# More Artisan Breads



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Apr 10, 2005)

I tried to put these recipes into the first post, but found it was too large.  So I cut them and put them here.  Enjoy.

Now here are two variations on a theme that I created while experimenting.  Thy are both out of an unfinished cookbook I'm slowly working on.  Feel free to make these into bread-sticks, round loaves, flatbread, or traditional bread loaves.  Any way you bake them, they taste great.

*Incredible 6 Grain Bread*
More experimenting resulted in this flavorful bread.  I decided to purchase the grain flours rather than relying on a pre-mixed cereal.  Just shows what you can do if youre willing to try.  This bread is very good.  It uses the basic techniques for proofing the yeast, developing gluten, etc.  You can do this.  Its easy.  So cmon.  Shove your hands into the dough.  Throw a spoonful sized blob on your three year old sons nose.  Then laugh with him as he shoves his hands into the gooey dough.  You will both love the results, uncooked and cooked.  Life is for living, not watching.
Ingredients:
5 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Buckwheat flour
1/2 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Barley Flour
1/2 cup Flax Seed
1/2 cup Rye flour
1 large egg
1 tbs. Salt
1 tbs. honey (I use buckwheat honey, but any will do)
5 tbs. sweetener (I use Splenda, but sugar will do as well)
7 tbs. Olive Oil
2 tbs. Yeast
3 cups 100' F. water (a little hotter than warm, uncomfortable to the touch, but not hot enough to burn)

Place 1 cup hot water into a large bowl.  Add the honey and stir until dissolved.  Add the yeast and stir until dissolved.  Set in a warm place and cover with a towel.  Let sit until the foam forms on top (this is called proofing the yeast.

While the yeast is activating, place the rolled oats into a blender and blend into flour.  Place in a large bowl with the Barley, Rye, & Buckwheat flours, and the Flax Seed.  Mix well

 When the mixture is proofed, add the oil, salt, and sweetener and egg.  Stir.  Add the flour mixture and stir until moistened.  Add the Whole Wheat flour and stir until mixed.  Add another cup of hot water and stir some more.  Add the third cup of water, or a portion until the dough is the right consistency.  Kneed for ten minutes.  Brush with shortening and place in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk.  Punch down, kneed for four more minutes and place in bread pans, filling them half way.  Place in a warm location and let rise until doubled in bulk.  Preheat oven to 370' and bake for thirty minutes.  Remove from oven and tap the top.  If it sounds hollow, it's done.  Remove from pans and brush with real butter, or shortening.  Cool completely and place in wrappers.
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*Five-Grain Bread*
Another  multi-grain bread.  Most are similar in flavor.  But you can mix and match ingredients to obtain a coarse or fine texture.  You can also determine which flavors you enjoy most and add ingredients to enhance that flavor.  And these breads can be made as savory breads, or desert breads.
This recipe produces a savory bread, suitable to accompany a good pot roast, or stew, or soup.  Or it can be enjoyed with a good berry jam, or honey and butter.  It is full of flavor, but doesnt overpower the other foods it accompanies.  Enjoy it with a fine cheese, or spinach dip.  And by all means, remember to experiment after mastering the recipe.
Ingrediants:
2  cups bread flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup Buckwheat
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup Flax Seed
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1tbs. dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons honey
 cup buttermilk, warmed to 100 degrees F
3/4 to 1 cup water, warmed to 100 degrees F
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 egg
Add the flours, cornmeal, 1/4 cup oats, wheat germ, sugar, yeast, and salt into a large bowl.   Next, mix the honey and buttermilk in a small bowl and stir into the dry mixture. Using a wooden spoon mix in the water 1/4 cup at a time until a stiff dough forms. Lightly dust a clean working suface with whole wheat flour.  Knead the dough on the work suface until smooth and elastic, or about 10 minutes. 
 Place the dough into mixing bowl, lightly spead shortening or softened butter on the sough surface.  Cover bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about an hour. 
Punch down the dough and shape into a tight ball. Place the dough back on the floured surface, cover, and let rest for about 10 minutes. Lightly grease  a baking sheet with farina (Cream of Wheat, uncooked).  Shape the dough into a 10-inch loaf, and taper the ends.  Place the loaves on the baking sheet. Cover with damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size  about 1 hour. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make an egg wash by lightly beating one egg with a tbs. of water in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the loaf  with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining tbs. of rolled oats. Cut 3 diagonal slashes in the top of the dough with a very sharp, smooth knife. Bake in the lower third of the oven for about an hour.  The crust should be golden brown.  The bread is done when gentle tapping sounds hollow.  Cool on a cookie rack. Serve with a good soup or hearty stew.
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Lastly, I give you a French Bread Recipe.  It will give you a more dry bread, with a chewy crust, perfect for serving with soups, stews, chowders, or cut and filled with roast beef and onions and served up with an au-jus.  Enjoy.

*French Bread*
French bread is that long, crusty stuff that goes so wonderfully with soups, stews and sauces.  It is picked up daily from local bakeries and served with fine cheeses, meats, and sausages.   The bread has a toughness about it and a light flavor.  Its just plain good stuff.
France is famous for its breads, and for its cooking in general.  The people put an emphasis on enjoying life, not just working to make their bosss lives better.  I like that idea, enjoying life.  To that end I give you this recipe.
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3 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, warmed to 100 degrees F
1 tablespoon Sunflower oil
1 egg white
1 tablespoon whole milk

 Add the hot water to a large bowl along with the sugar.  Stir to dissolve.  Set in a warm place to proof the yeast.  While the yeast is busy converting sugar to carbon dioxide, mix together the remaining dry ingredients.
Check the yeast.  If it's frothy on top add it and the remaining ingredients to the bowl.  Usually, bread directions say to mix with a wooden spoon.  But I found (because I had misplaced my wooden spoon one day) that a stainless steel potato masher with a substantial handle was easier to work with.  My favorite way to mix this, of course, is wwith my hands, expecially if I have a 5-year old around.  But decide for yourself.  If you like the spoon better, then use it.  
When the ingredients are mixed, sprinkle an additional half cup of flour over the dough and knead for about 10 minutes.  It should be smooth and elastic. 
When the kneading is complete, lightly brush oil or shortening over the dough surface and cover the bowl.  Place in a warm area and let rise until double in volume, thirty minutes to an hour, depending on weather, temperature, etc. When the dough has risen sufficiently, punch it  down, divide it in half, and roll each piece on a floured surface.  Jelly-roll the dough into loaves and pinch the seams.  Taper the ends into the characteristic shape.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and let rise until doubled in size, again about forty minutes.
Now for the cool part; were gonna make it shine.  Mix together in a small bowl the egg white and one tbs. of water.  Make four diagonal slashes in the top of the bread and brush the whole thing with the egg white.
Pre-heat the oven to 425'F.  When the oven is hot, put the bread in and bake for 30 to 40  minutes. The crust should be golden brown.  Remove immediately from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.  
Now for the most important part, and this is essential, serve with whatever you want but let the partakers rip chunks of bread from the loaves.  For some obscure reason, it tastes better that way.
Oh all right, if you must, slice the bread into 1 inch thick slices and serve with a good light margarine (preferably made with Olive or Sunflower oil).

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## kadesma (Apr 16, 2005)

Goodweed,

I've made a copy of your recipes..The 6 and 5 grain especially I make a pretty  good loaf of french bread and plan to work on Italian ciabatta this spring and summer.. Thanks so much for posting..I really enjoy grain breads over white.. thanks again
kadesma


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