Friday, August 5, 2011

Whole Grain Bread- soaked if it suits you

It's official, I have become a bread snob. My mom made bread while I was growing up, and while I appreciated her efforts then, I didn't quite realize how good I had it. I've made bread throughout my married life (using her recipe) and it's really good. This recipe has a few tweaks to hers, and I'm in love. I could eat it every day the rest of my life, and die happy. Seriously.

I will say that if you are serious about making bread- you need a Bosch Mixer. It will make your life so much easier. With you and your Bosch- the sky's the limit.
 
Couple things before you start- You might read about soaking your grains and quit right there. But before you decide to do that- let me tell you that soaking is really very easy. You just have to time it right. I usually mix up my dough the night before (while I'm cleaning up the dinner dishes), then add the salt, gluten and yeast in the morning- rise and bake. Or you could mix the dough in the morning, soak during the day, and rise and bake at night...Yes, soaking takes more time, but it's not like you have to stand over your dough while it soaks for 12 hours.

Here's the flour, oats, flax, millet, honey, oil, water and kefir all mixed up and ready to soak.
 The next morning, I take 1/2 c. water, add the yeast and a squirt of honey, make sure it's alive and well while I add the salt and gluten to my soaking grains. Then I throw the yeast in an knead away.
I usually just spritz some olive oil on my counter and form my loaves on that- it doesn't stick and it's a much easier clean up than flour.


*The double rise- I have to tell you that I don't usually do this. I only do a double rise if it's more convenient for me time wise. Ex. Saturday I mixed up a batch. By the time it was almost fully risen (the first time) and ready to bake- we were headed out to go swimming.I didn't want to make everyone wait while it baked 35 min. So I didn't bake it and just left. We went swimming and when we came home, I punched it down, gave it a second rise and then baked. I honestly don't notice a real difference either way.

And here's another helpful hint if you are going to be freezing your bread- slice it first. That way if you are in a pinch and need some bread for a PB&J stat, but all your bread is frozen, you can break off a slice and pop it in the toaster. Other wise you'll have a brick of a loaf that you can't cut until it thaws. Not that I've ever been in a pinch like that...



*Adapted from here
Homemade Whole Grain Soaked Bread
11 cups of ground whole wheat flour
1 cup acid medium (kefir, cultured buttermilk, or whey; for dairy intolerant you can substitute with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and 3/4 cup water)
3 cups of warm filtered water
2 cups oats
1 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil, or butter melted
1/4 cup raw millet, optional
1/4 cup flax seed, optional

1/2 cup water
1 tsp honey
3 Tbsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp sea salt
¼ cup vital wheat gluten
1 cup flour (sprouted if you have it), if necessary
Directions:
  1. Combine the flour, acid medium, oats, honey, melted oil, millet and flax seeds, and 3 cups of filtered water. Cover and soak at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
  2. After soaking, in a separate small bowl, combine yeast, 1 tsp of honey, and 1/2 cup warm filtered water. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, until fully proofed.
  3. Combine the yeast mixture, soaked flour mixture, and all the rest of the ingredients in your mixer. You may need to add an additional 1-2 cups of flour. Dough should clean the sides of the mixer.
  4. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until the gluten is fully developed. (I really only do about 3-5)
  5. Remove to a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let sit until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. (I also usually skip this step)
  6. Punch down, turn dough over, and allow to rise until doubled again, about 45 minutes. (OPTIONAL, but preferred for best results)
  7. Punch down dough and divide into 4 loaves. Roll out with a rolling pin into a rectangle and roll up into a loaf (this makes the perfectly shaped loaves). (I don’t use a rolling pin, just form and put in pan.)
  8. Place in greased bread bans and rise again until doubled, about 30-45 minutes
  9. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 30-45 minutes. Bread is done when it is fully browned on all sides! Remove from oven, rest in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Yield: 4 loaves.
If you do not desire to soak your flour, follow these instructions:
You have the option of replacing the 1 cup acid medium with water in the recipe above, so you have a total of 4 1/2 cups of water, or you can use the acid medium and just skip the soaking and proceed as described here.
  1. Combine yeast, 1 tsp of honey, and 1/2 cup of the total water required. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, until fully proofed.
  2. Combine the yeast mixture, remaining 4 cups of water (or 1 cup acid medium & 3 cups water), and all the rest of the ingredients in your mixer. Only add as much flour until it cleans the sides of the bowl.
  3. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until the gluten is fully developed.
  4. Remove to a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let sit until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
  5. Punch down and divide into 4 loaves. Roll out with a rolling pin into a rectangle and roll up into a loaf (this makes the perfectly shaped loaves).
  6. Place in greased bread bans and rise again until doubled, about 30-45 minutes minutes (the best place is the oven! Just turn it on low 150-170 degrees till heated and then turn it off, prior to putting the loaves in).
  7. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 30-45 minutes. Bread is done when it is fully browned on all sides! Remove from oven, rest in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

2 comments:

  1. what happens if you don't proof your yeast?

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  2. That depends- If you know your yeast if good- it will rise just fine and you'll have beautiful bread. But if it's not good- your bread will never rise.
    Confession. I'd never proofed my yeast until I made this recipe. But I figured "I went to all this work to soak all these grains, I better take 2 min. and make sure my yeast is good- or else I'll be kind of ticked." (although soaking the grains isn't really any harder- it just takes longer...)
    I only over proof long enough to see that the yeast is growing. Then I add it in.

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