WHOLE WHEAT BREAD IN 5 MINS

You all must have read about me breaking bread with some really talented people in May. But I never really got to baking those breads at home. I was unable to locate vital wheat gluten in these really big supermarkets here,I mean ,I didn't know which aisle they were and whenever I asked someone for help, they were lost too! ;-) So, I gave up my hopes of baking them very soon . But one evening me and Jobin were wandering in the vegetable section of our fave supermarket and happened to see the 'healthy' section of the store.And there it was...that vital wheat gluten I was searching for almost a month! We used to pass by that section every now and then but never really bothered to check in there! And finally Jobin was able to see that 'gluten' I had been talking about for that whole month! ;-)

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
Recipe source: Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day by Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg
This recipe yields atleast four 1lb loaves. It can be easily doubled or halved.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour- 5 1/2 cups
All purpose flour, unbleached- 2 cups
Yeast-1 1/2 tbsp
Salt-1 tbsp
Vital wheat gluten-1/4 cup
Lukewarm water-4 cups
Sesame seeds- 2 tbsp

Method:

• Measure the dry ingredients and add the warm water to it all at once and stir it with a spoon till it comes together.You might have to use your hands to get the last bits of flour together.Do not knead!
• Cover the dough with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours.
• After 2 hours you can put the dough into the refrigerator to rise overnight or atleast 3 hours. Refrigerated dough is easier to work with.
• Once refrigerated , the dough will seem to have shrunk back upon itself.DO NOT punch down the dough.
• On the baking day, dust the surface of the dough with some flour and pull up a chunk and cut it using a kitchen scissors.
• Shape the dough ( you may need some flour for your hands to prevent sticking) and let it rise on a baking parchment, loosely covered with a plastic wrap, for 90 mins.
• Thirty minutes before baking, pre-heat the oven to 450 F with a baking stone placed in the middle rack ( I use my regular rect.cake pan).Place another tray in the bottom shelf.
• Just before baking, use a pastry brush to paint the top with water. Sprinkle sesame seeds.Slash the loaf with 1/4 -inch deep parallel cuts across the top.
• Place the bread into the oven and pour some hot water into the bottom tray and close the oven door immediately to trap the steam.
• Bake for 30 mins until the crust is browned and firm to touch.
• Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator in a lidded (not airtight) container and use within 14 days.

Verdict:
It was an amazing experience to bake a bread without kneading.I love the fact that it is fuss-free. You just have to mix in everything together and leave it to rise! And it does rise very very well, so make sure you have a large container to hold it all. This recipe has endless possibilities too!

We just loved it...not only did it taste great but it was healthy at the same time!

This healthy bread is Yeastspotted!

BREAD BAKING CLASS WITH ZOE & JEFF #22

I always wanted to attend a cookery class, just to get the feel of it. Amma has been conducting cookery classes herself and I was her sous-chef. But I never got enrolled into one until last saturday.

Jeff and Zoe are from Minneapolis and they conduct bread baking classes from their books in a school here. I applied and to my dismay I was put on a waiting list but in the end...I got through.

I was so excited that morning because I love meeting fellow food bloggers. And when I reached there, I met Zoe and she instantly recognised me (to my suprise!) . Yes, we are friends on Facebook and Twitter,but still, you wouldn't expect a person like her to remember all the faces!

I had a fabulous time learning how to make healthy bread in five minutes a day!They knew what they were doing which definately made learning from them very easy!

We were served the breads in between with cheese and jam. And I must say, all of them tasted very good! I loved the Cinnamon Cresents with Cream Cheese Topping and the Danish Braid with Berry Filling.

I am waiting for their next class now. Before that, I better stock up my pantry with all what I need to bake bread from next week on. Till then, we shall manage with the storebought one :)