Hearty basic bread:
As I mentioned in a recent post, I have been making this great basic bread based on a recipe posted by Diana Bauman, over at the Humble Kitchen blog, http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2013/03/simple-european-style-everyday-bread-recipe-with-video/#more-4764. For the past few days my son and I have been experimenting and tweaking the recipe to make an equally simple, but little more hearty, basic bread. The whole process has been great fun and now I’m ready to share our modified recipe. It is soooo good and soooo simple you’ll want to throw on an apron and get started. Let me know how you like this hearty basic bread.
Original “Simple European Style Everyday Bread”
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour (you’ll add more as you knead)
2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/4 cup warm water
extra virgin olive oil
Diana has posted a really helpful video on “Humble Kitchen” where she demonstrates the entire process, I would definitely recommend you give it a view.
My Modified, ” Hearty Basic Bread Recipe”
2 cups flour-unbleached all purpose
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup milled flax seed
1 cup sunflower seeds (next time I think I’ll try pumpkin seeds)
2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/4 cup warm water
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
The method is exactly the same for both the recipes.
Mix well together the all purpose flour, almond flour, milled flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
Stir in warm water until dough is sticky and shaggy.
With floured hands knead the dough right in the bowl for 3 or 4 minutes – you will need to dust the dough with flour occasionally (no more than an extra 3 tablespoons) so you can continue to handle it, but you want the dough to stay light and tacky.
Once the dough is holding together and is firm and tacky, pour about a teaspoon of evoo over the dough
Then using oiled hands gently but firmly knead the dough into a tight ball – this is done by placing your hands a few inches apart on the top of the ball of dough, gently but firmly force the dough from the top of the ball out, over the side, down and under to the bottom while maintaining the shape – apply enough pressure to keep the ball together and to meld the dough back together on the underside of the ball; repeat this for 2-3 minutes until you have formed a tight ball.
Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, roll the dough in the oil then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a cloth towel, let rise for one hour.
After the hour the dough should have doubled in size, carefully remove it from the bowl to a floured surface – don’t compress or punch down the dough, although it will fall.
Now repeat the kneading process from he previous step until it is once more a tight ball
Place the ball of dough on a cookie sheet, gently cut a large X about half an inch deep across the top of the ball (you will need a razor or very sharp knife).
Rub or brush a bit more evoo over the top and sprinkle lightly with four
Once again cover the dough with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for another 20 minutes.
Now pre-heat oven to 500F
After the 20 minutes place it in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes at 500F- then lower the temperature to 350F and bake for another 25 minutes
After baking let the bread sit and cool to room temperature – if you can 🙂
If you have more self-control than I do, share a photo of your fresh-baked bread.
