From Scratch - Bread

Fall here has brought a winter like chill to the air.  My favorite kind of weather for hot soups and delicious, fresh baked bread.  I started baking my own bread about a year and half ago and haven't turned back.  My husband prefers store bought bread for his sandwiches, but the rest of the family likes homemade.  When my husband made my daughter's lunch he would just use the store bought bread.  I later found out that my daughter had been throwing away her bread and just eating whatever was in the sandwich.  When I asked her why, she responded, "it's just not as good as yours mama."  Now how could I be mad about that?

My recipe comes from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg MD and Zoe Francois.  It is a fabulous book full of wonderful recipes and very detailed instructions.  I would highly recommend it.

As with most recipes I have changed it to make what I consider the best end product.  I will include the original recipe with my changes to it italics and in blue.  This can also be made into a peasant loaf, but I usually make mine in a bread pan for sandwiches.  So I changed the directions for use of a bread pan.  At the end I will include the instructions for a peasant loaf, which is super yummy with stews and soups.


Light Whole Wheat Bread
 
Ingredients:

3 cups lukewarm water

1 ½ tablespoons granulated yeast
1 tablespoon salt or 1 ½ tablespoons of kosher salt
1 cup whole wheat flour  (2 cups whole wheat PASTRY flour)
5 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (4 1/2 cups unbleached BREAD flour)

Directions:

1.      Mix the yeast and salt with the water in mixer.  Make sure the water is only lukewarm, hot water will kill the yeast.

2.      Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, using the dough hook attachment.

 

3.      Transfer to a large container, that has been lightly greased with olive oil, and has a lid (NOT airtight) and allow to rise for 2 hours.

 

 

 

4.      Split the dough in half, leaving half in the container and put it in the refrigerator for later use (within 5 days).

5.      With the half you are going to bake dust that piece with flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball in a quarter-turn as you go.

 

6.      Stretch to an oblong shape that will fit in a bread pan.  Place in lightly greased (with olive oil) ceramic bread pan. Allow to rest for 40 minutes.  If it has been in the refrigerator, it may need up to two hours to rise again.

 

 

7.      Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450°,  Place an empty broiler tray (or an empty muffin tin) on the bottom rack.

8.      After the bread has risen again sprinkle liberally with four and then slash the bread three time or make a tic tac toe slash. 

9.      Place the bread pan in the oven.  Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray or muffin pan, and quickly close the oven door.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm.  (If you use the original recipe you may need to lengthen baking time to 40 minutes.)

10. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

 

 

Changes in directions for a peasant loaf in numbers 6, 7, and 9:

6.      Allow to rest on a cornmeal-covered cutting board for 40 minutes (if it has been in the refrigerator I find that it needs about 2 hours to rise again.)

7.      Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450°, place a baking stone on the middle rack.  Place an empty broiler tray (or an empty muffin tin) on the bottom rack.

9.      Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone.  Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray or muffin pan, and quickly close the oven door.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm.   (If you use the original recipe you may need to lengthen baking time to 40 minutes.)

 

I hope you enjoy this delicious bread as much as we do!  It is really difficult to eat anything other than homemade now :)  Here's to Natural, Healthy and Homemade!