We hear from Dolores Kramer over there in Coupeville, “My Black and Decker breadmaker, which I bought several years ago, has a recipe for 100 percent whole-wheat bread which I have made many times. This is in response to Eva Dickinson’s request for a whole-wheat bread recipe. Hope this will help.”
And Everett cook Lois Street shares a big-batch recipe and tells us, “This whole-wheat bread is really very good. I hope it will help Eva Dickinson. It comes from a book called “Mary’s Breadbasket and Soup Kitchen,’ which is no longer in print, but is the best bread book I’ve ever used. I do the whole thing in my Kitchen Aid mixer. MUCH easier. This is really a great-tasting bread.”
Bread machine 100 percent whole-wheat bread
1 1/2 cups water
2tablespoons powdered milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2tablespoons honey
2tablespoons molasses
2tablespoons shortening
31/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
Depending on the brand of breadmaker, the ingredients should go into the breadmaker pan in the order listed by the manufacturer. Makes a 2-pound loaf.
Big batch 100 percent whole-wheat bread
3packages yeast
1cup warm water
1/2cup butter
1tablespoon salt
1cup boiling water
1cup honey or light molasses, divided
1cup powdered milk
2cups water
10-11cups stone-ground whole-wheat flour, divided
Butter for brushing baked loaves (optional)
For the sponge, sprinkle yeast over the cup of warm water, stirring until dissolved; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, salt, 1/2 cup of the honey or molasses and boiling water. Blend. Add dry milk and the 2 cups water. Stir in yeast mixture, first making sure the water is not too hot for the yeast. Add 4 cups of the flour, beating until smooth. Cover with a towel and set in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. (Could take longer.)
When the sponge has doubled, blend in remaining honey or molasses and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Be careful to add no more flour than necessary, for with whole wheat, the dough can soon become stiff. Turn out on floured surface and knead 10 or 15 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Brush hands and board with flour when needed. Place dough in large greased bowl, cover and allow to double.
Grease three 3- by 5- by 9-inch bread pans, or four 21/2 – by 41/2 – by 81/2 -inch pans. Punch down dough, shape in loaves and place in pans. Let double. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes for small loaves, or 55 minutes for larger ones. Cool on racks. Brush with butter, if desired. Makes 4 small loaves or 3 large loaves.
Bits and pieces: Snohomish helper-outer Gertrude Goachee writes, “As a cooking and baking addict (also a recipe collector), I really look forward to your column and am amazed at the tips we get from your myriad of readers.
“As for the latest request on how to reconstitute stale bread, rolls, etc., my foolproof and easy way is to put them in the crockpot. I usually line it with foil to keep it clean and just add whatever you want to freshen up. Use low heat and figure about an hour, depending on how many. If they are really dried out, you can add a couple sheets of paper towels sprinkled with water to put the moisture back in. It is an especially good way to reheat muffins. I’ve heated up stale cake (without frosting) and cookies, too. In fact, I use the crockpot more for this than for meals.”
And, on the very same subject, we are told by Patti Johnson of Bothell, “I have a wonderful book called ‘Keeping Food Fresh’ that says if you don’t want to make bread crumbs or croutons out of your leftover bread, you can rejuvenate it by running the loaf quickly under cold water, then warming it in a moderate oven for 5 to 10 minutes. This works for an unsliced loaf, but would work for rolls, too.”
The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Food section.
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