HEALTHFUL RECIPES: An Improvement on my Sourdough Recipe

I have been wanting to perfect a sourdough bread recipe so that I could make it quickly and easily and not think too much about it. A recipe I could call my own. I've been scouring the web for all sorts of recipes, reading all sorts of pointers. Now I had to find a recipe that would take into consideration I have a 2 year old and don't want to dedicate my day to baking bread. And something that wouldn't be too fussy, because then I'd just end up messing it up! A recipe that had easy measurements... not something I had to weigh and measure too stringently. Something I could basically throw together and it would generally work every time. Something I could remember without checking my recipe book every minute......

My favorite recipe is this one here. Funny enough, it's for "Basic Sourdough Bread." I tweaked it a bit and this is what I came up with:

2 cups starter (100% hydration)
1 cup freshly ground whole wheat
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of salt
4 teaspoons of sugar

....and mix! And knead! And let rise.... (anywhere from 1-3 hours)

Then form into loaves.... and rise again!

And then bake....

They say to bake it at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, but I really like the effects of baking it at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. They also have you do a bunch of other steps, which I just completely eliminated (I'm lazy and busy you know!). I did however, leave a tray of water underneath as I was baking.....

Don't forget to slice the top to allow for more rising before you bake it!!!

One time I also added 2 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning. Yummy!! What a great savory bread!

You can also use this bread for making French Toast, however, do not use the savory version!! The French Toast turned out delicious. :) But that will be another recipe....... ENJOY!!

This blog is linked to Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday blog carnivale.

HEALTHFUL RECIPES: Honey Whole Wheat Bread

 This is my favorite bread! It's my go-to bread for everything! It's great toasted with eggs for breakfast. It's great with butter when you're on the go. It makes a nice sandwich! You really can't go wrong with this bread. And it makes 2 loaves, which means you have enough for a family of 4 for the week. :) You will LOVE this bread!

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Ingredients

    * 1 (.25 ounce) package rapid rise yeast (1.5 tsp)
    * 1 teaspoon white sugar
    * 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
    * 1 13.5oz can of high fat coconut milk
    * 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
    * 1/4 cup honey
    * 2 teaspoons salt
    * 3 cups whole wheat flour
    * 2 cups all purpose flour
    * 2 tablespoons coconut oil (for greasing pan)
    * an egg (for glazing)

Directions

   1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water.
   2. Combine coconut milk, coconut oil, honey, salt and wheat flour in bowl. Mix in yeast mixture, and let rest 15 minutes. Add all-purpose flour, and process with dough hook (or by hand) until dough forms a ball. You may need to add more flour to get it to form a proper ball. Knead dough by processing an additional 80 seconds, or mix and knead by hand 10 minutes. Place the dough in a bowl. I usually rub some coconut oil over the top and then cover with a clean towel. Let dough rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled. I often let it rise while I'm napping with my toddler, so oftentimes I let it rise up to 3 hours!
   3. Remove risen dough from bowl, and divide dough in half. Fold and shape each half. I usually roll it over itself into a nice little roll (like how you roll up your sleeping bag), which also helps to squeeze out some of the bubbles and make for a nice loaf. Form into loaves, and place in oiled 9x5 inch bread pans. Oil the tops of the dough again, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm area until doubled; second rise should take about 30 minutes.
   4. Place a small pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (Though what I often do is to put the loaves in before turning on the heat).
   5. Whisk egg and glaze the tops of the loaves. Then cut slits with a sharp knife down the top of the loaves (to allow for better rising while cooking).
   6. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes (sometimes up to 40), or until tops are dark golden brown. Slice when cool.

I hope you enjoy this bread as much as my family and I do! This bread is so yummy you can eat it all by itself with nothing on it!

Linked to Kelly The Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesdays

HEALTHFUL RECIPES: Honey Whole Wheat Sourdough Artisan Bread

I have realized that I cannot rely on stores for healthy bread. So many additives, so many preservatives, is the wheat flour even fresh, are there GMO's.... so I have endeavored to make my own breads. This was a daunting task for me, as I'd never made bread before. After a few attempts, I feel much better.

I even have my own sourdough starter going. I feed it regularly and it's bubbling away happily. The other day I made a delicious Honey Whole Wheat bread, as well as a regular Sourdough. And my husband said, wouldn't in be interesting to combine the two! So that's what I did!

The basis of my Sourdough Recipe is from a great website: Sourdough Baking: The Basics by John  Ross.

From there I added and changed according to my likes......

Honey Whole Wheat Sourdough Artisan Bread

2 Cups of sponge (proofed starter)
2 Cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (you can just use pre-ground WW if you don't have fresh)
1 Cup of unbleached flour (or more depending on the consistency)
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 Tablespoons of honey
2 Teaspoons of salt

I use a mixer with a dough hook. You could also do this by hand.

First add the starter into the mixing bowl. Then add the honey, salt and oil. Mix this thoroughly. Then begin to add 1/2 cup at a time, the rest of the flours. I start with the whole wheat, as it generally needs more fluids so it's easier to gauge.

Mix slowly until the dough is no longer sticky, but soft. Then let it sit in the bowl to rise, covered. I have let is rise for almost 4 hours before! This is a slow riser. You can also put this into a lightly warmed oven (the door should be touchable) and it will rise faster. You want it to double in size. You can check it by pressing your finger into it. If it doesn't bounce back, it's fully risen.

Then punch the dough down and form it into a freeform loaf on a silicone mat on a cookie sheet, or grease or put corn meal underneath. Let it rise again.

Once it has risen to about twice the size, put it in the oven and bake it at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes. Do not preheat the oven! The bread will get an extra oomph of rising while the oven is warming. When done, you want it to look lightly browned. Oh and John also says if you thump it with a wooden spoon, it will sound hollow! Put the bread on a cooling rack and let it cool for a while. At least that's what he says too... but I've not been able to do that myself and always end up cutting into it right away to eat a slice with butter slathered on it. :)

So there you have it! Homemade yummy healthy bread you can count on.....