Saturday, August 19, 2006

Farmhouse bread


Still enjoying my new bread baking book, I made this wonderful whole wheat loaf. I played around with the recipe and what I got was a grain-sweet medium brown bread, quite dense but still airy enough to be pleasant. I think the substitutes I made were responsible for the firmness, substituted a part white for wholewheat and completely substituted barley and millet grits with "Graham's gryn" which came back with me from Sweden.

Recipe as adapted from Beth Hensperger's Celtic farmhouse bread:
1.1/2 c boiling water
1 cup Grahams gryn (orig. barley/millet grits)
1 tbs active dry yeast
pinch of sugar
1/2 c warm water
3 tbs honey
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tbs salt
2 tbs whole wheat (orig. wheat bran/germ)
1/4 c barley flour
1/3 c whole wheat (orig. rolled oats)
1/3 c yellow cornmeal
1.1/4 c whole wheat flour
2.5 to 3 c bread flour or unbleached ap (I used a basic flour as I was out of bread flour, added 2 tbs vital gluten for much needed strength but was left with a very slow rising bread due to this flour I guess)

In a small bowl pour boiling water over grits. Let stand 30 minutes to soften and cool. (Resembles glue....don't think, just use) In a small bowl sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water, dissolve and let stand until foamy.

Combine all ingredients except white flour and yeast in a large bowl and beat hard until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in yeast mixture and add white flour until a soft sticky dough is formed.
Turn out on a floured surface and knead by hand a few times till it is soft and springy (the dough will have a nubby look and still will be quite sticky). Bulkrise in deep greased container, covered for 2 - 3 hrs until doubled.

Divide in two, make tight oblong loaves and let rise, covered, for another 40 minutes. Oven 375F, bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

I loved the soft lightly sweet/nutty interior and the crust provided extra bite. It was quite versatile, we had it together with a green salad, but the next morning with cheese and/or jam or cold cuts it was equally tasty.

3 comments:

  1. mmmmmm, looks soo good!

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  2. Looks like the cover photo on the Bread Baker's Apprentice!! Nice job!

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  3. I'd say you've got a winner here.
    Looks very good.

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