Chewy, Crunchy 9-grain Bread

Chewy, Crunchy 9-grain Bread

Author: Amy from vomitingchicken.com

Recipe type: whole-grain bread par excellence

Prep time:  1 hour

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  1 hour 30 mins

Serves: lots!

The 9-grain mix that I use in this recipe is my own invention, and is actually a mixture of many kinds of seeds and grains, and it changes from time to time. So feel free to mix your own, according to your tastes, if you like!

Ingredients

•   First, for the 9-grain mix, stir together:

•   2 cups rolled oats

•   2 cups cornmeal

•   1 cup millet

•   1 cup raw sunflower seeds

•   ½ cup poppyseeds

•   2 cups wheat bran

•   2 cups flax seeds, crushed (in blender)

•   2 cups white sesame seeds

•   2 cups rye flour

•   And now for the bread:

•   3 cups of (above) 9-grain mix

•   4 cups whole wheat flour (I use white wheat)

•   4 cups unbleached flour

•   2 tablespoons yeast

•   5 cups warm water

•   ⅓ cup olive oil

•   ⅓ cup molasses or raw honey

•   1 Tablespoon salt

Instructions

1  First, mix together well the nine grains listed. You'll store whatever you don't use today in your freezer. Yes, you will. Now don't argue. You don't want those seeds to go rancid, do you? You don't want me to smack you, do you? ;)

2  Then, mix 3 cups of 9-grain mix and 4 cups whole wheat flour, yeast, and water, and mix for 1 minute, in a mixer bowl equipped with a kneading arm.

3  Turn off mixer, cover bowl, and let dough sponge for 10 minutes.

4  Add oil, honey and salt. Mix well.

5  Add unbleached flour 1 cup at a time, while your mixer is running, until dough cleans the side of the bowl.

6  Knead 5 minutes with mixer. Or, knead by hand if you prefer. Get yourself a cup of coffee, say, or read the front page of the paper while your mixer does the work.

7  Lightly oil hands. Shape into 4 large loaves, and put into greased loaf pans, sprinkled with your 9-grain mix.

8  Let rise until double, about 30 to 40 minutes.

9  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

10           Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown and firm on the sides and bottom.

11           Remove from pans and cool on racks.

French Bread Pizza

Title: French Bread Pizza           submitted by Marina Wood

Description:

You don't really need a recipe to make this food but it's a good reminder of something fun, easy, and fast to make.

Ingredients:

1 loaf of French bread

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

(You can substitute 8oz of pizza or spaghetti sauce for the tomato sauce and seasonings.)

grated Mozzarella cheese

desired toppings

Naan Bread

Homemade Naan

PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 2 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES

YIELD: 8 NAANS

INGREDIENTS

4 cups all-purpose flour or 1/2 all-purpose and 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup hot water (but not boiling, just hot tap water)

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm milk

1 cup greek yogurt

melted butter for brushing (may use olive oil)

fresh cilantro or other herbs for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

1   In a medium size bowl, or 4 cup glass measuring cup, dissolve the sugar in the warm water (about 105 degree F). Add the dry yeast to the warm water and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until the mixture begins to froth and rise.

2   Add the four, salt, baking soda and baking powder to a large mixing bowl.

3   When the yeast is foamy and smells like bread add the warm milk and yogurt. Pour the wet ingredients right into the middle of the dry and begin mixing the wet with dry using a wooden spatula. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to finish mixing. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. It should be sticky, but should form a ball and be soft. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place 1 hour or if not using right away overnight in the fridge.

4   When ready to cook divide the dough into 8 equal balls and using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into an oval shape. It should be about 6-8 inches long and about 1/4-inch thick, but no thinner. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough.

5   Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (you want a hot pan). Brush both sides of the naan with melted butter and if desired sprinkle on any spices you like such as cumin and garlic. Place the naan on the hot skillet, cover with a lid and bake for 1 minute, until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Brush with a bit more butter if desired, then sprinkle with a little kosher salt, fresh cilantro (I used cilantro) or other herbs. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the naans and serve. These are best eaten fresh, but will keep in a ziplock bag for a few days or in the freezer.

Fabulous French Bread

 Fabulous French Bread ( I got this recipe from Lyndsay Jensen)

Description:

Just leave the dough in your mixer while doing the mixing and resting for the 5 - 6 times you mix and rest.   This is a very important step.

Ingredients:

Bake @ 350 - 375 degrees for 35 min. or until golden brown

2 pkgs. dry yeast   (2 1/2 tsp./pkg.)

1/2 c. warm water

2 c. hot water

3 TBLSP. sugar

1 Tbsp. salt

5 Tblsp. vegetable oil

6 c. flour

1 egg white

sesame seeds or poppy seeds                

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c. warm water - let stand for 10 min.

In large bowl, combine water, sugar, salt, shortening and half of flour

Beat well - allow to rest for 10 min.

Stir - rest for 10 min.

Repeat this three more times

Turn out on floured board

Divide dough in half

Roll each half into a 9X12 rectangle

Starting at long edge; roll loosely as in doing a jelly roll - Seal edge

Place both rolls seam side down on one large cookie sheet

Gash each roll diagonally 3 times with a sharp knife

Brush with beaten egg white and then sprinkle with either the sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Let rise 30 min.

Number Of Servings: 2 loaves of Bread      submitted by Moiya Wood

Fig and Fennel Bread

... a low, dense, loaf ...

Last year when I was at Mary's house she had some figs in her cupboard.  "Bought when I saw them in the discount bin," she said.  "Can't leave them there when they are half price, but I haven't had time to use them."

I went to the internet, as we all do, now, and found a recipe for Fig and Fennel bread at epicurious.com

Being in a rush, and having no printer, here is what I wrote down:

3/4 c figs or 1 1/2 c figs
1 1/4 c water
1 Tbsp yeast
3 cups flour
1 cup rye flour
2 tablespoons fennel
1 tablespoon salt

Makes 2 large loaves.

Further notes to myself say, "I doubled the recipe and still only got 2 large loaves.

I can't remember much more about making the bread, but tried it again last week, just from the notes I had jotted down while making it at Mary's.  I wish I had used the 1 1/2 cups figs instead of the 3/4 cup -- better to have erred on the side of generosity on this one.  I can't remember if the recipe had called for white flour or brown, so I used brown and beat the batter in my bosch for 8 minutes, as it takes that long to get the gluten developed in brown flour and then I added the rye flour later.  Wish I had toasted the fennel seeds.  I am going to try that next time.  From the picture you can see I didn't get much height.  Still, toasted, it was absolutely delicious.

I bought more figs yesterday at the store even if they weren't on sale in the half price bin.  The sweetness in this recipe comes out of the figs and the fennel.  As you can see, there is no sugar in it.

Russian Black Bread

2 ½ cups warm water

2 packages Traditional Active Dry Yeast
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup molasses
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 /12 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
3 ¾ to 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
4 cups rye flour
¾ cup raisins

old cookbooks are good cookbooks
...published 1977...

Place ½ cup warm water in large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add remaining water, butter, and next 6 ingredients. Slowly stir in 3 cups all-purpose flour; blend well. Stir in rye flour, raisins, and enough remaining all-purpose flour to make soft dough. Remove dough to lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest 15 minutes. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to great top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours.

Punch dough down. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 5-inch ball. Place each ball in greased 8-inch round cake pan or on large greased baking sheet. Dover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until done
.

... page 21 ...

Notes from Arta:

Today I am thinking of taking a new moniker: the Careless Cook. Since I am typing out these recipes I am thinking – well, I am careless.  I only glance at the ingredients and then decide where I will substitute so that I can get the bread made in 10 minutes and be off dong some other job. I may use the rye flour, but I may just use brown flour. I look at the chocolate the recipe calls for and eat it, Then I substitute the chocolate with cocoa and a bit of margarine. I don’t like round loaves – I make traditionally shaped loaves.

This recipe is from Sunday’s at Moosewood. I like the taste of the bread – I would rate it among my top 10 bread recipes. And what would the top five be? Country Seed Bread, Multi Grain Bread, Russian Black Bread, Whole Wheat Bread and I have yet to select the last of the top five.

Arta

Country Seed Bread

2 cups (approx) all-purpose flour 

1 cup whole wheat flour 
¼ cup flax seeds 
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp poppy seeds
2 tsp quick-rising instant dry yeast 10
1and 1/4 cups water 
2 tbsp liquid honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp salt 

... ordinary white bread ...

1. In large bowl, stir together all-purpose and whole wheat flours, flax, sesame and poppy seeds and yeast. In small bowl, whisk together water, honey, oil and salt; stir into flour mixture until sticky dough forms.

2. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead for about 8 minutes or until still slightly sticky and dough springs back when pressed in centre, adding up to ¼ cup more all-purpose flour as necessary. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 ¼ hours.

3. Punch down dough; turn out onto lightly floured surface. Gently pull dough into 11 x 8 inch (28 x 20 cm) rectangle. Starting at one narrow end, roll up into cylinder; pinch along bottom to smooth and seal. Fit into greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk and about ¾ inch above rim of pan, about 1 hour.

4. Brush top of loaf with water. With serrated knife, make one 1-inch deep cut lengthwise along top of loaf. Bake in center of 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F; bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until browned and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Remove from pan; let cool on rack. Makes 1 loaf, 12 slices

... look of dough after beating for 8 minutes ...
still a very soft dough

My Notes: 
I always triple this batch and get 3 very large loaves. I don’t make the serrated cut down the loaf – it always just looks like the loaf has fallen to me. I don’t like that look. I have pencilled in on my recipe, the tripled ingredients so I don’t have to think that out every time. Although I call the Multi-Seed Bread my all-time favorite recipe, I think most people would say this is a better bread. Not as dense. The multi-seed bread takes more chewing. This one is more like cake. The seeds give a fantastic aroma. And the bread is so delicious to eat. 

Have I mentioned that I always take margarine and rub it over the outside of bread when it comes out of the pan. It softens the crust and makes it easier to cut – not so many crumbs on the kitchen floor, especially if you let all the kids cut the bread themselves, which I do. 

... sesame seeds, flax and poppy seeds ...
essential ingredients for Country Seed Bread

I don’t cook any loaves of bread for 45 minutes as this recipe suggests. In my oven the large loaves are done in 37 minutes at a temperature of 350 degrees Farenheight – and 33 minutes for smaller loaves. Experiment and see how dry you want your loaves to be. 

This recipe is from page 22 of Canadian Living’s Best Breads & Pizzas. My colleague at the library, Dani Pahulje, tried the recipe and passed it on to me. 

If  you would like a word copy of this recipe, email me at ajohnson@ucalgary.ca and I will send you one.

For Catherine, I am typing in the LARGE BREAD MACHINE METHOD

• Into pan of 1 ½ to 2 lb machine, add (in order) water, honey, oil, salt, all-purpose and whole what flours, flax seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and yeast.  (Do not let yeast touch liquid.) Choose appropriate setting (whole wheat, powdered milk).  Let baked loaf cool on rack.  Makes 1 loaf which is not enough.

Arta