If I told you that you could make bread that tasted better than the store would you try it? What if I told you that it would be easier to make than to go to the store and buy? Now are you interested?
As a mother of three children, I have learned that somethings are worth the extra effort, other's not so much. For instance, homemade bread. Ton's of effort... not worth it, or so I thought. This recipe forever changed my view of bread. It's simplicity and ease makes it actually easier than going to the store to buy bread. I know what you are thinking. Wasn't this the same person who just a month ago was spouting off about how the extra money was worth just buying the bread rather than the sore aching arms she had to deal with after her first loaf?
Well, the sad news is, that it was me. The good news is that I didn't give up and stumbled across the most amazing, easy, tasty bread. After reading about Jim Lahey's technique in the New from Sullivan Street Bakery I played around a bit and simplified it even more. Sorry Jim, I think this recipe may have just put a whole lot of baker's job's on the line.
Just like the pizza dough, the key to this bread is the slow rise. With hardly any yeast, and my favorite no sugar, dairy or other strange ingredients that go into bread, you really get to enjoy the flavor of the wheat. Even better is the crispy crackly crust. Yes, all three C's are in this one. The first time I pulled it out of the oven, I squeezed it and listened to the "symphony of crackle".
Slow-Rise Whole Grain Bread
(adapted from Jim Lahey's recipe)
3 cups Whole Wheat Flour ( I used TJ's White Whole Wheat)
1/4 tsp heaping regular yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups ( I used more like 2 cups) luke warm water
Pour warm water in a bowl and sprinkle with yeast to proof. Then mix flour and salt in and stir. The dough should resemble a wet/drop biscuit dough so you may need to add more water (The whole wheat flour requires more water than regular flour). Cover bowl and let sit 12-18 hours. Pour into a greased baking dish (I used a round corningware casserole with olive oil but a heavy cast iron pan is preferred). Let rise 1-2 hours. Bake 450 for 30 minutes covered and 15-30 minutes uncovered (takes longer depending on how moist the dough was). The bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
That's it! Give it a try. Last week I added some roasted garlic and rosemary right before putting int the baking dish. It was delicious.
18 February, 2012
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (Slow Rise)
Last summer, my brother introduced me to the wonders of grilled pizzas. It is sooo good, but as I made the pizzas more, I began to feel guilty for buying dough that "should be easy" to make. Ha... ha...hmm. But remember, I am the one with the yeast phobia. I even compared working with yeast to a game of Russian Roulette with all chambers but one loaded.
Well, I have since grown past my fear of yeast, and have in the process, learned to even respect it. It has not been without a fight, but, the results have been worth it, and I am glad I persevered.
This pizza dough has been a victory I have cherished. The two keys to this dough, are that it is a slow rise, which gives the yeast more time to do it's magic and I used a white whole wheat flour which is less dense and lighter in flavor. Just incase you didn't catch that, because it is a slow rise, it will taste better if it is given at least a day before using. It will still work the same day, but the taste is better when the yeast has time to break down the glutens. So, without further rambling...
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
(adapted from the Fresh Loaf)
5 cups white whole wheat flour ( I get mine from Trader Joe's)
1 1/2 Tbs Honey
2 tsp Salt
1 3/4 yeast
2 1/2 Tbs olive oil
2 to 2 1/4 cups warm water
Pour water and honey into large bowl. Stir till honey is devolved. Sprinkle yeast over water mixture and let stand for 3-5 minutes (if the yeast has not started to grow or get frothy, then it is no longer active, and you will need new yeast). Add remaining ingredients and stir vigorously until well combined. Let set for 5 minutes and then stir again for another 3-5 minutes (I just used my hand) . You may need to add more water or flour, the dough should be wet, but not stick to the sides of the bowl. The dough makes four 10 inch pizzas or two larger ones (not sure how big, because I haven't tried it yet).
There are three options here...
1. Let sit and rise for an hour and then use.
2. Divide and place in oiled ziplock bags in the fridge for 1-3 days before use. Just remove from fridge and allow to warm to room temperature for 1-2 hours before using.
3. Divide and place in oiled ziplock bags in the freezer. Just place in the fridge the night before and then remove from fridge to allow to warm to room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking.
Well, I have since grown past my fear of yeast, and have in the process, learned to even respect it. It has not been without a fight, but, the results have been worth it, and I am glad I persevered.
This pizza dough has been a victory I have cherished. The two keys to this dough, are that it is a slow rise, which gives the yeast more time to do it's magic and I used a white whole wheat flour which is less dense and lighter in flavor. Just incase you didn't catch that, because it is a slow rise, it will taste better if it is given at least a day before using. It will still work the same day, but the taste is better when the yeast has time to break down the glutens. So, without further rambling...
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
(adapted from the Fresh Loaf)
5 cups white whole wheat flour ( I get mine from Trader Joe's)
1 1/2 Tbs Honey
2 tsp Salt
1 3/4 yeast
2 1/2 Tbs olive oil
2 to 2 1/4 cups warm water
Pour water and honey into large bowl. Stir till honey is devolved. Sprinkle yeast over water mixture and let stand for 3-5 minutes (if the yeast has not started to grow or get frothy, then it is no longer active, and you will need new yeast). Add remaining ingredients and stir vigorously until well combined. Let set for 5 minutes and then stir again for another 3-5 minutes (I just used my hand) . You may need to add more water or flour, the dough should be wet, but not stick to the sides of the bowl. The dough makes four 10 inch pizzas or two larger ones (not sure how big, because I haven't tried it yet).
There are three options here...
1. Let sit and rise for an hour and then use.
2. Divide and place in oiled ziplock bags in the fridge for 1-3 days before use. Just remove from fridge and allow to warm to room temperature for 1-2 hours before using.
3. Divide and place in oiled ziplock bags in the freezer. Just place in the fridge the night before and then remove from fridge to allow to warm to room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking.
Changing it up without feeling short changed.
My husband came home two weeks ago, and sometime in the six minutes between him walking through the door and falling asleep, he announced that he wanted us to eliminate meat and dairy from our diet.
Ok, let me give you a little background. My husband is English... and American. Born in Scotland and raised here in the US, his tastes have defiantly been influenced by one thing - MEAT. Our table revolves around it. When I choose a menu, it is entirely chosen based on what type of meat we will be having. On top of that, he drinks at least a gallon of milk a week. I never thought I would hear my husband say we should cut meat out of our diet.
Ok, I am making our diet sound terrible. All things considered, I thought we ate pretty well. I prepared at least 80 percent of our diet from non processed foods and was very carful to make sure we ate whole grains, low sugar, and fruits and vegetables. I've even had people look at me like I was extreme for serving low sugar, whole grain carrot cake cupcakes for my kid's birthdays.
Yet, in the time it took my husband to fall asleep, I was already on board. Truthfully I think I jumped on bored mostly because I was bored with my menus and looked forward to the challenge of something new. I also wasn't expecting it to last more than a week. I mean... give up dairy, eggs and meat? Really? My husband wouldn't last a week... so I thought.
It has been two weeks now, and we have had lots of time to talk it over, think about it and really decide what is best for our family. No, we are not vegan. We are not eliminating all animal products. I don't refuse to eat honey because some poor bee had to work up a sweat to make it. Instead we are choosing to embrace a whole food, plant based diet. That means that the majority of our nutrition comes from plant sources, and preferably in their whole form. Our goal is to drastically reduce the amount of animal products we consume, but not eliminate them entirely (we don't want to be the one's at the party where we can't eat anything, but rather were are choosing to just not consume it at home as often). To eat in a way that we love what we eat and don't feel like we are missing anything. Because we all know that if we feel like we are missing anything then that would be a diet... and we all know how long those last.
So what does this look like? I'll let you know when I figure it out. Ha! Let's be real. This is a huge process, that is going to take years for me to work through as I completely revamp my entire recipe repertoire (A very extensive one). To make the whole thing a bit more complicated, I have three children under the ages of 5 that I have to somehow feed. Oh, I can't wait for my one year old to get some molars... that will make everything a bit easier.
So, as I figure it out, practice and succeed (sometimes) my hope is to share what I have learned along the way.
Ok, let me give you a little background. My husband is English... and American. Born in Scotland and raised here in the US, his tastes have defiantly been influenced by one thing - MEAT. Our table revolves around it. When I choose a menu, it is entirely chosen based on what type of meat we will be having. On top of that, he drinks at least a gallon of milk a week. I never thought I would hear my husband say we should cut meat out of our diet.
Ok, I am making our diet sound terrible. All things considered, I thought we ate pretty well. I prepared at least 80 percent of our diet from non processed foods and was very carful to make sure we ate whole grains, low sugar, and fruits and vegetables. I've even had people look at me like I was extreme for serving low sugar, whole grain carrot cake cupcakes for my kid's birthdays.
Yet, in the time it took my husband to fall asleep, I was already on board. Truthfully I think I jumped on bored mostly because I was bored with my menus and looked forward to the challenge of something new. I also wasn't expecting it to last more than a week. I mean... give up dairy, eggs and meat? Really? My husband wouldn't last a week... so I thought.
It has been two weeks now, and we have had lots of time to talk it over, think about it and really decide what is best for our family. No, we are not vegan. We are not eliminating all animal products. I don't refuse to eat honey because some poor bee had to work up a sweat to make it. Instead we are choosing to embrace a whole food, plant based diet. That means that the majority of our nutrition comes from plant sources, and preferably in their whole form. Our goal is to drastically reduce the amount of animal products we consume, but not eliminate them entirely (we don't want to be the one's at the party where we can't eat anything, but rather were are choosing to just not consume it at home as often). To eat in a way that we love what we eat and don't feel like we are missing anything. Because we all know that if we feel like we are missing anything then that would be a diet... and we all know how long those last.
So what does this look like? I'll let you know when I figure it out. Ha! Let's be real. This is a huge process, that is going to take years for me to work through as I completely revamp my entire recipe repertoire (A very extensive one). To make the whole thing a bit more complicated, I have three children under the ages of 5 that I have to somehow feed. Oh, I can't wait for my one year old to get some molars... that will make everything a bit easier.
So, as I figure it out, practice and succeed (sometimes) my hope is to share what I have learned along the way.
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