the bread! Zoë