Special Ingredients

• Some bakers use the new white whole wheat or the lighter whole wheat pastry flour in place of traditional whole wheat flour. Some simply add white flour as part of the mix to lighten the whole wheat flour. Other recipes call for the addition of gluten to the mix to take advantage of its ability to reduce the grainy texture of wheat flour and make it more spongy.
  
  

Moisture

• Experienced bakers avoid using too much flour in the mix when making whole grain bread. The trick is to make the dough so that it feels slightly sticky when you touch it but doesn't stick to your finger. Throughout the kneading, be careful not to let the dough become too dry.
  
  

Mixing

• Another technique for improving the fluff is to mix all the dry ingredients first and then add the water to the mix, allowing the dough hook to beat the developing dough mass for a minute or more. Then allow the dough to sit covered for ten minutes. This is called sponging. Finally, add each of the remaining ingredients to the mix, beating the dough for one minute for each ingredient. This will create a very soft dough that clings to the side of the bowl until kneading is complete.
  
  

Kneading

• People tend to skimp on the kneading part of bread-making, no matter what fitness experts say about it being good exercise. If you have a stand mixer and don't mind exceeding manufacturer's recommendations, you can super-knead the dough to produce a smooth fluffy bread. Super-kneaders recommend anywhere from 100 strokes per cycle for ten to 30 minutes with the dough hook for each kneading cycle. Knead the dough until it is so smooth almost all the little cracks along the edges are gone when you form it into a ball.
  
  

Repetition

• Other super-kneaders recommend starting your bread preparation early in the day. Mix and knead the dough thoroughly and then let it rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. Knock the dough down and let it rise again repeating from five to eight times.
  
  

Long Fermentation

• Another way to fluff up your whole grain bread is to mix and knead your dough the day before and cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, move the dough to a warm place and let it rise till it doubles in size. The acids and enzymes produced by the yeast at lower temperatures in the fridge tempers the harsh taste of the whole wheat flour and softens the texture. Once risen the second time, transfer the bread to the bread pan and allow it to fully rise again before baking.