sparrow13
Cathlete
As promised!
I took out some of the extras and commentary (such as how to use butter instead of oil and add it in as the French bakers do) but of course left in the relevant stuff. Happy baking!
LAUREL'S KITCHEN WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 F)
6 cups whole wheat bread flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 tbs honey or other sweetener
2 tbs oil (optional)
Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. Mix the flour and salt, stirring to make the flour fluffy. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
Dissolve the honey in the 2 1/4 cups water and add the oil if using. Pour these and the yeast/water in the flour well. Stirring from the center, first combine the ingredients to make a smooth batter. Then fold in the remaining flour from the sides of the bowl, mixing them together into a soft dough. Coarse flour takes a few minutes to absorb water, so give the dough a few minutes to rest before you evaluate the dough and decide if it needs more water or flour.
Knead the dough for about 20 minutes. (She’s adamant about this, saying this is the key to good whole wheat bread). The dough should remain soft and become elastic and smooth. Towards the end it should be lustrous, supple and elastic.
Form the dough into a smooth round ball and put it into a big clean bowl to rise. Do not oil the bowl. Protect the dough from drying out by placing a platter or plastic sheet over the top of the bowl. Keep it in a warm, draft-free place to rise. At about 80 degrees this will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, at 70 degrees, about 2 1/2 hours.
Wet your finger and poke it gently into the dough, about 1/2 inch. If the whole does not fill, the dough is ready. For best results, do not wait until the dough sighs deeply when poked.
Gently press out all the accumulated gas, make the dough into a smooth round again, and return to bowl for second rise, covered again. The second rise will take about 1/2 as long as the first. Use the finger-poke rest again to test the second rise.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. The best way to remove it from the bowl is by gently pressing a rubber spatula around the edges, and turning the bowl over. Keeping the smooth top surface carefully unbroken, deflate the dough by pressing it with wet or floury hands or a rolling pin from side to side, expelling the accumulated gas. Cut the dough in half and form each into a smooth round ball. Let the balls rest, covered, for about ten minutes.
Shape dough into loaves, place into two greased 8 x 4 loaf pans, and let rise once more, around 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 F.
At the end of the rise the dough should touch all sides of the pan and arch over the top. The dough will be spongy but not soggy and a gentle indentation from your wet finger will fill-in slowly. Place in the hot over. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 325 F. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the bread tests done: the loaves should leave the pans easily and be an even golden-brown, with no pinkish areas. If you thump the bottoms with your fingertips they should sound hollow.
Sparrow
"The winds of grace are always blowing but it's you who must raise your sail." - Sri Ramakrishna
I took out some of the extras and commentary (such as how to use butter instead of oil and add it in as the French bakers do) but of course left in the relevant stuff. Happy baking!
LAUREL'S KITCHEN WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 F)
6 cups whole wheat bread flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 tbs honey or other sweetener
2 tbs oil (optional)
Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. Mix the flour and salt, stirring to make the flour fluffy. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
Dissolve the honey in the 2 1/4 cups water and add the oil if using. Pour these and the yeast/water in the flour well. Stirring from the center, first combine the ingredients to make a smooth batter. Then fold in the remaining flour from the sides of the bowl, mixing them together into a soft dough. Coarse flour takes a few minutes to absorb water, so give the dough a few minutes to rest before you evaluate the dough and decide if it needs more water or flour.
Knead the dough for about 20 minutes. (She’s adamant about this, saying this is the key to good whole wheat bread). The dough should remain soft and become elastic and smooth. Towards the end it should be lustrous, supple and elastic.
Form the dough into a smooth round ball and put it into a big clean bowl to rise. Do not oil the bowl. Protect the dough from drying out by placing a platter or plastic sheet over the top of the bowl. Keep it in a warm, draft-free place to rise. At about 80 degrees this will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, at 70 degrees, about 2 1/2 hours.
Wet your finger and poke it gently into the dough, about 1/2 inch. If the whole does not fill, the dough is ready. For best results, do not wait until the dough sighs deeply when poked.
Gently press out all the accumulated gas, make the dough into a smooth round again, and return to bowl for second rise, covered again. The second rise will take about 1/2 as long as the first. Use the finger-poke rest again to test the second rise.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. The best way to remove it from the bowl is by gently pressing a rubber spatula around the edges, and turning the bowl over. Keeping the smooth top surface carefully unbroken, deflate the dough by pressing it with wet or floury hands or a rolling pin from side to side, expelling the accumulated gas. Cut the dough in half and form each into a smooth round ball. Let the balls rest, covered, for about ten minutes.
Shape dough into loaves, place into two greased 8 x 4 loaf pans, and let rise once more, around 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 F.
At the end of the rise the dough should touch all sides of the pan and arch over the top. The dough will be spongy but not soggy and a gentle indentation from your wet finger will fill-in slowly. Place in the hot over. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 325 F. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the bread tests done: the loaves should leave the pans easily and be an even golden-brown, with no pinkish areas. If you thump the bottoms with your fingertips they should sound hollow.
Sparrow
"The winds of grace are always blowing but it's you who must raise your sail." - Sri Ramakrishna
