Here's the first of my whole grain bread attempts!
10 Grain Artisan Bread Master Recipe
(Makes four 1 pound loaves. This recipe can be easily doubled or halfed.)
Recipe taken from issue number 237 of Mother Earth News
2 Cups 10 grain hot cereal (Bob's Red Mill brand) uncooked
3 Cups white whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur's brand)
2 Cups unbleaches all-purpose white flour
1 1/2 TBsp yeast (2 pkts)
1 TBsp kosher salt (or to taste)
1/4 Cup vital wheat gluten (found in natural food stores)
3 1/2 Cups lukewarm water
NOTE: I used 2 Cups white whole wheat and 3 Cups white flour thinking thinking that the bread may not be so heavy when baked.
1-2 TBsp seed mixture for the topping of each loaf as you wish (I like sunflower seeds, but you can use flaxseed, caraway, sesame, poppy seed, anise, nuts or combinations etc.)
Using at least a 5 quart bowl or other (non-air tight) lidded container combined all of the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon or whisk.
Add the lukewarm water and mix without kneading. You may need to get your hands wet to get the flour thoroughly blended but I find that a wooden spoon does a sufficient job.
Cover (again, not air tight) and allow the dough to rest and the yeast to work until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top). Usually, this should take a couple of hours on the counter.The dough can be used immediately or refrigerated and used over the next week!
On baking day, dust the top of the refrigerated dough with flour and then lift up a handful of dough about the size of a grapefruit, roughly 1 pound and cut it off. Dust the ball with a little bit more flour and quickly form a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all 4 sides as you go. Elongate the ball into an oval and place it on a floured or cornmeal covered pizza peel or flat cookie sheet (with no sides). Let the dough rise for about 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450* approx. 30 minutes before baking time. Place a baking stone lightly covered with corn meal on the middle rack and an empty roasting pan on a rack below.
Just before baking, brush the top of the crust with water and a pastry brush. Now, slash the loaf with a sharp knife making three or four 1/4 inch deep parallel cuts on top and sprinkle with the seeds of your choice.
With a quick jerking motion of the wrist, slide the loaf off of the pizza peel onto the hot baking stone and carefully but quickly pour a cup of HOT water into the broiler pan and close the oven door. Bake for 30 minutes until rich brown and firm. Allow the bread to cool a bit before slicing it.... YUMMY!
NOTE: This was my first attempt for this recipe.... the bread had great flavor but was still a bit heavy. I think I needed to use a smaller amount of dough and/or let it rise a bit more or cook longer! It's still in the 'experimental' stages!!
