UkingViking
Well-known member
After reading the delicious recipe for sunflower bread, I feel like sharing my easy, not very scientific bread recipe. They say that you need to be very precise and measure by weight to get the perfect bread. This might not get you perfect, but it usually turns out pretty darned good - especially once you get a feel for it. At it can be varied as you please.
Ingredients:
The water is taken cold from the tap. Lukewarm water is only for turbo risen dough. Water can be replaced with dark beer for a delicious variant! Brown ale or stout works great.
The yeast.
Dissolve a proper amount of yeast. Where I live we use fresh yeast, I have little experience with dried yeast. But use like 25% of what you would use for turbo risen dough.
Dissolve this in the water, and add salt and oil.
The whole grain.
You can use the available artisan flour of your choice. My favorite is to mix one cup rye and one cup wheat. All rye will also work, give a more moist bread. All wheat will work, give a slightly more dry bread. I like the balance of half and half. I write 2 cups. You might want to only fill them like 80 %. Especially if it is really coursely ground, you would want a little less.
The fine flour.
You can use all purpose flour, or step it up with tipo 00 or Manitoba flour.
The mixing.
You can probably benefit from using a mixer. I use a spoon and a bowl. It is probably better to mix the flours before adding, but that is one more bowl to clean. I add the whole grain first, and stir till its a slurry without too big lumps. Then I add the fine flour and stir until it is mixed. I want the texture to be elastic, yet so you can turn it with the spoon. Add a bit extra water if the flour was too much, but try stirring s bit first - it softens up.
The extras.
Optional: you can add about 1/2 cup of something to make it interesting.
Pumpkin seeds are good, and can also be combined with cranberries. If you make bread rolls with cranberries, try to poke them into the rolls so they dont ger burned.
Rolled oats are good. Especially when combined with beer in the dough!
Chopped walnuts is a favorite of mine. With those, add a tablespoon of honey or molasses to the dough. Also works well with beer in the dough.
The rise.
Cover and rise for 9-12 hours in the fridge, or 3-4 hours on the kitchen table. Dont leave it overnight on the kitchen table, the air will go out again.
The bake.
For a big round loaf of bread:
Use a cast iron pot with a lid that can handle the oven. Put it in the oven and pre heat to as hot as it gets. Unless you have a super warm oven, for most home ovens this would be around 250 centigrade. Pour the dough into the pot, and sprinkle with a bit of flour or oats or whatever. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, and then 15 minutes with the lid off. Remove from the pot and rest on a grille for an hour or two before cutting.
For bread rolls:
Pre heat oven to as hot as it gets. If you have a big pizza stone, you might want to preheat this as well. Otherwise pre heat the baking tray. Put a deep tray in the bottom of the oven. With two spoons, arrange the dough into bread rolls on a piece of baking paper. I usually make 8 big bread rolls, but it can probably be turned into 12 small ones. Slide the paper with the rolls onto the pizza stone or tray in the oven. Pour half a cup of hot water into the deep tray in the bottom of the oven, and quickly close the door to trap the steam. Bake for 15-17 minutes and enjoy
Pro tip:
Rinse the worst dough remnants out of the bowl with cold water while the oven pre heats. It is easier than when it dries
Again, this is not a recipe for the perfect bread, more my basic procedure to experiment around.
Edit: A picture of todays bread:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of water
- 2 cups of whole grain flour
- 2 cups of finely ground wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- a bit of yeast
The water is taken cold from the tap. Lukewarm water is only for turbo risen dough. Water can be replaced with dark beer for a delicious variant! Brown ale or stout works great.
The yeast.
Dissolve a proper amount of yeast. Where I live we use fresh yeast, I have little experience with dried yeast. But use like 25% of what you would use for turbo risen dough.
Dissolve this in the water, and add salt and oil.
The whole grain.
You can use the available artisan flour of your choice. My favorite is to mix one cup rye and one cup wheat. All rye will also work, give a more moist bread. All wheat will work, give a slightly more dry bread. I like the balance of half and half. I write 2 cups. You might want to only fill them like 80 %. Especially if it is really coursely ground, you would want a little less.
The fine flour.
You can use all purpose flour, or step it up with tipo 00 or Manitoba flour.
The mixing.
You can probably benefit from using a mixer. I use a spoon and a bowl. It is probably better to mix the flours before adding, but that is one more bowl to clean. I add the whole grain first, and stir till its a slurry without too big lumps. Then I add the fine flour and stir until it is mixed. I want the texture to be elastic, yet so you can turn it with the spoon. Add a bit extra water if the flour was too much, but try stirring s bit first - it softens up.
The extras.
Optional: you can add about 1/2 cup of something to make it interesting.
Pumpkin seeds are good, and can also be combined with cranberries. If you make bread rolls with cranberries, try to poke them into the rolls so they dont ger burned.
Rolled oats are good. Especially when combined with beer in the dough!
Chopped walnuts is a favorite of mine. With those, add a tablespoon of honey or molasses to the dough. Also works well with beer in the dough.
The rise.
Cover and rise for 9-12 hours in the fridge, or 3-4 hours on the kitchen table. Dont leave it overnight on the kitchen table, the air will go out again.
The bake.
For a big round loaf of bread:
Use a cast iron pot with a lid that can handle the oven. Put it in the oven and pre heat to as hot as it gets. Unless you have a super warm oven, for most home ovens this would be around 250 centigrade. Pour the dough into the pot, and sprinkle with a bit of flour or oats or whatever. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, and then 15 minutes with the lid off. Remove from the pot and rest on a grille for an hour or two before cutting.
For bread rolls:
Pre heat oven to as hot as it gets. If you have a big pizza stone, you might want to preheat this as well. Otherwise pre heat the baking tray. Put a deep tray in the bottom of the oven. With two spoons, arrange the dough into bread rolls on a piece of baking paper. I usually make 8 big bread rolls, but it can probably be turned into 12 small ones. Slide the paper with the rolls onto the pizza stone or tray in the oven. Pour half a cup of hot water into the deep tray in the bottom of the oven, and quickly close the door to trap the steam. Bake for 15-17 minutes and enjoy
Pro tip:
Rinse the worst dough remnants out of the bowl with cold water while the oven pre heats. It is easier than when it dries
Again, this is not a recipe for the perfect bread, more my basic procedure to experiment around.
Edit: A picture of todays bread:
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