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Farm Kitchen:  baking bread  |
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quilt8305
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Mary
Spokane
WA
USA
409 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 10 2005 : 09:38:44 AM
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Does anyone have a really good recipe for whole grain bread? Everything I have tried comes out way too dense - like a lump of lead! Help?
Mary
The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. Wm. James |
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mdotterer
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
Marlene
Pleasant Hill
CA
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2005 : 12:37:05 PM
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Mary, one of my favorite recipes is the King Arthur Flour recipe for whole wheat bread. It's really good and not at all dense.
Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread
INTRO
Who says whole wheat bread has to be dense, dry, and tasteless? This 100% whole wheat recipe features the delightfully nutty taste of wheat in a fine-grained, moist loaf.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast OR 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey, molasses or maple syrup
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup nonfat dried milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine programmed for "dough" or "manual.") Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 hour, or until it's crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.
Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices.
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Tatiana
True Blue Farmgirl
98 Posts
Tania
Boise
ID
USA
98 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2005 : 1:10:09 PM
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I think one thing that may help is to watch out for the last cup of flour you add. I notice that here in the dry west, I often add less flour. With whole wheat dough you want it to be a bit sticky. Not so much that you cant get it off the board but definitely not so much flour that you have to pound it with great force to knead it. If you do add too much flour, you can end up using it as a shot put. I also found that if you throw a few ice cubes in the oven when you put the bread in, it will help it stay more moist so it can rise more in the oven before it really starts to bake.
Good luck,
Tania
Tania |
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lonestargal
True Blue Farmgirl
607 Posts
Kristi
Texas
607 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2005 : 5:30:38 PM
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| Great tips and thanks for the recipe. I too have problems trying to make wheat bread and pretty much gave up on it. I notice this recipe doesn't have gluten added, so you don't HAVE to have it and it will still turn out ok? |
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quilt8305
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Mary
Spokane
WA
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2005 : 08:36:32 AM
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Thanks for the tips and the recipe. I don't think I have ever seen King Arthur flour here. I will have to look for it.
Mary
The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. Wm. James |
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lurban
True Blue Farmgirl
61 Posts
Vermont
61 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2005 : 2:02:56 PM
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| King Arthur is carried by Trader Joes. Is there one near you? If not, you can order directly from King Arthur. Their baking catalog is wonderful! |
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Gerta
Farmgirl at Heart
7 Posts
Nancy
Dawson Creek
B.C
Canada
7 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2005 : 9:51:56 PM
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Mary, I baked bread for years. Not anymore just me now .But I did it my way instead of putting liquid in bowl and adding flour I put all the dry ingredients then added only enough liquid to make the proper consistency If I wanted eggs or oil I put that in first then the water last its sure a lot faster.
Nancy |
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quilt8305
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Mary
Spokane
WA
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2005 : 12:46:44 PM
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Gerta,
That sounds like a good tip. Maybe I will try it that way.
Mary
The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. Wm. James |
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greyghost
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
Lynn
Summerville
Georgia
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2005 : 1:30:19 PM
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I have made bread twice since moving here... and it did not rise properly either time! I know the yeast is good, but what else could be the problem? It just isn't as fluffy as my bread usually was in FL.
Any ideas? I'm making it again tonight. |
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KJD
True Blue Farmgirl
402 Posts
402 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2005 : 1:42:52 PM
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| Lynn, I'm guessing it's change of humidity. I'm in coastal TX and it's very humid. My bread always rises very well. Is is much less humid where you are in GA than it was in FL? |
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prairiemaid
True Blue Farmgirl
200 Posts
Margret
Canada
200 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2005 : 8:08:17 PM
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Yeast bonds with gluten to rise. White flour is high in gluten but whole wheat flour is not. I add gluten to my ww bread recipe and it rises just as well as white bread. All you need is about 2 Tbsp per 10 cups of flour.
By the way... check the bulk foods store for gluten, it's WAY cheaper than buying it prepackaged at the grocery store!
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Edited by - prairiemaid on Oct 19 2005 8:09:54 PM |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2005 : 9:56:21 PM
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I bought gluten today. I'm going to be making white bread so do I still need to add the gluten? I got unbleached white flour from Bob's Red Mill. It said it is bread flour.
GO WHITE SOX!!!!
http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2005 : 11:03:27 PM
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I never use gluten in white bread. I don't know anyone who does..just my 2 cents. I am due to make bread..busy week and no homemade bread time so far..but it is perfect weather for it!!! (and soup)
Jenny in Utah
Put all your eggs in one basket..and then watch that basket!! Mark Twain |
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prairiemaid
True Blue Farmgirl
200 Posts
Margret
Canada
200 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2005 : 06:22:37 AM
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No, don't add gluten to bread made with at least 40% white flour. White flour is naturally high in gluten. If you are making 75-100% whole wheat bread, then you need to add gluten.
Call me old fashioned. |
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quilt8305
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Mary
Spokane
WA
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2005 : 10:01:40 AM
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add gluten.....easy enough. I knew there would be some answers among Farm Girls.
Mary
The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. Wm. James |
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Farm Kitchen: baking bread |
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baking bread
