The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book_ A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking - Laurel Robertson [112]
The honey and the water with the yeast make just enough liquid for the processor to work the grain into dough.
Sprout the wheat berries as described, then refrigerate until they are cool, overnight or longer (but since they still grow in the refrigerator, not more than a day or two.)
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
Put the regular double stainless steel blade, not the dough blade, in a standard-size processor and measure just over 2 cups of the sprouted wheat, a third of the total, into the bowl. Pour about 2 teaspoons of the dissolved yeast liquid, a scant tablespoon of honey, and about ⅔ teaspoon of salt over the wheat in the bowl. To protect the yeast, use separate measuring spoons for each of the ingredients.
Process until the ground wheat forms a ball, about one minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and process about two more minutes. Stop processing before the ball completely falls apart; if your wheat is not exceptionally high in protein a minute and a half might be all it can handle. If it falls apart, check the time, and with the next two batches, stop a little sooner.
Repeat with the remaining two-thirds of the ingredients, in two parts. Knead the three dough balls together.
For the rising and baking, proceed as with the recipe on the previous page.
VARIATIONS
Once you have perfected this bread, you may want to vary it by including another grain, or several grains, along with the wheat when you sprout it. If you want light bread, be sure that the mixture stays at least three-quarters spring wheat. Other grains will be available at your natural foods store: triticale, barley, rye, corn, buckwheat. Use a light hand with the last two.
If you like, you can also sprout lentils, limas, soybeans, garbanzos, or any other bean along with the wheat. Again, start with a small spoonful, and work up from there. If you include more than just a few soybeans, add 2 tablespoons oil or 1 tablespoon butter per loaf when you mix the dough.
BASIC WHOLE WHEAT BREAD WITH SPROUTS
Knead ½ to 1 cup of sprouted grain about three days sprouted into any good strong plain whole wheat dough. The sweetness of the sprouts makes additional honey or other sweetener unnecessary, and they hold moisture too, so the bread is plenty moist without oil, and keeps well. It will be a little dense but amazingly flavorful. Allow extra baking time—more sprouts, more time. For best results, pat the sprouts dry on a towel before adding; for lightest bread, add them after the second rise.
This bread is to be chewed with circumspection. The grains on the outside of the loaf will be fairly crunchy, and the ones that failed to sprout will be tough, whether inside the loaf or out. Watch out for them lest you damage a tooth.
Brian’s Bread
4 teaspoons active dry yeast (½ oz or 14 g)
½ cup warm water (120 ml)
6 cups finely ground whole wheat bread flour (900 g)
¼ cup full-fat soy flour, very fresh (14 g)
¼ teaspoon dimalt*
2 teaspoons salt (11 g)
¼ cup orange juice (60 ml)
3 tablespoons honey (45 ml)
1 ½ cups warm water (355 ml)
2 tablespoons cool butter (28 g)
Our friend Brian, the dashing nutritionist and savant, developed this recipe from a commercial bakery formula, using natural equivalents for their chemical additives. It makes a high, light bread that tastes like commercial bakery bread—only better.
The recipe is ideal for making buns.
Dissolve the yeast in the ½ cup water.
Mix the flours, dimalt, and salt in a large bowl, making a well in the center.
Mix orange juice, honey, and warm water, and stir into the well in the flour, mixing first in the center until you have a smooth batter; add the yeast to this and continue mixing until a supple dough is formed. Add more water or flour if necessary, but keep the dough soft.
Knead 20 minutes by hand, or until the dough is extremely stretchy. It should remain soft. Toward the end of the kneading, add the butter in cold bits,