Whole Wheat Bread (with a surprise ingredient)

While traveling along on my real foods journey, as I have been doing  for several years now, I've notice the road  narrowing quite a bit.  Narrowing in ways such as fast food is seldom bought, there are no boxed cereals in the house, no sodas in the fridge, no bottled salad dressings on the salads, no nutrition bars in the cupboards, popcorn is not popped in the microwave anymore, boxed crackers or cookies are now a rare sight, soups are made from scratch, and finding bone broth simmering in the crock pot is not unusual.  Also the refrigerator seems fuller...stuffed with jars of sourdough starter and fermented vegetables and the crisper drawer is very often overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are a couple of areas left though...

Bread is one of them.

While I do keep a sourdough starter in the fridge, it's for the biscuits I make, there is still that matter of everyday bread.  We haven't taken the plunge of no bread nor are we as far along as soaking or sprouting our grains...right now my aim is simply to eliminate the bad fats, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives...all of which seem to be found in most store bought breads.

By now I'm sure you can guess where all of this is going...making my own bread.  Which in this fast paced world does seem rather silly except on those rare occasions where one is in the mood to bake and a special treat is in order.

But let's face it, all of this eating real foods thing does take extra time and hence extra planning.  Really it's the planning that's key.  Without proper planning I don't think it can be done.

So back to my bread...if I had a bread maker wouldn't that be ideal.  Just stick everything into the machine and several hours later homemade bread pure and simple.

But I don't have a bread machine right now...and I don't have lots of extra time for kneading and rising and kneading again...that's where "No Need To Knead" by Suzanne Dunaway comes in.

I've checked this book out numerous times from my local library.  I've tried to buy it from Amazon, but it's out of print and so costs wayyy too much money.

Suzanne Dunaway has created a method for making breads without kneading.  Basically just mix all of the ingredients, let sit overnight in the refrigerator, let sit the next day on the counter, turn into the pan and bake.  And there you have it...delicious tasting, homemade bread with a minimum amount of work.  Almost as easy as having a bread maker.

The other day I tried the Whole Wheat Bread.  And it was delicious.  And what is the surprise ingredient you might be asking?  Coffee!

Whole Wheat Bread  from "No Need To Knead" by Suzanne Dunaway
1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm milk
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
2 tablespoons honey or molasses
1 tablespoon very strong espresso (I used a 1 tablespoon of very strong instant coffee)
31/2 to 4 cups unbleached bread flour ( I used all-purpose)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour (I used an extra 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Measure the water into a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it and stir until it dissolves.  In another bowl, combine the milk, olive oil, honey or molasses, and espresso.  Add the yeast mixture and about 2 cups of the bread flour, and the salt.  Stir briskly (I used a whisk) until smooth.  Add all of the remaining flours and stir for about 2 minutes longer (I used a wooden spoon here) until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.  About 2 1/2 hours before you want to bake it take it out of the refrigerator and let stand, covered, in a warm place for 2 hours.  Preheat oven to 500 degree.  Oil well a 9 inch oven proof skillet (I used my iron skillet).  After the dough has sat for 2 hours gently slide it into the skillet.  Don't worry about what shape it takes on, just let it be.  Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and let it sit for another 25-30 minutes or until doubled in size.  Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake the loaf for 30-35 minutes until nicely browned.  Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

You see with a little planning this bread is very doable and not hard at all.  And it is so good!!

What "from scratch" things do you make nowadays that you used to buy?

This post is linked to:
Real Food 101
Homestead Barn Hop #30
Fat Tuesday
Tuesdays At The Table
Naptime Creations
It's a Keeper Thursday
Things I Love Thursday
Full Plate Thursday
Pennywise Platter Thursday
Turning the Table Thursday
Simple Lives Thursday
Food Trip Friday
Foodie Friday
Fresh Bites Friday
Freaky Friday