User login
Navigation
Syndicate
Making Whole Wheat Bread: Lynn's Notes
Making Whole Wheat Bread Part Two: Lynn's Notes
hy doesn't Lynn's bread look as nice as the results say it should? you may be asking yourself. A few reasons, plus some notes on things I do differently than Jean that you might be able to see in the photos.First off, being an impatient know-it-all, I didn't read Jean's recipe thoroughly enough and didn't have any gluten flour on hand when I started in, with, of course, no time to go to the store and a photographer husband with other things to do than sit around and watch me pound my head on the table. Being a semi-experienced baker, I just substituted more kneading, by hand and dough hook, and that seems to have worked fairly well. I do recommend getting the gluten flour, though; it does make life easier with 100% whole wheat.
Secondly, I didn't have a non-metal bowl big enough to make bread in. This explains that strange metallic glint in the photographs. I would tell you it's a prototype space-age ceramic I'm testing for NASA, but I don't think you'd buy it.
Thirdly, there are no pictures of the shaping of the loaves and they came out a bit on the lumpy side in the "ta-da" picture of the finished product because I am still quite the amateur at shaping loaves for pans. My family is very fond of "craft-style" breads--the round or baguette-shaped peasant loaves that you have to plunk down $3.50 a loaf for at the foo-foo bakery. One of the reasons I took up baking again was to save approximately $3 a loaf for foo-foo bread. In fact, I almost made one in the pan and one directly on the baking stone until I realized in my stupor I'd already greased both pans and, well, what the heck.
Even with all that going against them, though, I have to say that Jean's recipe is DELICIOUS! My loaves were a little lumpy, but they rose nicely and the texture and flavor are great. And isn't it nice to know that even if I run a homemaking site I'm not the Woman Who Does Everything More Beautifully Than You?
Happy baking!
--Lynn
Postscript, 7/20/07: That picture is of me and Josie. Josie is now almost TEN. gulp!
Comments
Bread Pans
I'm able to bake a beautiful loaf of whole wheat bread, except that the bottom gets too dark - almost black. What is the best type of bread pan to buy?
Best Bread Pan
Hi! I am pretty new to home made bread but as far as pans go I love my ceramic the best. Seems to hold heat the best distributing it more evenly so the bottom does not burn.
bread was a success
I just took my bread out of the oven and the loaves were great. I substituted the large amounts of sugar and salt for 1 tsp sugar, 1 1/4 tsp of salt as I dont like bread to be sweet - its still came out great.
I also added some sunflower seeds to the kneading process.
Also I use cast iron baking tins - they seem to do a good job. Thanks for the wonderfully detailed instructions!! Monique
preserving bread
I forgot to ask if anyone has ideas on the best way to keep the bread once its baked. I slice it then after its cooled I freeze it - but is there a better way to keep it - like a certain type of bread bin etc? Just wondering. Thanks Monique
Whole Wheat Bread Making!
Very nice! I wish I had run into this earlier. Last year I finally created a 100% whole wheat bread. Your recipe is much like mine - but let me point out a couple of things I do differently. #1 rather than the sponge I use natural bread starter that I turn to whole wheat starter before I make the bread - so very much the same as a sponge.
I also use Gluten but more, 1/4 cup per cup of flour. Regarding the Flour I use two kinds King Arther White Whole Wheat and a super fine Whole Wheat 50/50.
Next thing is I do use my big mixer and I make a 9 cup recipe and dough hook it for 20min until the dough heats up to around 78F. Yeah kitchen aid can do it if the dough is not to stiff, mine is pretty soft. I say more water rather than less you can always add a bit of flour towards the end of mixing if you need it stiffer. Plus it takes time for the whole wheat to absorb all the water so it starts out like a batter but then starts to stiffen in the first 5 min.
The BIG thing I do is after I shape the loafs by hand I put them in bread forms cover with plastic and put them in the frig for 1 or 2 days. When I take them out I let them rise until they are double the original size,(3-6 hours) careful not to let them over proof, to speed this up a bit sometimes I put them in the oven with the oven light on.
That's right! THERE IS NO FIRST RISE! Don't get me started on what a waste of time a first rise is. What's it good for? It lets the yeast gobble up more of the food in your bread dough that's all, and the second rise will never be as good as the first.
When ready I un-mold the bread on to the peel and bake it on the stone starting at 500F I turn it down to around 425F for the remainder 20-25 min. My loafs are Batards around 2 cups each long and/or rounds.
I demonstrated and taught this recipe to my mother in Eureka Springs Arkansas and some of her friends this summer they all went out and bought Kitchen Aid mixers that same week!
Post new comment