Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [46]
6 Transfer the dough to the parchment paper. It will look somewhat flat. Cover with a dish towel (not terry cloth) and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, brush with water and gently press the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame seeds all over the surface. Using a sharp knife, make three ¼-inch-deep cuts across the loaf. Transfer the parchment paper with the dough to the baking sheet (or set in the cast-iron pan).
7 Bake until the loaf is well risen and light golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped (or when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 200°F), 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the parchment paper 10 minutes before the end of baking for a better crust. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely—about 2 hours, for best flavor and texture—before cutting. The loaf might have quite a crust at first, but it will soon soften nicely. Wait if you can!
TO VARY IT: To form a sesame bread ring: At the end of step 5, once you have formed the dough ball, create the ring. Flour your hands. Holding the dough in both hands, gently form a hole in the middle by pulling the center apart—first with both your thumbs from the top, and then molding it with the rest of your fingers from the bottom. The hole should be at least 3 inches wide. Or make a hazelnut-raisin loaf: Use naturally sweeter white whole wheat flour (instead of regular whole wheat) for a more appealing loaf, and add 1 tablespoon sugar (not 1 teaspoon). Instead of the sesame seeds, measure ¼ cup dark raisins and ½ cup toasted chopped hazelnuts. Add the raisins and ¼ cup of the hazelnuts to the dough in step 2 (instead of sesame seeds). And in step 6, gently press the remaining ¼ cup hazelnuts (instead of sesame seeds) all over the surface.
THE MAGIC OF WET DOUGH
I am including this bread in this book because its unusual technique made me into the passionate baker I am today. As you work with this dough, you might wonder—what a strange, wet and wobbly mixture—but don’t worry, just keep going. When I made it for the first time, I was inexperienced and thoroughly afraid of yeast dough. In front of me was a tiny recipe with twenty lines, and I never really knew what I was doing—but I succeeded nonetheless, pulling an amazing loaf from my old oven. And I have made many more since. The idea of letting a yeast dough rise in water is from a recipe in the German magazine Natur, which named it “Happy Bucket Bread.” Instead of a bucket, I use a stockpot or a tall saucepan. Curious about the origins of this method, I tracked down one of the recipe developers after more than twenty years. She wasn’t able to locate or to remember the original source for this bread. In my large library, I certainly have never come across anything even resembling this method.
Wet doughs such as this one and the Aroma Bread with Coriander and Fennel are great for the novice baker because you can succeed without any kneading or serious baking skills. A so-called wet dough has a high ratio of water to flour by weight. In this floating bread, the water is added twice over: once during initial mixing, and then by dropping the dough into the pot and submerging it. The ample amount of water in the dough helps with gluten formation, which is what kneading normally does. And while you might not know exactly when your dough ball will rise to the surface (I do the dishes in the meantime, with an occasional glance at the pot), you will be smitten when it finally does.
Aroma Bread with Coriander and Fennel
The use of countless aromatics to flavor bread lies at the center of Germany’s rich whole grain baking culture. Breads are often prepared with different grains and grinds of flour to achieve distinctively textured loaves. In this 100 percent whole grain loaf, I use spelt for its pleasing mild flavor, but you can use regular whole wheat flour (see below). Yes, this is a thick-crusted loaf, unlike any bread you will find