My Daily Bread: Whole Wheat with Flax and Wheat Germ

I love bread.  Of all kinds.  But in an effort to take care of myself the majority of the breads I eat are healthy, whole wheat, whole grain breads.  This is a fantastic and flavorful healthy bread I have been making a lot lately.

Whole Wheat Bread with Flax and Wheat Germ

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 cups water

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup honey

1 cup bread flour

2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

1/3 cup nonfat dry milk

3 tablespoons flax seed

2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

To complete by bread machine: Place all ingredients into the bread machine in order listed.  Select the whole grain cycle if you have it otherwise  use the white bread cycle.  Let the machine do all the work.  The machine will make one 2 pound loaf.

Dough Cycle Use:  Place all ingredients into the bread machine in order listed. Select the dough cycle.  When dough cycle completes (about 90 minutes) remove dough and shape into a ball.  Divide ball in half.  

You can bake this bread in two free form round loaves or in two loaf pans.  To make two free form loaves: shape each dough half into a ball and place onto  a greased sheet pan.  Allow to raise until doubled in size in a warm place.  Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and move to cooling racks.  To bake in loaf pans: Spray two 9-inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.  Shape each dough half to fit in each loaf pan.  Allow to raise until doubled in size in a warm place.  Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Turn out of pans and allow to cool on cooling racks.

Siebenfelder Bread

I was turned onto this bread by my mom who loves it.  This is the recipe she uses to make it except that she makes it into two free-form rounds and bakes it on 325 but since I am obsessed with artisan style I modified the method a bit to get a crustier version.

1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoon oil
1 large egg
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup rye flour
2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons gluten
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon active dried yeast

To complete by bread machine: Place all ingredients into the bread machine in order listed.  Select the whole grain cycle if you have it otherwise  use the white bread cycle.  Let the machine do all the work.  The machine will make one 1 1/2 pound loaf.

Dough Cycle Use:  Place all ingredients into the bread machine in order listed. Select the dough cycle.  When dough cycle completes (about 90 minutes) remove dough and shape into a ball.  Divide ball in half.  Shape each ball into a fat baguette.   Place on parchment paper and let bread raise in warm place until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees with pizza stone letting the stone heat for about 20 minutes to get nice and hot.  Brush the top of the loaf with water and give it several slashes with a serrated bread knife.  Slide onto hot pizza stone.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until bread is golden brown.  Remove bread and let cool on cooling rack. 

Yield:  2 medium sized loaves.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

My Mom gave me a tortilla press for my birthday this year.  I like flour tortillas the best and hope to get good at making them but since corn tortillas seemed easier I thought I would start with those.  My friend Amy mills her own flours and gave me some fresh milled corn to use.  I mixed the corn with water until a dough formed and then divided the dough up into balls which I pressed between parchment paper on my new tortilla press.  It worked like a charm. I fried them up and  here is my first batch.  Not the prettiest but- served up with chorizo, beans, cheese and fresh salsa- delicious!

Mustard Rye Bread

1 1/4 cups warm water
1/4 cup stone-ground mustard
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups rye flour
2 tablespoons gluten flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast

To complete by bread machine: Place all ingredients into the bread machine in order listed.  Select the whole grain cycle if you have it otherwise  use the white bread cycle.  Let the machine do all the work.

Dough Cycle Use:  Place all ingredients into the bread machine in order listed. Select the dough cycle.  When dough cycle completes (about 90 minutes) remove dough and shape into an oval.   Place on parchment paper and let bread raise in warm place until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees with pizza stone letting the stone heat for about 20 minutes to get nice and hot.  Brush the top of the loaf with water and give it several slashes with a serrated bread knife.  Sprinkle with additional seeds and slide onto hot pizza stone (with parchment paper which you can remove about 20 minutes into baking).  Bake for about 40-45 minutes until bread is golden brown.  Remove bread and let cool on cooling rack. 

Yield:  1 1/5 pound loaf.

Parmesan Pine Nut Bread

I made this bread for the first time the other night for a spaghetti dinner.  It was fantastic and really tasted of pine nuts.

Ingedients:
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (can substitute Asiago)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/3 cup pine nuts

To complete by bread machine: Place all ingredients except the pine nuts into the bread machine in order listed.  Select the white bread cycle.  About 15 minutes in to the cycle add pine nuts and allow machine to do the rest of the work.

Dough Cycle Use:  Place all ingredients except the pine nuts into the bread machine in order listed. Select the dough cycle. About 15 minutes in to the cycle add pine nuts.  When dough cycle completes (about 90 minutes)  remove dough and shape into an oval.  Place on parchment paper and let bread raise in warm place until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees with pizza stone letting the stone heat for about 20 minutes to get nice and hot.  Slash top of dough and slide onto pizza stone (with parchment paper which you can remove about 20 minutes into baking).  Bake for about 40-45 minutes until bread is golden brown.  Remove bread and let cool on cooling rack. 

Yield:  1 1/2 pound loaf.

Goat Cheese and Cracked Pepper Bread

 This bread has a bit of a bite and is delicious dipped in olive oil.







Ingredients
1 cup warm water
4 tablespoons goat cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

To complete by bread machine: Place all ingredients into the bread machine in order listed.  Select the white bread cycle.  Let the machine do all the work.  The machine will make one 1 1/2 pound loaf.

Dough Cycle Use:  Place all ingredients into the bread machine in order listed. Select the dough cycle.  When dough cycle completes (about 90 minutes) remove dough, divide in half.  Form each into a ball and  then elongate each ball into a baguette shape.   Place on parchment paper and let bread raise in warm place until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees with pizza stone, letting the stone heat for about 20 minutes to get it nice and hot.  Brush the top of the loaf with water and give it several slashes with a serrated bread knife. Slide onto hot pizza stone (with parchment paper which you can remove about 15 minutes into baking).  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bread is golden brown.  Remove bread and let cool on cooling rack. 

Yield: 2 loaves