To start the day right I decided to make a delightful breakfast using the whole grain bread that I baked yesterday. Here it is- buttered toast, fresh tomato slices, sauteed kale and poached eggs. Delicious. For the rest of my day, I fully plan on lounging in my cupcake pajamas for approximately 3 more hours, take the dogs for a walk in our developing winter wonderland, give myself a pedicure and then possibly whip up a batch of sugar cookies. Who knows- I don't want to overextend myself...today is for relaxing only.
Here is my bread recipe...chewy and delicious!!
Whole Grain Bread
Makes one loaf
1 c warm water (~100 F)
1 T honey
1 packet of rapid rise yeast
1 T vegetable oil
1 t salt
1 c bread flour
1- 1.5 c whole wheat flour
1 T raw wheat germ
1/4 c nonfat dry milk
1/4 c toasted pepitas
1/4 c hydrated wheat berries
1/8 c ground flax
Put the first three ingredients into a large bowl and stir. Set aside for a few minutes until the yeast has foamed. When the solution is foamy, add the oil, salt, and 1 c of bread flour. Mix this mixture very well- it stimulates the development of gluten. I would say to mix for approximately 2 minutes on medium speed, or two hundred stirs. The mixture should look glossy. Add the wheat germ, dry milk, pepitas, wheat berries, and flax. Then add the whole wheat flour in small increments. Stop adding flour when the dough is too stiff to stir and pulls away from the bowl. Now it is time to knead!!! Dust the surface with flour and have some flour set aside to use if the dough is too sticky. Aggressively knead the dough for about 12-15 minutes. In the end it should be soft, resilient and satiny.
Butter a medium sized bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and place in a draft free, warm place. I prefer to place the dough in the oven with the pilot light on. It seems to work. Allow the dough to double in size. This generally takes 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the first rise is over- give the dough a good punch, knead a couple of times to release the air bubbles. Go make yourself a cup of tea and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
Butter the dish that you are going to bake the bread in. Or if you prefer a free form loaf, butter a baking sheet and sprinkle a little fine corn meal on the pan. Form the loaf and allow to rise a second time for approximately 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 F and bake the bread for approximately 22 minutes. To test for done-ness, turn the loaf over into a oven glove hand. Give the loaf a gentle tap- if it make a hollow sound, it is done. If it does not put the loaf back in the oven for a couple more minutes. When the loaf is done, allow to cool on a wire rack.
Like making any type of yeast bread, it takes a bit of muscle and a lot of patience, but nothing makes a house smell better than fresh baked bread! If you want to make a simpler bread, simply omit the fancy stuff and add more flour- it should work out.
Enjoy! Happy Eating!
