30 April 2008

Impromptu bread

The other day I had a craving for fresh grain bread, I had no recipe but since I make bread every week I had a feel for what to use and I already had all the ingredients I wanted, so I got started as follows:






7 grains bread
for 1 big loaf or 2 small ones

Ingredients
350 gr unbleached white flour
100 gr wholewheat flour
50 gr 7 grains mix (I used Bob's Red Mill 7 grain hot cereal)
1.5 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
300 ml tepid water

Method
Dilute the yeast in water and let it rest for 5 or 10 mn, it will start bubbling up.
Mix flours, salt and grains.
Pour Yeast water on the dry ingredients mix and knead for 4 mn at speed 1, if not enough water you can add a little at a time, the final dough should be elastic and a little sticky, but not too much and not liquid.
After 10mn of rest knead again on speed 2 for 6 mn maximum, then cover with a towel and let it rise for about 1 hour at room temperature, it should double in volume.
Punch down to get the excess gaz out and shape in 1 big or 2 smaller loaves and lay them on a baking tray.
I also made incisions on the top with a sharp knife/blade.
Then let it rise again covered with a towel, for about 30mn.
Bake in pre-heated oven to 430 F/220 C, after 15mn reduce heat to 400 F/204 C and bake for a further 10 to 15mn.
Bread is cooked when it sounds hollow.
Let it cool down before enjoying with a hot bowl of home made soup.
This bread is also very nice toasted for breakfast.
It freezes well, as soon as it is cool place in a Ziploc bag and in the freezer, when needed take out, let it thaw and place in the oven at 350 F/176 C for 10 to 15 mn and you will obtain a fresh loaf.

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