Simple & Rustic: Fresh-Milled Hard Wheat Bread Recipe

We absolutely love this fresh-milled hard wheat bread dough—it’s become our go-to base for just about every yeast bread we make. The best part? It’s incredibly versatile and easy to scale up to suit your needs, whether you want one loaf or enough dough for several. This recipe is simple to follow and yields a soft, elastic dough that bakes into delicious, wholesome bread every time.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups hot water

• ⅓ cup coconut oil

• ⅓ cup honey

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 egg (optional)

• 4 – 4 ½ cups freshly milled hard wheat flour

• ½ cup ground flax seed (optional, ground in blender or coffee grinder)

• 1 tbsp yeast

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine hot water, oil, honey, salt, and egg (if using).

2. Add half of the freshly milled flour and ground flax seed (if using). Mix thoroughly.

3. Stir in yeast.

4. Gradually add enough flour to form a soft dough.

5. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic—about 5-6 minutes for a single batch.

6. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about one hour.

7. Divide dough into two equal portions. Shape the dough as desired and allow it to rise again until doubled.

8. For two 1-lb loaves, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   
   

Scaling Tips

• Double the recipe? Knead for 8 minutes.

• Triple or quadruple? Knead for 12 minutes.

This recipe is wonderfully forgiving and beginner-friendly—perfect whether you’re making your first loaf or your fiftieth. Fresh-milled bread doesn’t have to be complicated, and this dough proves it.