If there is any skill one should absolutely positively cultivate is that of baking bread. I know, I know, everyone is so busy running hither and yon--it is so much easier to pull a loaf of plastic wrapped Styrofoam off a grocery store shelf than to go through the drudgery of baking. Baking bread takes so much time, blahblahblah...NOT!
Even when I lived "in town", I made time for baking bread. I'm not saying I was a baking saint and that I baked bread (or cakes, cookies, pies...) religiously every weekend because I didn't. Yeah, I was busy and yeah, it seemed like a hassle at times. However, there is truly no substitute for homemade bread and the satisfaction of knowing exactly what is IN the bread makes it worth the time and effort. What about bread machines? Well, I know busy folks who use bread machines and it just isn't the same. Dumping pre-mixed "stuff" and water into a machine and pushing a button, in my mind, doesn't count as homemade bread; you must put your hands on the dough and squish it at least a few times, you must breathe in the scent of the yeast as it is working, your mouth must water in anticipation of tasting the warm bread.
I found a fabulous bread recipe from Mary Goldman's A Passion for Baking (which, btw, I don't have in my cookbook library...this is a not so subtle, Christmas-is-coming hint to my family!). Additionally, she has a website, which I am so pleased to be able to pass on to you: http://www.betterbaking.com/. You cannot go wrong with Ms. Goldman's recipes, so please check out the site as well as her book from your local library.
Ms. Goldman's primary recipe uses bread flour, but yesterday I took home baker's license and substituted several cups of bread flour for stone ground whole wheat. I do use a mixer with a bread hook for the initial mixing/kneading aspect, but after the first rise, I divide the dough and beat it up some more by hand. I don't do anything fancy with the loaves other than lightly roll them and tuck the ends under so they fit into the pans.
I also spritzed water on the inside of my oven every couple of minutes for the first eight minutes or so of baking. I do this when baking French bread (along with the use of ice cubes) and this technique makes the crust truly crispy-wonderful. Although the whole
I also spritzed water on the inside of my oven every couple of minutes for the first eight minutes or so of baking. I do this when baking French bread (along with the use of ice cubes) and this technique makes the crust truly crispy-wonderful. Although the whole
loaf wasn't exposed to the added humidity, I think it made the top crust super.
Voila! Two of the most perfect loaves of whole wheat bread I have ever baked! And they taste fabulous...want some?! Come on over!
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