May30
When I first started making bread, I really had some problems with it. I initially started with a Rosemary-Olive Oil loaf, but it just wouldn’t rise/bake correctly.
So I went to something a little less exotic. Wheat Bread. Not whole wheat, but that was fine. The recipe was an easy one, and that’s what I needed. But I ended up with the same problems. So I hunted down information on baking bread, created a tips card, and using that card, I finally had success. The only thing I didn’t like is that the loaves seemed small, and I wanted store height bread.
So then I played with the recipe. First I tried a citrus version recommended by a friend. Didn’t go over so well with the family.
My last playing, though, was to take half the wheat and make it rye, and I increased the amount of dough by going to one and half times the recipe.
And the family loves it and the loaf is…well, here, take a look!
That loaf is fresh from the oven and, even though you can’t see it, was steaming at the time of the picture.
Easy Wheat-Rye Bread
1 1/4 c. Whole Wheat Flour
1 c. Rye Flour
2 1/4 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2c. Warm Water (between 110-115 degrees)
1 1/2 pkgs Active Dry Yeast
3 TBL Honey
3 TBL Brown Sugar
3 TBL Butter, Melted
1 1/2 TBL Milk
Oil or butter a large bowl, set aside. Combine flours and salt in a bowl; set aside. In another large bowl, combine water and yeast, stirring until creamy (about 5-10 minutes), add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Add flours. Knead until smooth and elastic—dough will feel slightly grainy and a bit sticky, though it won’t stick to your hands—about 10-15 minutes. Make a ball and place in oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with towel, set in warm place, and let rise 40 minutes OR until doubled in size. Punch down and knead gently and lightly until smooth; shape into a loaf and place into a greased loaf pan**. Let rise 30 minutes OR until about doubled in size. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350. If it browns too quickly, cover with tinfoil. Let cool a few minutes, remove from pan, finish cooling on wire rack.
** A regular loaf pan works; it makes the bread taller and wide. A taller loaf pan would keep the top from going to wide.
The results: beautiful bread:
I actually like the flavor of the rye-wheat combo better than the wheat only. The Chef says it’s okay, like he says the wheat bread is okay; he most definitely did not think the citrus bread was okay. lol
And the smell while it was baking was wonderful.
So I think this might end up being our regular bread from now on. And here’s my tips for anyone interested.
Tips For Baking Bread
1. Watch water temp by using a thermometer. Keep it between 85 and 115 for the best results with your yeast.
2. Allow yeast and water to sit sit at least 5 minutes to activate the yeast; it should be creamy and bubbly and have a yeasty smell.
3. Salt kills yeast. Do not add salt directly to the yeast mixture. I combine it with the flours and add the flours after all other ingredients.
4. If finding a warm place to allow the dough to rise is a problem, try using the oven. Turn it on to 200 degrees and let warm up, then turn it down at least halfway to off (one place recommends turning it off completely, but I’ve found that to result in an oven that’s too cool). Place covered dough in warm oven to rise.
5. Go by how far the bread has risen, not how long it should take. If it’s not doubled, it’s not ready.
6. For the second rise, do not over-knead the bread or add too much flour. Be gentle.
7. Softer doughs rise faster. If a dough seems too stiff, add a TBL of water before the first rise. Don’t add too much water, though.
With these tips, and the fact that my other breads seem to be working out fairly consistently now, I feel just about ready to tackle the Rosemary-Olive Oil Bread. I’ll post a picture if I manage to get it right.