Cooking for Seven

To my surprise and delight, my 100% Whole Wheat Bread has been featured on Yeast Spotting, a weekly showcase of yeasted baked goods. Stop by, and you might find something you can’t resist making…

Green Tea and Red Rice Swirl Bread from Apple Pie, Patis & Pâté

We discovered what we consider to be the best all-purpose bread recipe. We try other bread recipes, but we always return to this one.

The original recipe included walnuts and sunflower seeds, but after protests from certain parties, we omitted them. The recipe also called for over 1/4 cup of sweetener per loaf. This produces a very sweet loaf, so I reduced this amount to 2 tablespoons. I also added 2 tablespoons flax meal, which gives a more rustic look. For an extra special touch, I like to brush the top with milk and sprinkle with oatmeal.

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:: 100% Whole Wheat Bread ::

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Note: This recipe makes a very large loaf. I usually double the recipe and make three 9×5 inch loaves.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons melted butter, coconut oil or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey, molasses or maple syrup
• 3 1/2 cups (18 3/8 oz) Hard Red (traditional) or Hard White (17.5 oz) Whole Wheat Flour
  
• 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
• 2 tablespoons flax meal, optional
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

To prepare the dough:

(Hand Method) Combine all of the ingredients, and mix them till you have a shaggy dough. The dough will seem wet, but remember: wetter is better. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead till  smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it’s puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.

(Mixer Method) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all ingredients and mix them till you have a shaggy dough. The dough will seem wet, but remember: wetter is better. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes, then knead by machine until fairly smooth, about 10 minutes. Allow dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it’s puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.

(Bread Machine Method) Place all ingredients in bread machine pan and set to dough cycle.

To Shape the Loaves

After the dough has risen, gently deflate the dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased large (9×5 inch) bread pan or two small bread pans. Cover the pan with a towel or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes-1 hour, till it’s crowned about 2 inches over the rim of the pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F about halfway through the rising time.

To Bake the Loaves

If desired, brush top of loaf with milk or egg white and sprinkle with oatmeal, poppy seeds, nuts, etc. Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until it turns a deep brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Yield: 1 large or 2 small loaves.

Back when peaches were in season, I devised a baked oatmeal recipe to incorporate them. I just threw a few things together and pushed it into the oven. To my surprise, it was really good. We’ve tried it with pears and apples, with the same delicious results.

Hot fruit on the bottom, sweet oatmeal in the middle, and crunchy almonds on top. This could easily be a dessert…

:: Fruit-on-the-Bottom Baked Oatmeal ::

Ingredients:

• Approximately 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced fruit* or enough to generously cover the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons demerara, sucanat or rapadura, divided
• 1/3 cup slices almonds

*Peaches, pears & apples are good choices. If using apples, make sure to cup them thinly or they will be crunchy.

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Melt butter; pour 1/4 cup into bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange sliced fruit on top of the butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons demerara. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together milk, maple syrup, eggs, remaining butter and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour over fruit and smooth the top. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining 2 tablespoons demerara.
4. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, or until browned on top and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with milk, cream or Vanilla Sauce.

Serves 6-8